Planning an Intimate Hunter Valley Wedding: Micro-Venues & Private Dining Spots
TL;DR: Planning an intimate wedding or elopement in the Hunter Valley requires a venue that balances privacy, flexible spaces, and exceptional food. Top micro-wedding and private dining venues include EXP. Restaurant (ideal for up to 30 guests with custom tasting menus), Restaurant Botanica (paddock-to-plate dining with luxury on-site lodging), Twine Restaurant (versatile spaces ranging from 10 to 150 guests), and éRemo Restaurant (high-end Italian dining with extensive accommodation options).
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Planning a wedding can be exciting but it can also be somewhat overwhelming due to the many choices that are available. And even if it’s going to be an intimate affair with limited numbers, the choice of venue is just as important as for a large gathering.
Hunter Valley is a scenic spot with lots of venues for events of varying sizes. Choose right and you will experience a day that is memorable for everyone who attends. Get it wrong, however, and people will remember it for all the wrong reasons. So planning and preparation are vital to make sure you achieve the result you want.
To help you make the right choice, we are listing a small number of venues that will definitely make your wedding day a big success. They are all intimate places with flexible facilities and a relaxed atmosphere, and are perfect for that special occasion, whether a wedding, elopement or some other family celebration or special event. And they will all provide help and guidance to ensure everything goes perfectly on the day.
EXP. Restaurant
This is a multi-award-winning venue that has capacity for up to thirty guests with flexible layouts and so is perfect for a small wedding due to its intimate dining atmosphere. The whole venue can be hired for exclusive use, and the focus is on providing top quality hospitality and personal service with custom hand-crafted tableware.
Food and wine are of the highest quality with bespoke multi-course tasting menus paired with regional wines and special dietary needs catered for. The speciality is degustation-style menus with optional wine pairings, and the emphasis is on Hunter Valley produce for food and drinks.
For larger numbers of guests, the venue has an arrangement with Mount Pleasant Wines that enables it to suggest venues of varying sizes. These can accommodate from 40 to 150 guests, and high-quality catering is still provided by EXP. Restaurant.
Restaurant Botanica
This restaurant in Pokolbin is an intimate, boutique vineyard wedding venue that offers modern Australian paddock-to-plate dining and stunning views of Brokenback Mountain. The focus for food is on innovative modern Australian menus that have Mediterranean influences.
Ceremonies can be held in the grounds and the restaurant has capacity for sixty guests seated or ninety guests for an informal cocktail-style reception. There’s the alternative of The Harvest Room for very small gatherings of up to twelve guests and either venue can be booked for exclusive use. For those wishing to stay over, there are twelve luxury guest rooms, a spa suite and a separate house with four bedrooms.
Twine Restaurant
Twine can handle a range of guest numbers, from intimate celebrations of 10–20 in the Private Wine Room, 25–100 in Twine Restaurant or up to 150 guests in the rustic Barrel Room. There’s a team to help with the planning, various locations for the ceremony and an emphasis on great food and wine to ensure the perfect day.
éRemo Restaurant
This venue is located at Spicers Guest House and offers high-end Italian private dining space for elegant celebrations. There are a number of venues of varying sizes for the ceremony and reception — Tallawanta Room, a bright and airy space for up to 120 guests with a dedicated bar, Lovedale Pavilion and Room that is suitable for intimate receptions of up to 80 people and a Private Dining Room seating up to fourteen guests. The ceremony can be held at various garden setups and lawns and there are 49 guest rooms and a four-bedroom cottage for guests wanting to stay over.
The food is the best of Italian cooking with Australian influences and uses seasonal ingredients.