Outdoor Wedding Venues – Newcastle, NSW
From casual weddings on the beach to truly unique wedding venues, check out Newcastle’s best outdoor venues for ceremony locations
Fort Scratchley
1/3 Nobbys Road, Newcastle East NSW 2300
Historic Fort Scratchley offers a stunning option for an outdoor wedding ceremony with its grassed area providing 360-degree panoramic views. Take in the Newcastle Coastline including Nobby’s Beach and lighthouse, as well as Newcastle city and harbour as you make your wedding vows.
Afterwards, capture some pretty special wedding photos at locations around the Fort grounds and choose from its multipurpose function centre or The Barracks for a wedding reception.
The Lucky Hotel
237 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
The Lucky Hotel’s gorgeous Courtyard is a picture-perfect spot for an outdoor wedding venue. Think greenery walls and exposed brick, mixed with rustic wooden beams. They also have two smaller venues, The Drum Bar and Oxford room which provide good indoor options.
Why not keep your ceremony and reception in the same place, with the Lucky Hotel offering delicious menus for both canapé and sit down weddings, as well as 30 rooms for accommodation should you want an easy spot to rest once the festivities are over.
Guests: 20-150
The Lock Up
90 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
If you’re looking for a really unique place to hold your wedding ceremony, take a look at the Lock Up. Formerly the Newcastle Police Station, this venue features what was once an exercise yard for inmates and makes for a really interesting ceremony location with its imposing iron doorway and remaining graffiti from days gone by.
Modern features such as weather responsive louvre roofing means this outdoor wedding venue can be quickly transformed if the weather turns.
Guests: 40-100
Beach Wedding Venues
Newcastle offers six beautiful beach wedding venues for couples looking to tie the knot with the sand beneath their feet, the sound of crashing waves and the taste of salty air. They are:
- Bar Beach, Memorial Drive, Bar Beach
- Dixon Park Beach, Ocean Street, Merewether
- Merewether Beach, John and Henderson Parades, Merewether
- Newcastle Beach, Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle
- Nobbies Beach, Nobbies Road, Newcastle East
- Stockton Beach, Pitt and Mitchel Streets, Stockton
Whether its directly on the sand or overlooking the beach from the Bar Beach Lookout, a beach wedding venue can make for a stunning choice for wedding ceremonies and the perfect place to kick off your wedding photos.
Wedding Gardens and Parks
Romantic rotunda’s, manicured rose gardens, and spectacular fountains; park and garden wedding venues can make a beautiful spot to get hitched and Newcastle has quite a few beautiful parks for hire. They are:
- Centennial Park, 100 Dawson Street, Cooks Hill
- Civic Park, 201 King Street, Newcastle
- Gregson Park, 130 Tudor Street, Hamilton
- Islington Park, 151 Maitland Road, Islington
- Jesmond Park, 4 Robinson Avenue, Jesmond
- King Edward Park, 3 Ordnance Street, The Hill
- Lambton Park, 50 Howe Street, Lambton
- Christie Place, 292 King Street, Newcastle
- Customs House Plaza, 3 Wharf Road, Newcastle East
- Pacific Park, 1 Pacific Street, Newcastle
- Tramway Reserve, 27 Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle East
- Stockton (contact Stockton Parks Committee to book).
Pick a shady spot under the glorious fig trees, overlook some of Newcastle’s spectacular ocean baths or impress your guests with 360 degree views of Newcastle from the Obelisk. A Newcastle park or garden wedding will surely be one to remember.
Indoor Wedding Ceremony Venues
What Do You Need To Consider When Planning An Outdoor Wedding Ceremony?
Outdoor wedding venues are a popular choice for ceremonies these days but they do also come with the added need of factoring in the weather on the day.
Some things you might need to consider when choosing an outdoor wedding venue are:
- Having a backup wedding ceremony venue in case it rains
- Considering other weather factors like wind
- Choosing the right season so its not too hot or cold
- Providing guests with shelter from weather conditions such as sun shades, trees, fans, sunscreen, water, blankets or umbrellas
- Considering tide times for set up of beach weddings. You don’t want to be too close to the water when the tide comes in
- Bringing all needed items with you if it’s a park or beach wedding e.g. chairs for guests, signing table, aisle and wedding arch
- Considering which direction you’re facing at the ceremony to make sure your hair isn’t being blown into your face or the sun isn’t making you squint
- Choosing wedding attire and hairstyles etc that are appropriate for your location. E.g. high heels and sand aren’t a great combination and neither is a 3-piece suit on a 40c day
- Ensuring guests, in particular grandparents and the like are comfortable with a place to sit
- Ensuring your vows can be heard with a good sound system and keeping away from particularly noisy areas such as waves or fountains
- Bearing in mind that if you use a public space like a beach or garden, you may have some additional spectators watching, as well as in photos. Also consider not setting up near larger crowds to minimise noise and maximise privacy
- Making sure you have the right permits to use parks and beaches
- Having a method such as a wedding website to update guests on last minute changes if you need to resort to the plan B venue
- Visiting the site before the big day and checking where the sun sits, traffic and parking conditions, how difficult it is to get to the location and what amenities and facilities are there such as toilets, seating and shade
- Clear directions for guests about where the ceremony will take place. For example, Newcastle Beach is pretty big so a map with the invitations showing set up area and parking might be helpful
What Wedding Styles Are Suitable To Newcastle Wedding Locations?
Whether you’re after a casual wedding with just your closet family and friends or an all-inclusive wedding package with all the bells and whistles, Newcastle has a wedding style to suit all tastes and budgets.
Checkout our options above for ideas on waterfront venues on the beautiful Newcastle foreshore, beach wedding venues such as iconic Nobbies and Bar Beaches, flower lined wedding gardens or rustic wedding venues with exposed wooden beams.
With our selection of the best wedding venue options, you’re sure to find the perfect place to host both your wedding ceremony, as well as your reception.
Does Newcastle Have a Botanical Gardens Wedding Venue Available For Hire?
While Newcastle itself doesn’t have botanical gardens, The Hunter Region Botanic Gardens offers five gorgeous wedding gardens to hire for your outdoor ceremony and is only about a 20-30-minute drive from Newcastle.
If you’re set on a central Newcastle location, then the city itself does have an array of parks and garden wedding venues available for hire which we have covered above.
These feature spectacular rose gardens, romantic rotundas and magical water fountains, all of which make not only stunning backdrops for outdoor wedding ceremonies but also for your wedding photography.
You could also check out Airbnb wedding venues which may have a beautiful garden to use as a ceremony venue.