[Guest Post] - Victoria’s Marvelous Melbourne

Today we have a wonderful {Guest Post} for you from one of my very best friends, Bethany (check out her blog too - Falling Down Under - it's a great read).  She up and moved to Melbourne (as in Australia - the other side of the world) earlier this summer.  After being there for almost two months, she is loving it and is here to tell us all about it and some great wedding venues she's come across...

Victoria is the state of Australia where the city of Melbourne is located and where I have been living for the past 6 weeks. In that short time, I have fallen in love with the city and have grown a bit soft-hearted for the romantic couples wandering the city streets: her in her beautiful full white gown and he in his fabulous tuxedo.

Melbourne is a city that has every type of terrain and outdoor wonder you could possibly want as the backdrop from your wedding day. You could choose the downtown city wedding at the Hotel Windsor. Picture Bride Wars at the Plaza Hotel, but in the Central Business District (the CBD – as the Australians call their downtown squares) in Southern Australia. Glamorous and chic with the big city lights as your get-away view.

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You could also choose the beach destination wedding that is only 20 minutes from the CBD. St. Kilda beach is beautiful, quaint and right near the heart of the city, but feels a million miles away. There are numerous restaurants, hotel, galleries that look right over the water, perfect for a reception that can take your guests’ breath away.

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I think though, that my favorite venue for a wedding, or even just your wedding photos has become the Royal Exhibition Building in north central Melbourne. The Exhibition Building and surrounding Carlton Gardens were built in 1880 for Melbourne’s first international exhibition to publicize the achievements of the wealthy colony of Victoria. The building today is still used for exhibitions including the Taste of Melbourne and seasonal bridal shows.

 

Not only is the outside of the building beautiful with 19^th century architecture, the surrounding gardens are well-kept dashes of colorful mazes, an escape for wedding guests, couples and a fragrant area for pictures or a quaint outdoor wedding.

The interior of the building is even more grand and immaculate than the exterior. With a grand hall and long isle way for the largest and grandest of ceremonies.

There is something magical about this city and whatever it is has swept me away too. Not in terms of boys sweeping me off my feet, that hasn’t happened yet, but in terms of the people, the atmosphere, the rush of life you feel when walking down the busy streets of the CBD, the peaceful sandy plane of St. Kilda or the colorful walkways of the Carlton Gardens. A destination in itself, add a wonderful finance and a few of your closest friends and family and you could have the most Marvelous Melbourne wedding getaway.

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