Braeside Gin House Creek Estate

3 one-of-a-kind Gold Coast wedding venues

Ceremony // Receptions // Stories // Venues // by Nicole Deuble

Featured Image: Braeside at Gin House Creek Estate // Photo: Pipi & Palm // Styling: Ivy & Bleu

Looking for a true original to host your celebration? These unique Gold Coast wedding venues ace the brief in three very different ways.

1. The Natural: Fleay’s Café & Events

Nature-lovers, this one’s for you — a rustic rainforest venue nestled within a wildlife park, just minutes from Burleigh Heads! 

Picture your dream guest-of-honour: if he smashes gum leaves for breakfast or answers to the name Skippy, then put David Fleay Wildlife Park on your radar. It’s half an hour from the Burleigh beachfront (on Kombummeri country), a lush haven for native flora and fauna, and brimming with only-in-Australia backdrops.

This wild GC address is also home to Fleay’s Café & Events, with Queensland catering royalty Cuisine on Cue running the show. Delicious grazing boards, crowd-pleasing banquets and restaurant-style dishes are paired with flawless service and a chorus of birdsong for a unique wedding celebration. And a dedicated events team and onsite catering crew mean Fleay’s can tick catering, styling, and entertainment off your to-do list. 

Host an intimate “we do” at the base of a majestic Kauri tree at The Grove or float down the sandstone steps to a magical twilight ceremony at Lakeview. Then immerse yourselves in the park after dark with reception feasting and fun that flows from the private reception room to the spacious treetop verandah. Your guests won’t know what to gush about first (after your dress, obviously!): the food, the setting, or that time they partied with a platypus.

Perfect for a Gold Coast wedding with a difference.

Fleay's Cafe and Events Gold Coast Wedding

Fleay’s Cafe & Events is perfect for nature lovers.

2. The Classic Beauty: Braeside at Gin House Creek Estate

Private estate. Two words for two luscious acres that wait just beyond the Broadbeach waves. Steeped in history, the name Braeside (Scottish for ‘hillside’) is a nod to the original owner’s heritage, with the property dating back to the late 1800s. Once a dairy, a banana farm, and even a bowling green, nowadays the estate enjoys life as a romantic wedding venue — complete with a charming chapel, manicured lawns, and an elegant new pavilion. 

Ceremony locations? Sorted. Although it’s a tough call between the historic chapel (think vaulted ceilings, timber pews, and arched windows) or a garden ceremony close to the ginormous 150-year-old Camphor Laurel Tree. A place for guests to chill? Done. Canapés, bocce, and a cocktail cart on the lawn or perhaps a few cleansing ales in the rustic Shed Bar should have everyone in a festive mood.

Ready to relax? Gather your loves and head to The Pavilion. This new all-weather space is decked out with chandeliers and a chic private bar, with plenty of scope to bring your personal vision to life. And don’t worry, the Braeside team can introduce you to all the local creatives they trust to pull off a memorable event. Have a sticky around their Vendors We Love section to see what we mean.

Whether you’re planning to elope or extend the invitation to your nearest and dearest, Braeside is a Gold Coast wedding wonderland. Just, delightful. 

Step inside The Pavilion here

Photo: Casey Jane Photography

3. The Double Agent: Mobile Barber Shop Depot

Insta-ready barbershop by day. Super-cool venue by night. The intriguing double life of the  Mobile Barber Shop/Depot has brought a rock & roll edge to the GC wedding landscape and we love! An industrial-chic warehouse space (think exposed brick, bulbs, and beams, reclaimed timbers, and copper piping) with a vintage twist, the Depot is a cut above. The raw, intimate space is layered with antique furniture, chandeliers, props, and games ready to style up your event and keep your guests entertained while the BYO catering policy means plenty of flexibility when it comes to choosing your nosh and designing your day.

Modern-lovers, gather your dearest around the Cut Throat Chapel, where an awesome floral installation and neon signs set the scene, then kick back on the leather chesterfields, kick up your heels on the polished concrete dance floor, or sneak out to the courtyard where Surfers Paradise skyline views are an unexpected bonus. The clincher? Your groom and his crew will be looking razor sharp after a pre-ceremony visit to masterful barber and owner Joey D’Adderio.

p.s. If you want to see the Depot in action, check out Dilhara & Zachary gorgeous nuptials.  

gold coast wedding venue
Wedding of Ebony and Joel at Mobile Barber Shop Depot. Photo: @lauren_joy_photography

Special mention: If you’re heart-set on the sand, see our recent article on the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, the only five-star venue to enjoy a true GC beachfront position. One of a kind? Absolutely!