By Florent Vidal Photography

Selecting your wedding venue is one of the most important decisions that you will make for your wedding. Naturally, couples are not only looking for a venue that reflects their personality, but also one that has a WOW factor! Let’s admit it, you want your guests to remember your wedding (and for all the good reasons!) for many years to come.

I have been to many wedding venues over the years and there are a few that stand out for having something unique about them. From a historic jail that housed notorious criminals to a laneway wedding right in the middle of Sydney CBD – there are wedding venues that can make your wedding day truly memorable. And if you find a place that you like but are not sure if it’s a wedding venue, all you have to do is ask! You just never know…

Here’s a list of Unique Wedding Venues Sydney for your wedding reception and ceremony

Cell Block Theatre, Darlinghurst

This wedding venue in the middle of the city of Sydney oozes history and has amazing sandstone architecture. Inside, the 10-metre high sandstone walls create a cathedral ambience, which was once the women’s wing of the old Darlinghurst Gaol. The cells that housed notorious women criminals have been removed to create a vast space, yet the feeling of the past remains in its atmosphere. Couples love that they can turn the vast space to however they imagined their wedding would be.

Outside, there are courtyards that have green space that is perfect for an outdoor ceremony, so there’s the convenience of having your wedding ceremony and reception at one place. Not to mention, since it is located in the National Art School, there are plenty of nooks and corners to have your couple portraits.

Taronga Centre Wedding Venue, Mosman

Getting married at a zoo is unique in itself, but when the zoo is the famous Taronga Zoo, which boasts the best views of Sydney Harbour it really is something special! Your guests will have a hard time peeling their eyes away from the magnificent views of Sydney. What a way to impress your guests especially those who have come from overseas! The Taronga Function Centre is located within the Taronga Zoo, and can cater intimate weddings to lavish weddings of up to 350 guests. Couples can enjoy having their wedding portraits taken with the zoo’s best residents like the famous giraffe! The best part is once the zoo shuts its gates to visitors, the newly married couple can enjoy the zoo all on their own.

Fairground Follies, St Peters

In French ‘follies’ means craziness or madness – one that you can associate to the feeling of falling ‘madly in love.’ It is therefore appropriate to call this place a Fairground of Madness! It truly is a beautiful venue at the Antique Mechanical Museum of Sydney. Tucked away in the industrial area of St Peters in Sydney, it boasts an antique Parisian carousel in the middle of the venue where every single one your guest will be transported back to their childhood once more.

Fairground Follies’ remarkable space is flexible and will make a spectacular venue that your guests will never forget!

Luna Park, Milsons Point

For the adventurous spirit why not get on a roller coaster and start your marriage with the ride of your life?! Located in Milsons Point, just under the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Luna Park Weddings is a wonderful harbourside precinct. It is more than just a theme park, but a beautifully and lovingly restored Sydney icon that has stunning views of the Opera House, the magnificent Sydney Harbour and the Harbour Bridge. Luna Park is a fun place to celebrate your wedding without compromising on quality. There are 5 different wedding venues to choose from: the Crystal Ballroom, Sunset Room, Palais, Grand Ballroom and Ted Hopkins Room – there is surely one that will suit your dream wedding day.

Belgenny Farm, Camden South

Yes, you can have your rustic wedding without going too far away. Belgenny Farm is located in Sydney’s Macarthur region – only 45 minutes from Sydney CBD, and showcases a naturally charming venue for your wedding. If you want an authentic rustic setting with Heritage Listed buildings boasting modern facilities, then check out Belgenny Farm weddings. The farm was established in 1805 by John and Elizabeth Macarthur and features the earliest collections of colonial farm buildings in Australia.

University of Sydney, Camperdown

Grand and majestic, The University of Sydney is like a dramatic English castle with its high ceilings, stunning glass windows and sandstone walls. If you’ve always dreamed of a fairy tale or a Harry Potter like setting for your wedding The University of Sydney wedding offers this along with almost 160 years of history behind it. There are two main halls where you can hold your wedding event: The Great Hall and the McLaurin Hall.

The Great Hall is a great example of Victorian Gothic revival architecture and can accommodate weddings to cocktail affairs. McLaurin Hall is one of Sydney University’s grandest old rooms and can cater to lavish events of up to 350 guests.

Sydney CBD Lane, Angel Place

What?! Getting married in the lane of Sydney CBD? I kid you not it has been done! If you find yourself walking around through some of the hidden parts of Sydney, CBD like at Angel Place, with its intimate atmosphere and European like architecture, you can understand the appeal that a wedding ceremony right bang in the middle of a Sydney city walk lane holds. So called ‘pop up weddings’ are taking a momentum for couples who are spontaneous and who most definitely don’t mind taking risks! A ‘pop-up wedding’ is just that – you go to a place and, like a flash mob, you set up quickly and hold your wedding ceremony. Granted a public wedding ceremony doesn’t suit every couple, plus you have to ensure that there are no other events taking place, and to pick a time that is relatively quiet.

But for those who want a Sydney CBD wedding without the risks there plenty of venues nearby like the popular Ivy and the Establishment where you can hold your wedding reception afterwards.

Somewhere in the big blue: A boat wedding Sydney Harbour

Instead of just having the Sydney Harbour as a backdrop, why not be in it? A wedding ceremony aboard a boat while sailing along Sydney’s magnificent harbour is truly a beautiful way to celebrate your wedding day. A boat wedding in Sydney is always a memorable event with you and your guests enjoying the best that this city has to offer. You can choose from many types of charter boats available from vintage style boats to luxury yachts, and you can even hold your wedding reception right on board.

Sydney, truly, is a great city that offers a lot of opportunities for beautiful wedding photographs! We hope that you find that unique wedding venues Sydney that is right for you!

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