Cody & Sam on the Mornington Peninsula
A New Year's Eve Wedding on the Mornington Peninsula
Some weddings choose a venue and let the venue dictate the day. Cody and Sam went the other way. For their New Year's Eve wedding, they took a working farm on the Mornington Peninsula, an hour south of Melbourne, and shaped it themselves, turning a stretch of family land at Main Ridge into a one-night destination that could only ever have been theirs.
The property belongs to Cody's sister. There was no marquee company, no in-house coordinator, no menu pack. Just the land, the people closest to them, and the year they would give to building everything in between.
Transforming a Family Farm into a Wedding Destination
Both Cody and Sam work in project management, and that training showed in how the build came together. They ran the year-long planning the way a small studio runs a festival, leaning on family and friends to paint, garden and landscape the property into something altogether different from how it had looked before. By the morning of the wedding, the farm had become a venue.
It is, in our experience, an unusual approach. A private property wedding on the Mornington Peninsula is a much bigger commitment than a packaged venue, but it gives a couple complete control over what the day looks and feels like, and over the smaller decisions a venue would otherwise make for them. For Cody and Sam, that was the entire point.
The day's structure was led by Gathered Events, whose planning and styling work pulled the whole production together, from the layout of the long tables to the careful sequencing of ceremony through to fireworks.
A Warm, Spice-Inspired Celebration
The palette was warm and lived-in: burnt reds, deep oranges, yellow ochres and the greens of summer foliage, drawn from chillies and the Peninsula's own coastal-hinterland surrounds. Hakea Studio ran the florals, with chilli and tomato garlands cascading down the centre of the tables, food styled in the same line, and seasonal produce treated as part of the design rather than separate to it. In place of a traditional wedding cake, a single oversized pavlova sat at the head of the room.
As the light dropped, the property changed character again. A custom installation hung lights through the trees, a disco ball turned slowly above the dance floor, and Little Wolf Entertainment took the room into the night. The ceremony itself had been quiet, readings from both Cody's and Sam's sisters in turn, set in front of family. Hours later, just before midnight, Audio Visual FX brought the year out with fireworks above the paddock. The dance floor stayed full to a 4am finish.
"The ceremony was small and family-led; both sisters read in turn. It was the quietest moment of the day, and the one that held everything else in shape."
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Frequently Asked Questions About Private Property, Main Ridge
How far is the Mornington Peninsula from Melbourne?
The Mornington Peninsula is roughly an hour to ninety minutes by car from Melbourne's CBD, depending on which part of the Peninsula you are heading to. That easy distance makes it a popular destination-wedding region while still being close to the city for guests.
Can you get married on a private property on the Mornington Peninsula?
Yes. Alongside established venues, many couples marry on private farms and family estates across the Mornington Peninsula, as Cody and Sam did at Main Ridge. A private-property wedding gives complete flexibility over styling, timing and celebration, though it takes more coordination than a turnkey venue.
What is the Mornington Peninsula like as a wedding location?
The Mornington Peninsula is a coastal and hinterland region south of Melbourne known for its vineyards, rolling farmland, beaches and sweeping views. It suits couples wanting natural beauty and a relaxed, scenic backdrop within easy reach of the city.
What makes the Mornington Peninsula a beautiful place to film a wedding?
As filmmakers, we love the light across the Peninsula's hinterland and coastline, the open farmland and sea views, and the room a private property gives us to capture the day unobtrusively, with a relaxed, cinematic feel.
