Frequently Asked

Questions

About The Elopement House

  • The Elopement House is a boutique garden venue in Templestowe, thoughtfully created for couples seeking a beautiful, intimate wedding experience.

    Whether you're planning a simple legal ceremony or a personalised micro wedding, we've designed every aspect of The Elopement House to feel relaxed, effortless and beautifully uncomplicated.

    If you'd like a little extra help, we're also happy to recommend trusted wedding professionals or assist with planning your day, allowing you to enjoy the experience without the stress of organising every detail yourself.

    After almost 40 years in the wedding industry, one thing has become very clear to us—beautiful weddings aren't measured by their size, but by how they make you feel. Our hope is that you'll leave with wonderful memories you'll treasure for a lifetime.

  • Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a call—we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.Absolutely.

    Not everyone dreams of planning a wedding. Some couples simply want a beautiful, meaningful and intimate celebration without the stress, endless decisions or feeling that they have to create a big event.

    If that sounds like you, you'll probably feel right at home at The Elopement House.

    Whether you'd like to organise the details yourself or would prefer us to take care of planning your elopement, we're here to help. From recommending trusted wedding professionals to arranging and coordinating the services you'd like us to organise, we'll tailor the experience to suit you.

    If you'd like us to arrange your selected wedding professionals on your behalf, a planning and coordination fee will apply based on the services you choose. We'll always discuss this with you and clearly outline any applicable fees in your personalised proposal before you book.

    Our goal is simple…..to create a relaxed, seamless experience so you can simply arrive, take a deep breath and enjoy one of life's most meaningful moments together.

  • The Elopement House was created by a husband and wife team with a love for beautiful gardens, hosting meaningful celebrations, and over 35 years of experience in the wedding industry.

  • The Elopement House has been thoughtfully created for couples seeking a relaxed, intimate wedding experience.

    Our beautiful garden venue is available for legal elopements and micro weddings, and we also offer private Bride and Groom Getting Ready Suites for couples who are marrying at another venue and would like a calm, elegant place to prepare for their wedding day.

    Whether you're celebrating your entire wedding with us or simply beginning your day here before travelling to your ceremony, our goal is the same—to provide a beautiful, welcoming space where you can relax, enjoy the experience and create wonderful memories.

  • Yes! We'd love to show you around.

    As The Elopement House is a private estate and working wedding venue, all inspections are conducted by appointment only. This allows us to give you our full attention while also respecting the privacy of couples celebrating their special day.

    During your visit, you'll have the opportunity to explore our ceremony locations, gardens and getting-ready suites, discuss your vision, and discover how we can create a wedding experience that's uniquely yours.

    Private tours are complimentary and can be arranged by contacting us.

Planning Your Elopement

  • Yes. We offer a range of flexible options to suit the type of wedding experience you're looking for.

    You may simply choose your favourite ceremony location and create your own day, or personalise your elopement with services such as photography, a celebrant, onsite hair and makeup, flowers, music and more.

    If you'd prefer not to organise the details yourself, our Complete Elopement Experience allows us to coordinate your selected wedding professionals and create a seamless, personalised experience from beginning to end.

    Whether you'd like to plan every detail yourself or simply arrive knowing everything has been taken care of, we'll help create a relaxed, meaningful wedding that reflects your style and the way you want to celebrate.

  • Absolutely. In fact, many of our couples choose The Elopement House because they want a beautiful wedding without the stress of planning one.

    Not everyone enjoys organising a wedding. Many couples simply want someone they trust to take care of the details, coordinate the professionals and create a relaxed, seamless experience from beginning to end.

    If you'd prefer not to spend months researching suppliers, comparing quotes and coordinating multiple bookings, we're happy to help.

    With our Complete Elopement Planning service, we'll work with you to create a personalised package and arrange the wedding professionals you choose, including your celebrant, photographer, hair and makeup, flowers, music and other services.

    We'll coordinate the bookings, communicate with your chosen professionals and help ensure everything comes together beautifully, so you can simply arrive, relax and enjoy your wedding day.

    A Complete Elopement Planning Fee of $200 applies to this optional service and will be included in your personalised proposal.

    Some couples love planning every detail themselves. Others simply say,

    "Just tell us where to turn up."

    If that sounds like you, we'd be delighted to take care of the rest.

  • Yes. With nearly 40 years in the wedding industry, we're fortunate to have wonderful connections with trusted celebrants, photographers, florists, musicians, cake makers and other wedding professionals throughout Melbourne. We're always happy to recommend trusted professionals whose style and approach complement the relaxed, intimate feel of The Elopement House. While we're delighted to provide recommendations and assist with introductions, all final quotations, bookings, payments and contracts remain directly between you and your chosen supplier.

  • Absolutely. While we're delighted to recommend trusted wedding professionals, you're very welcome to engage your own photographer, celebrant or other suppliers.

    To help ensure the safety of everyone on the property, all external professionals attending The Elopement House must hold current Public Liability Insurance and may be asked to provide a current Certificate of Currency prior to your wedding.

    If you choose to engage your own wedding professionals, simply let us know during the booking process so we can help coordinate your day and ensure they can enjoy a smooth and seamless experience alongside you.

  • Yes. If you're planning an intimate elopement without guests, The Elopement House may be able to provide one or two legal witnesses (subject to availability).

    This service is particularly popular with couples travelling from interstate or overseas, or those choosing to celebrate with just the two of them.

    A witness fee applies, so please let us know during the booking process if you'd like us to arrange this for you.

Your Wedding Day

  • Venue hire includes exclusive use of your selected ceremony location, access to The Elopement House gardens for your booked ceremony and photography session, together with 30 minutes' access to our private Bride and Groom Getting Ready Suites for dressing and final preparations immediately prior to your ceremony.

  • The Elopement House is designed especially for intimate elopements and micro weddings, currently welcoming the couple and up to 10 guests.

  • Yes. Acoustic musicians and portable speaker setups work beautifully within the spaces. We also include a small portable speaker for your ceremony, and we’re more than happy to play your selected songs for key moments such as walking down the aisle, signing, and your exit together.

  • Absolutely! We understand that for many couples, dogs are part of the family, and we'd love to help include yours in your special day.

    The Elopement House is a dog-friendly elopement venue in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and well-behaved dogs are welcome to be part of your ceremony and wedding photographs by prior arrangement.

    To ensure everyone enjoys the day safely and comfortably, we ask that:

    • Your dog is supervised by a responsible adult at all times.

    • Someone is available to care for your dog following the ceremony and photographs if required.

    • Owners clean up after their pet.

    • Dogs remain well behaved and do not pose a risk to guests, suppliers or local wildlife.

    If you're planning a pet-friendly wedding or elopement, simply let us know during the booking process and we'll be happy to discuss the best way to include your four-legged family member. Many couples tell us their wedding wouldn't feel complete without their dog by their side and we couldn't agree more!

  • As we offer several different ceremony spaces throughout the property, wet weather arrangements can vary depending on the location selected. Some spaces already include covered or indoor backup options, while others may require additional preparation, setup time, or styling adjustments to transition indoors. We’ll always discuss the best weather backup plan with you during the booking process so your day still feels beautiful, relaxed, and seamless regardless of the forecast.

  • We understand that wedding days don't always run exactly to schedule, so there's no need to panic if you're running a little behind.

    If you think you're going to be late, please let us know as soon as possible so we can coordinate with your celebrant, photographer and any other professionals involved in your day.

    As The Elopement House hosts weddings within scheduled booking times, late arrivals may reduce the time available for your ceremony or photography session unless additional venue time has been arranged in advance.

    We'll always do our best to help your day run as smoothly as possible.

  • One of the lovely things about The Elopement House is that while it feels peaceful and private, you’re still close to some of Victoria’s most beautiful romantic destinations.

    After your ceremony and photos, couples can continue celebrating with a relaxed lunch, winery dinner, overnight stay, or mini honeymoon nearby. We’re conveniently located within easy reach of both the Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges, with endless options for wineries, boutique accommodation, day spas, cosy cottages, fine dining, gardens, and scenic drives.

Getting Ready at The Elopement House

  • Yes. We offer beautiful onsite spaces for both bride and groom to get ready, creating a relaxed and seamless experience without needing to travel elsewhere before your ceremony.

  • Depending on your package and timing, yes. We can discuss options for small bridal parties during the planning process.

  • If you choose to engage your own professional hair and makeup artists and wish to get ready onsite, Extended Venue Access will apply. The applicable fee will be outlined in your proposal.

Bookings & Practical Information

  • Yes, weekend bookings may be available depending on the date and style of booking. As weekends are peak wedding days within the industry, pricing is generally higher and some optional add on services or suppliers may have limited availability. Midweek bookings offer the greatest flexibility and value.

  • Yes. A non-refundable 30% booking deposit is required to secure your wedding date. The remaining balance is due 14 days prior to your wedding.

  • Limited onsite parking is available for couples and guests. Additional details will be provided prior to your booking.