Best Byron Bay Wedding Venues & Beaches for Tying the Knot

Sun, sea and sand – it’s not just the recipe for a fantastic holiday, but also a beach wedding. And a Byron Bay beach wedding is our speciality. That’s because we have some of the most stunning white, soft, sandy and secluded beaches in the whole of Australia to choose from when it comes to tying the knot with your lifelong other half.

And not only do we have beautiful beaches, rugged coastline and wonderful aqua marine waters, but there are also Byron Bay wedding venues aplenty offering themed receptions and varied menus, from Byron Bay Italian restaurant fare, to tantalising Thai snacks and gourmet burgers.

You’re probably wondering about the accommodation too. Many venues in the region can happily cope with parties of 100 guests or more. For a smaller, more intimate affair, consider staying at Broken Head Holiday Park, we have a selection of cosy holiday cabins, as well as a beach house or campervan sites to suit families, couples and groups of individuals who are all intent on joining the party to celebrate your nuptials.

Byron Bay Beach Wedding Practicalities

If you do plan on a Byron Bay beach wedding, you will need the official permission of the Cape Byron National Park Precinct. All weddings in a public venue – whether on the beach, a public park or municipal building – in Byron Bay must have approval from an official at Byron Shire Council which could also mean a photography consent form.

Belongil Beach, up from Kendall Street, is under the management of the Crown Lands Division of the Department of Primary Industries and from where permission must be sought.

A crucial factor peculiar to Byron Bay beach weddings (rather than church venues, for instance) is to check when the tide is due in again!

The most popular months to have a Byron Bay beach wedding are either September  to November or in late summer/autumn (February – April).

That’s because during these months you and your groom are more or less guaranteed perfect weather. Now how does that sound?

Here are some of our favourite venues for Byron Bay weddings. See if you agree:

Byron Beach Café

Here you can exchange vows on the beach then stroll up the dunes to Byron Beach Café for the reception. This celebrated beachfront restaurant and Byron Bay wedding venue is perfect for couples who want their guests to share every romantic minute with them. There is luxury here at Byron Beach Café but it’s with a casual and definite outdoorsy feel.

Management at the café boast more than 14 years of organising and planning wedding  receptions at the venue, so the team here are well acquainted with wedding day nerves and have the experience to put every bride at her ease. They offer a service which includes decorating the venue for the big day, booking photographers, organising celebrants and even arranging the travel for the bride and groom and main guests.

Barefoot at Broken Head

Situated close to our holiday park is Barefoot at Broken Head (also known as The Pavilions). This is a large luxury, open-plan residence boasts a Balinese theme.

It is regarded as one of the most elegant venues for Broken Head, thanks to its architectural splendour and quality furnishings. Personally we regard it as THE wedding venue in Broken Head.

Sitting just one minute from the sand dunes at Top 100 point break, the house has a romantic location which also includes a lovely vantage point to the famous Byron Bay Lighthouse.

You may have spotted the venue on previous holidays to Broken Head and if you’ve dreamed of tying the knot here then do book well in advance. That’s because the house is registered for just 14 weddings a year – and you can bet there’s a waiting list at least twice that long.

The house caters for a maximum of 70 guests and like many other venues in the area has a minimum stay provision of five nights (other venues can be three but it’s always worth checking).

Included in the Barefoot wedding package a catered canapé reception following your beach wedding (accessed via a short walk through some beautiful lush green rainforest) and a celebratory meal for up to 40 guests later in the evening. For larger parties there are plenty of restaurants just seven minutes drive away. Meanwhile couples who don’t fancy a Byron Bay beach wedding can tie the knot on the building’s decking area.

There is a two level rather glamorous infinity pool for a pre-wedding swim and bikes or surf boards to borrow if you’re fortunate enough to also be spending your honeymoon there.

The accommodation sleeps 10 – we’re guessing that’ll be for the new Mr and Mrs plus their immediate families. Cousins, aunts, uncles and friends can all book in with us at nearby at Broken Head Holiday Park or find other accommodation close by in Byron Bay.

The Dune Room

Sitting directly opposite Belongil beach, the Dune Room boasts stunning gardens which allow for the most perfect and colourful wedding photographs. Here you can have a Byron Bay beach wedding then walk back barefoot, with your guests, to the venue for the reception.

The resort offers wedding packages which include hair and make-up, photography, cuisine, reception decoration and transport (including to and from the airport).

Italian at the Pacific

Broken Head weddings don’t get any closer to the beach than when you have a reservation for Italian at the Pacific. This popular venue has capacity for up to 120 seated guests or 140 for the trendy cocktail menu. Again, like the other Byron Bay wedding venues mentioned here, it’s perfectly possible to have a Byron Bay beach wedding nearby then simply walk to the reception venue. Drinks and canapés are offered to guests the minute they enter the restaurant while the interior can be personalised for every couple, including a custom menu – and do include at least one pasta dishes or you’re really missing out!

The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa

Sitting a mere stroll away from Tallows beach and in a 45 acre subtropical rainforest, the Byron at Byron Resort and Spa offers special wedding packages which guarantee privacy and seclusion for your wedding reception. There’s also the option of being married in the rainforest overlooking Tallow Lake (rather than on the beach overlooking the sea). A wedding banquet made up of fresh local produce is available for guests following the beach ceremony.

Best Byron Bay beaches to get married on

The above are some of our favourite reception venues for a Byron Bay beach wedding. But how about the actual wedding itself – which beach should you choose? And should you select the reception venue first or the beach? Hmm, not an easy choice. One thing is for sure though – do book well in advance to avoid any disappointment as Byron Bay is an extremely popular area for weddings. It’s also a great resort for honeymoons too, of course.

Meanwhile, here’s our pick of the top Byron Bay beaches for weddings:

• Clarke’s Beach. Right in front of the Beach Café and the quieter end of the beach, Clarke’s is one of the most popular areas for a Byron Bay beach wedding. It’s possible to spot the area’s three iconic landmarks – the Lighthouse, Julian rocks and Mount Warning – from here. In fact, it’s possible to see the entire bay in one glance.
• Wategos Beach. A lovely secluded cove surrounded by green grass, Wategos beach offers the shade of Pandanus palms as well as a backdrop for your photographs of striking cliff faces and assorted fauna.
• Little Wategos beach. This is a tiny but secluded cove which is perfect if you only plan on having a handful of guests. You and your guests will have to walk here since there is no way to get to the beach by road, and you’ll definitely have to work out the tides here to get your timing right.
• The Pass. A favourite with surfers, The Pass sits more or less underneath the Lighthouse and boasts an interesting outcrop of rocks in what is, without doubt, another unrivalled picturesque location. Handily it’s also secluded.
• Belongil Beach. Another favourite with surfers (which means it may be a tad busy), Belongil Beach sits right in front of the surf club. The latter also doubles as a cool wedding reception venue.
• Main Beach. Byron Bay’s most popular and populated beach being right on the town’s main drag, Main Beach will be busy unless you plan to get wed very early in the morning or late at night.
• Tallows Beach. A long and lovely stretch of sand which boasts spectacular views of the area. It is prone to wind however. Because of this wedding planners recommend that the best months to marry here are between April to September when the wind is likely to be at its lowest. Another hazard here is dogs – they’re allowed off the leash!

What do you need for a Byron Bay beach wedding?

Getting married on the beach isn’t just a matter of getting your guests together and telling them to stand at a particular spot until the bride arrives. There’s the matter of making sure they’re comfortable in terms of seating and being shaded from the sun (especially if you’re planning to wed at midday).

Here’s a list of items we recommend you – or your wedding planner – book and get a hold of beforehand:

• beach umbrellas
• bench seats
• folding chairs
• table and cloth to sign the register
• carpet runners as a make-shift aisle
• bamboo canopies
• marquee pop-up tents
• paper lanterns
• solar fairy lights.

Other romantic ways to get married in Byron Bay:

Byron Bay Lighthouse. Fancy a 360 degree panorama of the sea and far into the distance for miles? Then the Lighthouse at Cape Byron is the spot from which to choose to hold a Byron Bay beach wedding (in the sense that you’re almost on the beach and certainly it’s all you’ll see when you look down). Fittingly for a wedding, Cape Byron was named after the grandfather of one of the world’s most romantic poets – Lord Byron.

Tweed River Cruise. We’re not sure if this counts as a beach wedding since strictly you’re spending most of your time on the water, but the beach is certainly always in sight. Anyway, just to let you know that it’s possible to wed onboard by privately chartering her and the Tweed River Cruise team.

Wategoes Beach Grass Reserve. One of the closest ways to have a beach wedding without you or your guests actually feeling any sand slide between your toes, Wategoes Beach Grass Reserve is an area next to the beach in front of the Raes resort. Handily, there’s room for a marquee should the weather turn nasty.

So what do you think of our quick run down of how to go about achieving that Byron Bay beach wedding you’ve dreamed of for years? Are you planning to tie the knot here or has someone close to you done so recently? What was their experience? Do tell…