Mclaren Vale Wedding Venues
As an photographer based in the south of Adelaide, I’m quite often travelling to Mclaren Vale in order to cover a wedding. Mclaren Vale is a wonderful setting to hold your wedding, catering for both the budget concious through to the very high end of town. It’s such a nice place to married in that I myself booked my own wedding at one of the venues I used to love – but now unfortunately went out of business 😛
Mclaren Vale is an popular tourist destination to the south of Adelaide in South Australia, due to the fact that the town produces some of the best wine in the world. The region was named after either David McLaren, the Colonial Manager of the South Australia Company or John McLaren (unrelated) who surveyed the area prior to settling in 1839. More recently, in 2013 the rustic charm of the town was declared a state treasure, and along with the Barossa, were included in legislation to keep the small wine town vibe present to help continue the tourism industry.
The town offers a surprisingly broad variety of scenery for your wedding, from the obvious winery backdrop making for the iconic Mclaren Vale landscape, through to the nearby Kuitpo forest and Port Willunga beach – the most photographed beach in South Australia. There are also a multitude of heritage listed buildings and farmland to take advantage of.
I thought I’d put together this list of wedding venues in Mclaren Vale that I’ve covered a wedding at, to help you narrow down your selection of venues in Mclaren Vale.
List of Mclaren Vale wedding venues
Ekhidna winery
The quaint little cellar door of Ekhidna winery is fast becoming one of my favourite wineries in South Australia to shoot a wedding at due to the lovely staff on site, the amazing food and the intimate location it’s built on. With vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see towards both the Adelaide hills, and the sunset – photo opportunities using the vineyard are ample, while also being nearby some amazing trees along the road.
The reception area can be both closed off to the elements, or open depending on the weather and can cater for all sizes of wedding party be it a cocktail style reception or sit down dinner. They also make a mean ginger beer 😀
Recent weddings at Ekhidna Winery
Coriole Winery
Perhaps one of my favourite wineries in Mclaren Vale to host weddings is at the Coriole winery cellar door. It’s rustic setting, and stunning location comes together beautifully for an imitate wedding.
The Coriole vineyards is set up on a hill overlooking the vast, sprawling countryside of Mclaren Vale, while the reception venue itself holds an old worldy rustic charm, complete with a huge enclosed beautiful gardens and courtyard with walk through function area. It’s a beautiful location and highly recommended.
Recent weddings at Coriole Winery
Mollydooker Winery
The Mollydooker Winery cellar door is a neat little spot that overlooks the whole of Mclaren Vale from it’s vantage point on top of a hill overlooking the iconic Mclaren Vale landscape. The venue boasts all that what you’d need from a wedding venue with stunning 360 degree views fo this pretty part of the world, and also a modern reception space that candouble as a backup option for poor weather.
Recent weddings at Mollydooker Winery
Serafino Winery
The Serafino winery has become a popular choice of venues due to it’s sprawling, but still intimate beautful gardens, and ample photo locations that provide quite a variety of scenes. When hosting wedding ceremonies, most here are held under their ‘wedding tree’ located right on the bank of a picturesque lake surrounded by Australian gum trees, but with a huge grassy area for guests.
The reception hall they have on site, nearby their cellar door, is suited for medium to larger weddings, and always looks great with the head table framed by a large display of wine barrels at the head of the dining room.
Recent weddings at Serafino Winery
Maxwell Winery
The Maxwell winery is more famous for it’s production of mead than wine, but as a wedding venue, just down the road from Coriole, it boasts a similar vista of vineyards in the backdrop of your wedding ceremony, while also boasting a full size hedge maze and walk through cellars. It’s reception venue is a bit on the small side, but if you’re looking for an intimate wedding venue, this might be the venue for you.
Recent weddings at Maxwell Winery
White Hill Estate
The Oliver’s Chaff Shed, or the Oliver’s White Hill Estate is a small rustic venue, set in the grounds of a house that’s used as a bed and breakfast. This gorgeous wedding venue boasts a beautiful garden, complete with a pond surrounded by native Australian plants and trees, while the reception venue is a historic old Chaff shed suitable for small wedding congregations. Looking for rustic wedding venues adelaide? This one’s a goer!
Recent weddings at the Oliver’s White Hill Estate
The Currant Shed
A little way out of the Mclaren Vale wine region; in Mclaren Flat, the Currant shed is a delightful, intimate little venue surrounded by a nearby winery’s vineyards and native bushland.
Recent weddings at the Currant shed
Woodstock Winery
The Woodstock winery – located a little way out of Mclaren Vale, in Mclaren Flat is a beautifully private setting for a wedding, with a large, manicured lawn out the back and intimate indoor seating section that can host small to medium sized wedding parties.
Recent weddings at the Woodstock Winery
Beresford Estate
Again, not technically a Mclaren Vale Wedding Venue, as the Beresford Estate is located adjacent to the above Woodstock Winery in Mclaren Flat, the Beresford estate is however one of the most unique.
Boasting an opulent, modern wedding space situated in the middle of vast vineyards, the the Beresford Estate is one of those Mclaren Vale wedding venues that ozzes elegance and sophistication while also being private in amongst the majestic surrounds of Mclaren Vale.
Recent weddings at the Beresford Estate
This is of course far from an exhaustive list of wedding venues, but they are the venues I have covered weddings at, in some cases multiple weddings. Check out my list of Adelaide wedding venues for other ideas for venues around Adelaide. or perhaps you like the idea of wineries, but up north? Have a look at my list of Barossa Wedding venues.