Fairmont, Escarpment, Sebel

Driving up the mountains and through the Hawkesbury on my way to conduct a wedding at Allview Escape at Blackheath,  I stopped off to deliver some Christmas cheer to three of my most frequented ceremony venues.

I am grateful to have been working at these venues for over two decades now. Each has fine-tuned its service as a total wedding destination over the years, and it’s an honour to be a preferred celebrant to them.

First I stopped to see Maddie, function co-ordinator at the Fairmont resort – a mountains icon! It’s vast, a world unto itself in a sensational location. The lobby view carries you out and into the Jamison valley … yet you are inside amongst luxury appointments which change to welcome you for the season. Most weddings here though are held outside on the lakes, amongst fountains and gardens.

On to Lilianfels in Katoomba to catch up with Sam, the function co-ordinator for the Escarpment Group – with four divine properties under its banner. Each of them quite different from the others; it just depends on the tone and style you are envisaging. The Hydro Majestic was recently re-opened, in fact I conducted the first new ceremony there in front of the Boiler House restaurant. The view is of the Megalong Valley, stunning – but if you want to be married indoors, the opulence of a bygone era takes your breath away. Lilianfels itself is a 5-star hotel with the charm and personal attention of a guest house, while its boutique cousin, Echoes, just over the road, boasts fabulous views of the Jamison Valley. Inside, the décor upstairs is contemporary tones of black, the essence of sophistication!  Parklands Cottages in Blackheath is the other property, private, luxurious – a real escape from the city.

My third stop was to see Kai and Krista at the Sebel Resort and Spa at Windsor.

There are so many options for weddings on this property, which again is a total escape – accommodation, ceremony, reception, morning after party – all catered for here. There are two lakeside outdoor options at the Sebel, but what makes this location unique is its gorgeous non-denominational chapel, where a bride can truly walk down the aisle even if she is not being married in a church!

I love working at all these venues and personally recommend them all.