Encore St Kilda's Guide to Finding the Right Wedding Venue
Budget, guest numbers, location and availability are all important when choosing a wedding venue, but they’re also the easy part. The best venue for your wedding isn’t necessarily the one with the grandest ballroom or the longest inclusions list. It’s the one that makes the entire day feel effortless, from the moment guests arrive to the last dance.
When searching for wedding venues in Melbourne, it’s easy to get caught up comparing packages, capacities and features. But finding the right wedding venue is about more than ticking boxes. It’s about choosing somewhere that feels right for you.
1. Picture your day, not just the space
When you walk into a wedding venue, it’s natural to notice the views, layouts or styling. Instead of immediately comparing features, take a moment to imagine your own wedding there.
Can you picture your partner waiting at the end of the aisle?
Your family cheering as you walk back down together?
Your friends filling the dance floor?
The right venue isn’t just somewhere that hosts weddings, it’s somewhere that makes it easy to imagine your own story unfolding.
When searching for wedding venues in Melbourne, it’s easy to get caught up comparing packages, capacities and features. But finding the right wedding venue is about more than ticking boxes. It’s about choosing somewhere that feels right for you.
2. Consider how the day will flow
Some of the best weddings feel effortless, and that’s rarely by accident.
Think about how your ceremony, cocktail hour, reception and dance floor will connect. Every extra transition is another chance for someone to get lost, run late or accidentally end up at the wrong venue.
Your wedding should be one continuous celebration, where each moment naturally leads to the next and everyone can stay focused on what they’re really there for: celebrating with you!
3. Think like a guest, not just a couple
Of course, the biggest priority is that you love your wedding day, but the magic of a great wedding is that your guests feel it too.
It can be helpful to take a step back and imagine attending your own wedding as a guest. Would you walk away thinking, “Wow, that was such a beautiful day”?
Think about the atmosphere, the comfort, the celebration and those little moments that make people feel welcomed. When you choose a wedding venue that feels right for you, it naturally creates an experience your guests will love too.
4. Plan for the moments nobody posts on Instagram
The highlight reel might show the first kiss and the dance floor, but real weddings are made up of hundreds of little moments in between.
The aunties catching up over a drink, friends finding a sunny corner to chat, grandparents taking it all in, and the two of you sneaking away for five minutes because suddenly you realise you haven’t eaten anything all day.
A thoughtful venue makes room for all of it.
5. Let the location do some of the work
Sometimes the things that make a wedding memorable are the things you don’t have to organise. Think about what surrounds you, what guests will see as they celebrate and whether the location naturally reflects the kind of day you want to create. The right setting becomes more than a backdrop; it becomes part of the experience.
One of the benefits of choosing a beachfront wedding venue in Melbourne is that the setting already brings atmosphere before you’ve added any personal touches. Natural light, open views and the changing colours of the coastline create a beautiful backdrop throughout the day, allowing your styling to enhance the space rather than having to transform it.
6. Choose the team as much as the venue
You’ll spend months planning your wedding with your wedding venue team, so choosing people you trust to take care of your special day is just as important as loving the space itself.
The right team will listen to your ideas, understand what matters most to you and guide you through decisions without making the process feel overwhelming. A great wedding venue team doesn’t just deliver the day, they help you feel confident throughout the entire journey.
7. Ask how the venue handles the unexpected
No matter how carefully you plan, there are usually a few surprises. The weather might change, timelines might shift, or a last-minute request might come up.
When comparing wedding venues, ask how the team handles these situations and who will be supporting you on the day. The important thing is knowing your venue has a plan and an experienced team who can adapt calmly when needed.
The best wedding venues make these moments feel seamless, so you can stay focused on enjoying the day rather than worrying about what’s happening behind the scenes.
8. Imagine your wedding five years from now
Wedding planning can make you spend a surprising amount of time thinking about every little detail (napkin colours included).
But years from now, you probably won’t be thinking about whether you chose the exact right trend or followed the latest style. You’ll be looking back at the photos, remembering how the day felt and feeling grateful that you chose a venue that reflected who you were as a couple.
The right space should feel just as special when you look back on it years later as it did the first time you walked in.
9. Choose a place you’ll want to return to
Your wedding day may only happen once, but the place where it happened can hold meaning for years to come.
Consider choosing a venue in a location you’d enjoy returning to, whether it’s a walk along the beach where you celebrated, a visit to the neighbourhood that holds those memories or simply passing by and reminiscing.
The right setting becomes more than a backdrop; it becomes part of the moments you’ll look back on for years, and somewhere you can go to relive those moments.
The Wedding Venue That Brings It All Together
Located on the St Kilda foreshore, Encore St Kilda is a unique Melbourne wedding venue designed around the moments that make your celebration memorable. With a beachfront setting, rooftop views, versatile event spaces and an experienced events team, Encore provides the perfect foundation for couples looking to create a wedding that feels personal, seamless and unforgettable.
From the moment you and your guests arrive, the uninterrupted views of Port Phillip Bay set the scene for an incredible celebration. Whether you’re exchanging vows with the coastline as your backdrop, enjoying drinks as the sun sets from the rooftop or celebrating with loved ones throughout the evening, Encore’s spaces are designed to make every part of your wedding day feel connected. The coastal surrounds, natural light and flexible layouts allow your ceremony, drinks, dining and dancing to flow naturally from one moment to the next.
Choosing a wedding venue is also about choosing a team you can trust. Our events team works closely with couples throughout the planning process, helping bring your vision to life, answering questions and ensuring every detail is considered. From planning the layout of your celebration to managing the unexpected, our team is there to make your wedding day feel effortless.
Whether you’re planning an intimate wedding, a cocktail-style celebration or a larger wedding reception in Melbourne, Encore St Kilda offers a beachfront wedding venue with rooftop views, flexible spaces and personalised support to create a celebration you and your guests will remember for years to come.
Looking for a Melbourne wedding venue that feels like the right fit?
Discover Encore St Kilda and start planning your celebration by the bay.
