Victorian weddings are shifting toward smaller, more intimate celebrations. Increasingly, couples are opting for elopements and boutique weddings that prioritise personal connection, scenic natural settings, and memorable moments that tell stories over grand spectacles. These celebrations often take place at private estates, with vineyard backdrops and boutique wineries, where every detail can be tailored to align with the couple’s vision.
Why Couples Are Choosing Smaller, More Personal Weddings
Authenticity and Personalisation
Elopements and micro weddings allow couples to craft a day that truly reflects their personalities and relationship. From ceremony style to location, guest list, dining experiences, and activities, every detail can be curated. Couples focus solely on what matters to them, creating a deeply personal and authentic celebration about their special days.
Lower Stress and Less Planning
Smaller weddings reduce logistical demands. Couples have flexibility in venue choice, décor, and dining, prioritising spaces and experiences that genuinely resonate with them. Some venues proactively handle key details, providing a seamless, low-stress environment for an intimate wedding weekend.
Budget-Friendly
With fewer guests, couples can invest in other premium elements, such as premium wines, seasonal menus, and luxurious lodging, rather than spreading the budget thin across a large guest list. This allows a high-quality, memorable experience for everyone.
Perfect Settings
Nature-oriented venues, such as Carrajung Estate, offer privacy, romance, and breathtaking landscapes. As celebrations grounded in natural beauty remain highly sought after, many couples are moving away from city venues, choosing instead to exchange vows under captivating backdrops like vineyard rows, blooming-flower gardens, or under the starry night, complementing the ceremony itself.
Elopement, Micro Wedding or Intimate Celebration: What Is the Difference?
Elopements Wedding Explanation
Elopements are private ceremonies, typically with fewer than 20 people, often just the couple or a few close witnesses. The focus is on intimacy and storytelling, with locations chosen for seclusion and personal significance, often in vineyards or estate gardens.
Micro Wedding Explanation
Micro weddings are small yet curated celebrations, usually hosting under 50 guests. They include a full ceremony, reception, and dining experience, balancing intimacy with the opportunity to share the day with close friends and family, without the overwhelming logistics of a large wedding.
How to Plan an Elopement or Intimate Wedding in Victoria
Work with a Wedding Planner
If you are still unsure about what to do for your wedding, working with a celebrant or a wedding planner who understands your vision would be an ideal step. You can find these celebrants easily, either from your favourite wedding service or a celebrant team at your chosen venues, such as working with Carrajung Estate’s experienced event planning team.
Start with the Guest List and Atmosphere
Keep the guest list minimal for elopements, focusing on intimacy and privacy. Micro weddings require slightly larger planning for seating, dining, and shared guest experiences, but still maintain a relaxed, personal atmosphere.
- For elopements, couples often focus on intimacy, privacy, and scenic outdoor settings that feel personal and meaningful. Seating arrangements and dining setups are typically minimal, and on-site accommodation offers a turn key solution where guests can celebrate, dine and stay all in the one location.
- For micro weddings, a slightly larger guest list requires more consideration around dining setups, seating arrangements, accommodation, and shared guest experiences to ensure the smooth operation.
Choose Your Date
Elopements often require less lead time than traditional weddings, but it’s still important to plan your date and book early, especially when you choose to celebrate in peak seasons like spring/summer (September–February) or Autumn (March–May), when the weather, vineyard scenery, and outdoor conditions are most suitable for country weddings.
Confirm Legal Requirements Early
Lodge the Notice of Intended Marriage with a celebrant at least one month prior to Victoria to ensure compliance for small or intimate weddings.
Choose a Venue That Holds the Whole Experience
A wedding can go smoothly if you choose a venue that offers both ceremony and reception spaces, on-site accommodation, and tailored packages including catering, styling, and coordination.
For a rustic-style wedding, wineries and private estates provide a seamless mix of luxury, personalisation, and exclusivity, enabling celebrations from intimate elopements to boutique weddings with close family and friends.
Choose the Suitable Package
Many winery venues and estates offer tailored elopement packages, allowing couples to choose between a simple ceremony or a more immersive wedding weekend, often set in a variety of natural locations – from riversides, vineyards, gardens, lakes, and valley hills to coastal backdrops.
Besides the background, it’s recommended to also think about how you want to hold your ceremony, as destination weddings have the potential to transform into an entire weekend escape. Often couples will gather for an elegant rehearsal dinner the night before, then ease into their first day as newlyweds with coffee, champagne and a relaxed lunch with loved ones. It’s these unhurried moments that often become the most cherished memories of all. See our top winery wedding venues for inspiration.
Invite Your Guests
While elopements are often private, you can still make it fun by keeping the ceremony private and surprising a few friends with a small celebration afterwards. The focus is on enjoying the moment and sharing the joy, rather than following formal rules. If you are planning an elopement wedding, it is recommended to provide a dress code to maintain overall wedding vibes.
Relax and Enjoy
After all the preparation, just enjoy your special days. The beauty of an elopement at wedding estates like Carrajung Estate is that all the details are handled, allowing you to relax and enjoy your wedding day to the fullest.
Carrajung Estate: The Perfect Venue for Elopement in Victoria
Carrajung Estate is an idyllic venue for couples seeking a luxurious and intimate elopement in Victoria. Set across 100 acres of rolling Gippsland countryside, this single-estate winery offers privacy, scenic vineyard views, and boutique accommodation, making it ideal for a full wedding weekend experience.
Key Features of Carrajung Estate for Elopements:
- On-Site Accommodation: Carrajung Estate provides a range of Options for couples and guests, from romantic two-person retreats to multi-bedroom cottages – a perfect choice for families, keeping everyone close and comfortable.
- Personalised Elopement Packages: Carrajung Estate offers bespoke wedding packages that include ceremony setup, styling, catering, and wine selection, tailored to each couple’s vision.
- Personalised Styling: Work with an experienced event planner to source recommended suppliers (flowers, photography, entertainment, celebrant etc) as unique as your love story.
- Award-winning Wines and Signature Cocktails: Pair single-estate, award-winning wines and curated cocktails with seasonal menus to elevate the sense of occasion.
- Gourmet Dining: From romantic dinners for two to small receptions with close friends, or guest lists of up to 120 guests, with significant experience across event catering and a la carte dining will ensure a menu to impress.
- Winery and Vineyard Backdrop: Picturesque vineyard rows and gardens provide stunning natural settings, reducing the need for extra décor.
- Exclusive Use and Privacy: Couples can enjoy their celebration without intrusion, making the day feel entirely their own.
Carrajung Estate embodies the 2026 trend of intimate, boutique weddings in Victoria, offering bespoke elopement and micro-wedding packages that create memorable, stress-free celebrations. Begin your journey with a personalised vineyard wedding, curated by Carrajung Estate’s wedding packages.
FAQs for Elopement at Carrajung Estate
What is the maximum guest number for an elopement at Carrajung Estate?
At Carrajung Estate, elopements typically host 2–22 guests, ensuring a private, intimate celebration with exclusive access to the vineyard, gardens, and reception spaces. Micro weddings at the estate can accommodate any number, though typically up to 50 guests.
Should we attend private tours available before booking?
Yes. Couples can explore ceremony locations, reception spaces, and accommodation options, helping plan logistics, consider styling options and visualise the flow of their day.
Can elopement packages be customised?
Yes. Whilst packages are available, Carrajung Estate can also work with couples to personalise the experience, from simple ceremonies with minimal décor, a basic seating setup, and optional photography, or immersive weekend experiences that include wine tastings, gourmet dining, and on-site accommodation.
Are catering and wines included in wedding packages?
Yes. Carrajung Estate provides estate-grown wines paired with seasonal menus curated by Chef John Cooper. In-house catering rotates menus seasonally, ensuring farm-to-table flavours and a seamless on-site catering experience.
Can couples plan a weekend-long wedding at Carrajung Estate?
Yes. Couples can host a full wedding weekend accommodation experience. Guests enjoy the ceremony, reception, overnight stays, and next-day breakfast all on-site, focusing on a relaxed celebration.
Can couples hire Carrajung Estate exclusively for their wedding?
Yes. Pending availability, there are options for an Estate Buy Out to provide your guests with an exclusive winery experience all for themselves.
