A photographer’s guide
A winery wedding gives you two things at once: a reception room that already knows how to feed people well, and vine rows a short walk away for the best photos of the day.
These are 11 winery and vineyard venues our team has photographed, from the Swan Valley, half an hour from the city, to Margaret River and Denmark. Each one links to a page about the venue and to real weddings there.
We have noted how close the vines are to the reception and what each place is like to photograph. Facts come from each venue’s own website, so check the details with them before you book. For every venue we have published, see the full guide to Perth wedding venues.
The closest wine region to Perth, so guests can drive themselves. More on our Swan Valley wedding photography page.
Herne Hill
Best for: Vines right off the lawn
A working winery, restaurant and cellar door in Herne Hill. The vineyard rows start at the lawn, the light comes across them late in the day, and the Darling Range gives the wide photos a horizon. Receptions take up to 150.
Real weddings: Kathryn & Lucas
Swan Valley
Best for: Golden hour between the rows
A working winery and restaurant in Caversham, about twenty-five minutes from the CBD. The room you eat in and the vines you are photographed in are a two-minute walk apart, so sunset portraits don’t cost you your entree.
Real weddings: Jade & Kyle
Caversham
Best for: History back to 1840
A Caversham winery with ceremony lawns and courtyards set around the vineyard. Receptions are in the Oak Room, the Sandalera Room or the Estate Room, a pillarless space with a deck looking across the lawns to the vines.
Real weddings: Jayde & Josh
Middle Swan
Best for: Wine, beer and spirits on one farm
A family-owned farm from 1905 that is now a winery, brewery and distillery. The Church Barn seats up to 250 under stained-glass windows from the 1800s, and the vineyards, lake and gardens are close together for photos.
Real weddings: Zaine & Larrissa, Maria & Colin, Amanda & Brad, Simon & Ambah
Herne Hill
Best for: A BYO venue with a vineyard view
Grapes have been grown on this Herne Hill property since the early 1900s. Ceremonies on the big lawn have the vineyard as the backdrop, and the venue describes itself as one of Perth’s rare BYO function centres.
Real weddings: Nat & Jordan, Natalie & Bailey
The Vines
Best for: A vineyard ceremony at a resort
The Ceremony Gardens sit in a private vineyard with bench seating for up to 50, and there are grapevines beside the buildings for portraits. Function rooms take 20 to 180 guests, and it is a resort, so guests can stay.
Real weddings: Kathleen & Haider, Amy & Andrew
Further out, quieter, and more room to spread out.
Dwellingup
Best for: Forest, a dam and a cellar door
On the edge of the Darling Escarpment outside Dwellingup. Ceremonies are under a centuries-old redgum, beside the dam or inside the French-country cellar door, which seats 80 for the reception. The vine rows sit close to all of it.
Real weddings: Zoe & Nathan
Chittering
Best for: A relaxed country reception
A Chittering Valley winery established in 1985, with a restaurant, beer garden and distillery. Receptions can be in the restaurant, the beer garden or an open grassed area, with marquees if you want to be undercover.
Real weddings: Stuart & Ruth
Karragullen
Best for: Apples, not grapes
A family-run cider house and restaurant in Karragullen with gardens, a deck, a courtyard and a forest of marri and jarrah for photos. Worth a look if you like the cellar-door feel but want a Perth Hills setting.
Real weddings: Will & Mackenzie, Mikaela & Tom
Destination weddings in WA’s best-known wine country. More on our Margaret River wedding photography page.
Margaret River
Best for: A landmark Margaret River estate
A winery, restaurant and art gallery where the vines run right up to the ceremony lawn, with tall gums over the grass. It is a destination wedding for most couples, so plan the weekend around it.
Real weddings: Jacob & Taylor
Denmark
Best for: Vineyard slopes and tall forest
A family winery in Denmark, about 400 km south of Perth, with rolling vineyard slopes and tall forest on the way in. Harewood does not publish wedding packages, so talk to the estate directly about what is possible.
Real weddings: Ollie & Carly
Rows photograph best with the sun low and behind them. Ask which way the rows run and what time the light comes down them on your date, then set your ceremony time back from that.
Vines are green and full from late spring to autumn, turn gold as the weather cools, and are bare in winter. Bare vines with green grass between the rows still photograph well, but it is a different look. Ask to see photos from your month.
The best wineries for photos have the vines close to the reception room. A two-minute walk means you can step out for sunset and be back before the next course.
Cellar doors and barrel rooms are warm and dark, which looks great with candles, festoon lights and warm bulbs. Bright white floodlights flatten everything, so ask what lighting is used at night.
Most wineries are licensed and pour their own wine, while a few venues are BYO. It changes your budget, so ask at the start of planning.
Questions