Imagine your country wedding in peaceful surroundings leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind. Imagine your country wedding at a romantic stone church or in fragrant gardens. Imagine your country wedding at a grand reception centre, charming guesthouse or fine restaurant.

Imagine your country wedding in the Southern Highlands.

The Southern Highlands is only a 90 minute drive from Sydney and offers many wonderful opportunities for an unique and memorable wedding. And the Highlands offer many wedding professionals and services to ensure your day is all you hope for.

The Southern Highlands has four distinct seasons with spring and autumn being the most popular wedding seasons.

In Spring you will find large displays of flowers and bulbs in both public and private gardens, many of which are available for ceremonies or for photographs.

Autumn brings striking colours to the Highlands as the European trees and shrubs turn red, gold and orange.

Winter, with its chance of snow, offers stark bare branches against a grey sky and thoughts turn more indoors to romantic log fires, warming mulled wine and delicious gourmet meals.

Summer, cooler and less humid than in Sydney, is the perfect season for an outdoor wedding reception under a marquee or the starry sky.

The villages and towns of the Southern Highlands are full of history and romance and are worth exploring for your perfect ceremony or photographic spot.

Berrima
Berrima, established in 1831, is the only existing Georgian colonial town in Australia. With the prospect of becoming the local county capital, Berrima was designed as a traditional English village with a green at its centre, public buildings surrounding it and streets off it for residences. A goal, courthouse and residences for government officials were built, many of them by convict labour. Berrima however did not develop into a major centre but has remained as an unique example of early colonial architecture. Today the village?s main industry is tourism as the locals actively maintain and preserve their beautiful old buildings.

Bowral
Bowral, the area's biggest village was established in 1861 and by the 1880s had become a fashionable summer retreat for Sydney's wealthy. Grand residences were built during that time including residences owned by the Fairfax and Hordern families. Many of the village's deciduous trees were planted around this time in an effort to make Bowral look more like England, including the oaks in Station Street.

Corbett Gardens in Merrigang Street dates back to 1911 and is home of the Tulip Time Festival during spring. The gardens feature colourful bulbs and annual flowers, shrubs and ornamental trees. There is also a replica of the original band rotunda.

Bundanoon
The area around Bundanoon, from the local aboriginal name meaning ?place of deep gullies? was discovered by Dr Charles Throsby in 1818 on an expedition to find a route to Jervis Bay. So impressed by the extraordinary scenery Throsby persuaded the Governor to declare a heritage reserve over 1,000 acres in 1824, which is now part of the Morton National Park. Settlement of the town commenced in 1861 and by the 1900s Bundanoon was a small, thriving village with nearby timber mills, dairy farms and a sandstone quarry. By the 1920s guesthouses flourished as visitors from Sydney were attracted to the area?s spectacular scenery, remaining a popular weekend or day trip place until the 1950s.

Today, apart from each April when host to 'Brigadoon' (the largest Highland gathering in Australia), Bundanoon is a sleepy village offering cold mountain air, mysterious fogs and spectacular scenery.

Burrawang
The village of Burrawang was established in 1865 and today is a peaceful village surrounded by beautiful countryside. A number of the original buildings from the 1870s are still in existence including the general store, bank, schoolhouse and several churches. There is a sense of isolation about the village and the feeling that time has stood still but in fact it is only 15 minutes from Bowral or Moss Vale.

Exeter
With its leafy lanes and streets, clipped hedges and grand rows of trees, Exeter gives the impression of an old English village. Visit Exeter Park, a beautifully maintained village green. Historic buildings include St Aidans Church (opened in 1896) and the School of Arts - a mock-Tudor style building which opened in 1902.

Mittagong
Mittagong, from its earliest days, has been the gateway to the Southern Highlands.

It was first settled in 1821 and within a short time many inns sprang up to serve those travelling on the main southern highway. A number of these are still standing including the Poplars Restaurant, Braemar Lodge and Fitzroy Inn. Many interesting historic buildings can be found along Pioneer Street and around the station. Winifred West Park on the Hume Highway is a beautiful park planted with massed displays of flowers throughout spring and autumn.

Robertson
The village of Robertson dates back to the late 1870s when farming was the area's main activity. Situated on the mountain ridge which forms the Illawarra Escarpment, it has spectacular valley and mountain views. Today, Robertson is a popular tourist spot with a large crafts community and quality accommodation and eateries.


Unique locations for your ceremony and photographs

Gardens and other special places

• Redlands - Oxley Drive, Mittagong. Features mature exotic trees, expansive lawns, colourful bulbs, annuals and perennials, a terraced knot garden, ponds and an antique French gazebo. A romantic and relaxing garden. Contact Michele Scamps on 4871 3232 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Buskers End - St Clair Street, Bowral. Features spring bulbs such as bluebells, ixias and daffodils under ancient cherry and dogwood blossoms. In autumn the deciduous trees and shrubs create a brilliant display. There are also lupins, delphiniums, camellias and rhododendrons. Wisterias cover arches and pergolas and pathways wind away to secluded spots. Contact Joan Arnold on 4861 2942.
• Trentwood - Broughton Street, Moss Vale. Features magnificent spring flower trees such as crabapple, cherry, dogwood and magnolia alongside massed plantings of bulbs, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons. Autumn deciduous trees create a blaze of colour against a backdrop of conifers, hedges and shrubs. Rural views add a sense of space and tranquility. Contact Vivianne McCleery on 4868 2246 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
  

Public parks

• Corbett Gardens - Merrigang Street, Bowral. Features colourful springtime bulbs and annual flowers, shrubs, ornamental trees, secluded spots and a band rotunda.
  
• The Gib Picnic Grounds Mount Gibraltar - Oxley Drive, Mittagong. Features sweeping views of the surrounding area in a bush setting.
  
• Lake Alexandra Reserve - Queen Street, Mittagong. Features a pretty lake with water birds in a picturesque bush setting.
  
• Winifred West Park - Hume Highway, Mittagong. Features a bright display of massed bulbs and flowers throughout spring and autumn.
• Leighton Gardens - Argyle Street, Moss Vale. Features beautiful garden bed displays and a well maintained band rotunda.
  

Contact Wingecarribee Shire Council on 4868 0888 for above 5 parks. Cost - no fee is payable.

Contacts:

• Wingecarribee Shire Council (02) 4868 9088
• Wingecarribee Tourist Information Centre (02) 4871 2888