Planning a wedding is one of the most meaningful milestones in your journey as a couple, and choosing when to celebrate can shape the entire experience. In recent years, more couples have been drawn to long-weekend weddings for their slower pace, extended celebrations and the extra time they create for genuine connection. At Forest Edge, a much-loved wedding venue in Gembrook, we’ve seen this style of celebration grow in popularity among couples who want to make the most of their time with family and friends.
This guide explores why long-weekend weddings are becoming so appealing, what to expect when planning one and the key considerations that help you decide whether this style of celebration is the right fit for your day.
Why More Couples Are Considering Long Weekend Weddings
Choosing a long-weekend wedding isn’t just about an extra day off; it’s about creating space. Space to make your wedding feel like a meaningful experience rather than a single day that flashes by. The major reasons couples are leaning towards multi-day celebrations and how they can elevate the experience.
Creating a More Relaxed and Meaningful Celebration
A long weekend format allows you to slow things down and savour each moment. Because you’re not trying to fit everything into a tight timeline, the celebration naturally becomes calmer and more intentional. With extra time, you can do the following:
- Create space for genuine connections between different friend and family groups
- Allow guests to settle in without stress or rushing
- Spend quality time with interstate or international guests
Making Travel and Time Off Easier for Guests
One of the biggest reasons couples choose long-weekend weddings is the convenience it offers their guests, especially those travelling from interstate or overseas. In a world where work schedules are tight and annual leave is precious, guests are far more likely to commit to your wedding when the timing doesn’t require additional days off. Public holidays naturally create breathing room, making the entire event feel more manageable and appealing.
- Fewer annual leave days needed
- More availability to attend without rushing back to work
- Time to enjoy the destination as part of a mini-getaway
Enjoying Multiple Days to Celebrate, Not Just One
Many couples are drawn to long-weekend weddings. A standard wedding often feels like it’s over in a blink: ceremony, photos, toasts, dancing, done. But with a long weekend, the celebration expands into something richer and more meaningful. Instead of squeezing every moment into a tight schedule, you can spread out the fun across several days. Guests feel more relaxed, and you get to build a full experience that truly reflects your relationship and the atmosphere you want to create.
What to Expect When Planning a Multi-Day Wedding
Planning a multi-day or long-weekend wedding is exciting, but it also comes with a unique set of considerations that go beyond a traditional single-day celebration. Instead of organising one timeline, you’re curating an entire experience, one that spans several days, involves multiple events and requires thoughtful coordination to keep everything running smoothly. Couples often find that the planning process feels a bit more involved, especially when balancing accommodation, travel logistics, event flow and the availability of venues and suppliers during popular long weekends.
Choosing the Right Weekend and Booking Early
Selecting the perfect long weekend for your wedding influences everything from guest availability to supplier costs and local accommodation demand. Long weekends offer incredible advantages, but they’re also some of the most competitive dates of the year, with venues and vendors getting booked out much earlier than usual. This means couples need to think strategically, considering not just their ideal date but also how the chosen weekend aligns with guest schedules, public holiday significance and the broader travel landscape.
- Public holiday weekends are booked 12-24 months ahead
- Prices may fluctuate based on seasonal and holiday demand
- Travel and accommodation can sell out quickly
- Guests may have existing holiday traditions or commitments
Coordinating Accommodation and On-Site Events
Accommodation becomes a central part of the planning process when your celebration spans multiple days. Couples often underestimate how quickly local accommodation can book out during long weekends, especially in regional areas or popular holiday destinations. Providing options early helps guests feel at ease and encourages them to fully immerse themselves in the weekend without worrying about logistics.
- Reserve accommodation blocks early
- Provide a range of budget options
- Offer transport shuttles if accommodation is off-site
- Share recommendations in your invitations or wedding website
Planning an Itinerary That Flows Across the Weekend
Crafting a multi-day wedding itinerary requires more than simply adding extra events; it’s about designing a weekend that feels effortless, naturally paced and enjoyable for everyone involved. The beauty of a long-weekend wedding is that it gives you the freedom to stretch out the celebration, but that also means you need to be intentional about where each moment fits. You want guests to feel engaged but not overwhelmed, excited but never rushed.
- Day 1: Welcome event: Casual drinks, wood-fired pizza night or a relaxed dinner
- Day 2: The wedding day: Ceremony, reception, photos, dancing
- Day 3: Recovery day: Brunch, picnics, lawn games or farewell gatherings
Key Considerations Before You Commit
Choosing to host a long-weekend wedding is an exciting decision, but it’s important to understand the practical elements that come with planning a multi-day celebration. From budgeting across several days to navigating peak travel seasons and selecting the right venue, this section will help you assess whether a long-weekend format aligns with your vision, your priorities and your guests’ needs.
Budgeting for Multi-Day Hire and Guest Stays
Before committing to a long-weekend celebration, understand how the extended schedule can impact your wedding budget. Multi-day weddings can look very different from traditional one-day events; they may include additional meals, venue hire across multiple days, welcome night activities, recovery brunches and potentially support for guest accommodation. These elements create a richer experience, but they also require thoughtful planning to keep costs manageable.
- Multi-day venue or property hire
- Extra catering (welcome night, brunch, etc.)
- Additional décor or rentals
- Transport or shuttle services
- Guest accommodation support (if you choose to subsidise)
Weather, Travel and Public Holiday Factors
Because long-weekend weddings typically fall on peak travel periods, they come with additional environmental and logistical variables that couples should anticipate early. Long weekends bring increased road traffic, busy airports, higher accommodation demand and sometimes unpredictable seasonal weather, especially if your chosen weekend falls during a transitional time of year.
How Full-Service Venues Can Simplify the Experience
Full-service venues can simplify this process by centralising much of the planning under one roof. These venues typically offer on-site spaces for each event, experienced coordinators, catering across several days and established relationships with local accommodation providers and suppliers. For couples who want the benefits of a long-weekend wedding without the logistical overwhelm, opting for a venue with strong planning and hospitality capabilities can make all the difference.
- Provide on-site ceremony and reception spaces
- Offer accommodation or partner with nearby stays
- Coordinate catering across multiple days
- Support event styling and planning
- Host welcome nights and recovery brunches
- Manage supplier logistics
With more time to connect, more chances to personalise your events and the comfort of a slower pace, it’s easy to see why this trend is becoming so loved by couples and guests alike. The key is planning early, choosing the right venue and crafting a weekend that reflects who you are as a couple. If you’re dreaming of a multi-day celebration in a beautiful setting, Forest Edge is designed to make long-weekend weddings effortless, elegant and unforgettable.