Outdoor Wedding Ceremony Guide – Wollongong & Illawarra’s Best Beaches, Parks & Venues | What’s On In Wollongong

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!

Best Illawarra & Wollongong Beaches & Reserves for Weddings:

City Beach Function Centre

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 🙂

The Wedding Hour Collective

Dreaming of a stunning wedding without the overwhelm & price tag? Say hello to The Wedding Hour Collective – your go-to team for beautiful, affordable micro weddings & elopements across Wollongong & the South Coast.

Founded by stylist Zoe Armstrong (Pony & Wolf Pop Up Luxury Picnics) and celebrant Lauren Kayle (Live Committed), they deliver high-style celebrations that are big on love, low on fuss.

From luxe micro weddings to “just-the-legals” pop-up I do’s, every detail is covered – venues, florals, photos, food, styling & support. Stunning coastal locations, secret gardens, & more. Create your unforgettable day – get in touch with Zoe & Lauren here.

Other venue/locations:

• Wollongong Golf Club (they have a special ceremony platform spot overlooking 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:

Altitude 1148

Weddings with an incredible, breathtaking view at Altitude 1148

The Venue of Your Dreams: Say ‘I Do’ At the Best Escarpment Wedding Venue Wollongong

Celebrate your special day at a Wollongong wedding venue that provides the best backdrop for your wedding. Altitude 1148 offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean through stunning floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Our immaculate venue, dedicated wedding coordinators, and flexible wedding packages are designed to suit your budget and vision. Whether you’re hosting a grand wedding ceremony for up to 160 guests or an intimate reception, Altitude 1148 provides an exclusive and unforgettable setting to celebrate your romance.

Your wedding day deserves to be celebrated in a venue that is both grand and intimately yours. Give your guests and loved ones a memorable event that they will gush about for years to come. Altitude has all the charm and opulence to give your romance the best start.

Make a wedding enquiry/learn more here.

• 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.

Wollongong Botanic Garden

Wollongong Botanic Garden sets the stage for a wedding infused with nature and is the quintessential location for a couple who adores the great outdoors. No matter the season, let the stunning landscape of Wollongong Botanic Garden create the perfect setting for your wedding or commitment ceremony.

In the Spring, let the soft sounds of the creek accompany your ceremony, and in summer, surround yourself with the exquisite roses in our splendid formal English Rose Garden. In autumn, the vibrant foliage will set the stage for a wedding filled with colour, and in the winter, imagine a dramatic red desert backdrop for your wedding photography.

You’ll find the perfect setting for your outdoor ceremony – from intimate to grand gatherings, and everything in between. The Garden’s most popular spaces include the Rose Garden, the Australia Arid Collection, Temple Garden, Turpentine Lawn and Woodland Garden. Get in touch with their Weddings & Events team 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.

To book your beach or park wedding ceremony space, you need to book and pay with Wollongong City Council online HERE.

What you need to know about beach and park hire for weddings from Wollongong City Council:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. No booze! All Council parks and beaches are alcohol-free zones.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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!):

The Lagoon Restaurant

Create a beachside wedding that is personalised, intimate and reflects you as a couple. The Lagoon Restaurant is excited to announce their Midweek Micro Wedding Package. This small wedding package for up to 50 guests is for weddings between Monday – Thursday. Package includes 1 hour ceremony, private use of their Grace Room for 3 hours, 2-course Menu and a 3-Hour Beverage Package + more extras. Perfect, special and memorable. Learn more here.

BONUS: Book your 2025 wedding with The Lagoon by September 30, 2025, and receive $20 off per person on your chosen package!

Celebrate your big day with breathtaking views and make it a wedding to remember. Contact them today here. T&Cs apply.

For more local Wollongong wedding venue inspiration – find the top 27 wedding venues here!