Finding the right venue is an important piece of the wedding puzzle. Get it right and the other decisions — decorations, flowers, seating arrangements — all get that little bit easier. If you and your partner are recently engaged, or simply daydreaming about the day, here are six Perth venues worth a look.
Perth City Farm
Good news for budget-conscious couples: Perth City Farm hands you a blank canvas and lets you build the day from the ground up. It is a completely BYO, dry-hire venue — you organise your own catering, your own drinks and your own furniture, and there is no minimum spend. The rustic barn and the warehouse-style Art Room sit alongside gardens and a courtyard, and a commercial kitchen is available if you are self-catering or bringing in a food truck. Chairs, tables, lighting and AV are yours to arrange, though an optional rustic furniture package takes some of that off the list. Hire comes as single-day, two-day or three-day packages, and the three-day option gives you a full day to set up, the day itself, and the morning after to pack down.
ADDRESS: 1 City Farm Place, East Perth WA 6004
Somerville Auditorium
Set among the pines of the University of Western Australia's Crawley campus, Somerville Auditorium suits couples who want to marry in something close to a forest. It was conceived in 1927 as a cathedral of Norfolk pines, and a 10 x 20 metre clear-roof marquee with full flooring sits among the trees so the canopy stays in view. Two things to plan around. The venue is available for private hire by request only, between late April and early October, because the grounds are committed for the rest of the year. And Ultimo Catering & Events is the exclusive caterer, listing the marquee at 140 for a sit-down dinner or 200 cocktail-style.
ADDRESS: 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley WA 6009
Kidogo Arthouse
Right on the shore of the Indian Ocean, Kidogo Arthouse occupies the 1884 heritage-listed Old Kerosene Store on Bathers Beach. We love this place for its limestone walls, its rustic interior and the ocean-view deck. Hiring it for a wedding gives you two galleries, the deck and a kitchen. The Large Gallery seats 70 to 90 for a sit-down meal, or takes up to 130 for a cocktail-style wedding, and catering is flexible, with BYO and self-catering both on the table.
ADDRESS: 47 Mews Rd, Fremantle WA 6160
Guildford Hotel
At the gateway to the Swan Valley, The Guildford Hotel is an old favourite for couples getting married. Its heritage character does a good deal of the styling work for you, and there are enough distinct spaces to suit almost any guest list: the Vaudeville Room holds 110 (80 seated), The Hall 200 (100 seated) and Level One 200 (80 seated), while the 1915 Verandah, the courtyards and the beer garden take smaller groups of 50 to 80. Book the venue exclusively and it holds up to 750. Wedding packages are available through the hotel's events team.
ADDRESS: 159 James St, Guildford WA 6055
Quarry Amphitheatre
Tucked into the bush near Perry Lakes and Bold Park, Quarry Amphitheatre spends most of its nights hosting Perth's operas, performances and concerts. Time your run right and you can hire it for the ceremony, the reception or both. Expect tiered manicured lawns inside towering limestone walls, private dressing rooms for the wedding party and free on-site parking. Ultimo Catering & Events is the exclusive caterer here too, and the space seats 140 or takes 300 cocktail-style. One to know before you book the band: music has to finish by 11.30pm.
ADDRESS: 1 Waldron Dr, City Beach WA 6015
Matilda Bay
Perth's waterfront favourite, Matilda Bay looks straight across the Swan River to Kings Park and the city skyline. There are two rooms to choose between. The Roe Room on Level 1 seats up to 140, or holds 250 for a cocktail reception, and has its own dedicated kitchen. The smaller Catalina Room on the ground floor seats up to 50, or 100 cocktail-style, with bi-fold glass doors opening onto an adjoining patio. The venue asks couples to get in touch early in their planning.
ADDRESS: 3 Hackett Dr, Crawley WA 6009
And there we have it — six Perth venues that between them cover a city farm, a pine forest, a beach, a heritage pub, an amphitheatre and a riverfront dining room. Whichever way you lean, we wish you all the best for the big day.
Did you know we also specialise in wedding transfers here at Horizons West? We can take care of getting you and your wedding party to and from the ceremony and the reception, and keep your guests together on the way. Here is how a recent wedding party travelled with us.
