Outdoor Wedding Ceremony Guide – Wollongong & Illawarra’s Best Beaches, Parks & Venues | What’s On In Wollongong
Best Outdoor Wedding Places Illawarra & Wollongong to say I Do
The trend for outdoor wedding ceremonies is so hot right now. If you are planning an Illawarra wedding, welcome to our insider guide!
Here at What’s On In Wollongong, we know our coastline and nature spots make an incredible backdrop for a wedding.
If you want to make your wedding uniquely yours and memorable, here are the most stunning locations that you can hire for your wedding. For more Wollongong Wedding Package Venue inspiration – click here!
Most Popular Sites for Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies in the Wollongong Area:
Best Illawarra & Wollongong beaches & reserves for weddings:
City Beach Function Centre, is truly beachfront and offer outside beach Ceremony Packages. Choose from five outdoor beach or reserve locations over looking the glorious Wollongong Harbour and aquamarine shores of City Beach. If you want a stress free outdoor beach ceremony, City Beach do all your set up and pack down and handle the council permits. The rain or poor weather is no issue either City Beach offer a wet weather back up inside their beautiful room with ocean views. So come rail, hail or shine, it’s a cost effective, stunning and safe way to have the beachside ceremony of your dreams for just $3,000. Click HERE to contact the super helpful events team at City Beach, they adore everything WEDDINGS! Tell them What’s On In Wollongong sent you 🙂
Wollongong Golf Club (they have a special ceremony platform spot over looking City Beach with the rolling golf course and escarpment as back drop – click here for enquiries)
Wollongong Belmore Basin – Beach Cove Cliff Road, for elevated sweeping ocean views.
Wollongong Harbour (Beach cove between Kiosk & Continental Pools), for pretty harbour views.
Sandon Point Reserve or Beach Blackall Street, Bulli – one of Illawarra’s most prominent headlands with sweeping coastal views north and south.
Austinmer Beach Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Austinmer – a more enclosed, classically beautiful beach.
Flagstaff Hill Endeavour Drive, Wollongong – say ‘I Do’ amongst the iconic Lighthouses and stunning Illawarra ocean and escarpment views.
Best Illawarra Escarpment Look Out/Places for Wedding Ceremonies
- Sublime Point Princes Highway, Bulli Tops – just stunning Illawarra coastline views unfolding down from the escarpment.
Best Gardens & Parks for Wedding Ceremonies in the Illawarra
- Maddens Plains Glastonbury Gardens, Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Austinmer.
- Illawarra Rhododendron Gardens and Rainforest Garden. Perched on the magnificent escarpment high above Wollongong in Parrish Avenue, Mt Pleasant.
- The popular Wollongong Botanic Garden – CLICK HERE
To book your beach or park wedding ceremony space, you need to book and pay with Wollongong City Council online HERE.
What does it cost to get married on the beach or park?
Wollongong City Council currently charge $172 for hire fee for wedding ceremonies on designated parks and beaches. Make an enquiry now HERE.
What you need to know about beach and park hire for weddings from Wollongong City Council:
- It may not be private – Your booking does not entitle you to exclusive use of the hired space. All wedding attendees are asked to extend common courtesy to other people using the space when requesting their cooperation in staging your ceremony.
- You need to play by the rules! While using the hired space, you must comply with any laws or regulations that apply to that space, including but not limited to any regulations shown on signage at the site.
- No booze! All Council parks and beaches are alcohol-free zones.
- Check enough parking is close by – as no vehicles are allowed on site. You are responsible for making sure you park legally at or near the venue in an approved space.
- Be mindful of noise constraints. You must control noise so it does not create a nuisance to other users of the space or adjoining neighbours. You must get Council’s written approval if you wish to use a public address system or sound system. The noise level produced by any sound system (L10) must not exceed the background noise level (L90) by more than 5 dB (A) when measured at the nearest residential boundary.
- The following is not allowed – No padlocks on any Council infrastructure. No confetti, rice or rose petals are not to be used. NO Glass containers and bottles are not allowed on beaches.
- No Pets. Animals are not permitted on any beach within the City of Wollongong, except for dogs in designated off-leash areas. See Wollongong City Council’s Dog Beaches and Parks page for more information.
- Leave only a stunning memory. You must leave the space in a clean and tidy condition after your booking. All garbage must be removed from the site and disposed of in an approved waste collection area.
- Plans for a bad weather alternate venue. However, If your booking can’t go ahead due to bad weather, you can request a refund from Council of any fees paid within five working days of your booking. Refund requests must be made in writing to Wollongong City Council by email
Top Illawarra Beachside Wedding Venues – get married by the beach but safely in your function space (and avoid the risk of bad weather and all the council restrictions!)
For more local Wollongong wedding venue inspiration – find the top 27 wedding venues here!