Tips for Planning a Wedding in Victoria and Melbourne

If you travel to Victoria, the smallest state located on the southeast corner of Australia, you'll find its people well prepared to handle all the logistics involved to make your wedding the most wonderful day of your life. This is a place, alongside New South Wales, that's very densely populated-with over five million people-and everything you need is readily available.

Melbourne is the capital, and it's a cosmopolitan place with sights, sounds, and goods to delight the shopping bride-to-be. Federation Square-affectionately called Fed Square-was the site of the marriage between Australia's Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. The Fed was transformed into a Viking village for this event. Your own marriage can also be a romantic, spectacular affair in this urbane city.

Start your wedding planning at Fed Square with all your shopping. You'll need a gown, made of satin and lace or silk and chiffon, as well as lingerie, accessories, and bridalwear for your attendants. You have to choose bomboniere, decorations, jewellery, and a cake. Wine glass charms, stationery and napkins, a guest book, and other effects for your reception must be on your list.

Melbourne Central, Waterfront City on the Docklands, Southbank Promenade, and the Galleria are all popular shopping sites. If you're looking elsewhere in Victoria, try Central Square in Ballarat, which offers over forty stores, or Market Square Shopping Centre in Geelong.

So how would you like to get married? How about saying your vows high above the Earth in a hot air balloon! Balloon Sunrise will take you up in the sky as the sun paints it golden, either over the city of Melbourne or in other parts of the region. Upon landing, you and your new spouse will share a romantic champagne breakfast.

Perhaps you would like to exchange promises in an English Garden, complete with a charming lake and its own family of ducks, all of it framed by gracious weeping willow trees. Stop by Ballara Receptions to check this out.

Travel to the rolling hills of the Dardenongs about an hour away from Melbourne and explore Lyrebird Falls where a stained glass chapel awaits your vows. In the spring and summer, you can be amidst the jewel-toned flowers of Poet's Lane. Yellows turn to oranges and reds during autumn, and in the winter, you and your guests will love the warmth of the fireplaces. Tatra offers both gazebo and chapel. All of these venues are well equipped so that you and your new spouse can receive your guests and celebrate the day. Only one wedding per day is held in each of these places so that associates can give you their undivided attention.

You can't make a choice unless you consider the Australian Garden of the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, also about an hour away from Melbourne. This fantastic wonderland features exclusively flora Australian, and includes everything from its red sands garden, the rock pool waterway, the eucalypt walk, and the unique Scarlet Blaze. Weddings are held in the evening after daytime visitors leave, and again only one wedding per day is held. The ceremonies generally are performed in the Rock Pool Pavilion, and your reception will be in the Garden or in the Boonerwurrung Café.

If you'd like to go north of Melbourne, drive less than two hours to historic Daylesford, a former gold-mining town. The area is now famous for its spas, and vendors will enthusiastically accommodate a theme if you have one in mind, or just make certain that you and your guests have the time of your life.

You'll need to hire a celebrant, photographer, florist, videographer, caterer, cake maker, and many other professionals. You'll want your hair and makeup done, a DJ or live music entertainer, and someone to coordinate your event. Most wedding professionals in Victoria are gladly agreeable to traveling wherever you select for your special day.