Palms Pavillion Forster is truly one of the most magical places on the East Coast of Australia to get hitched! I guess I don’t need to sell you on it. You’re obviously already interested, but getting married at the Palms Pavilion in Forster is like visiting another country. It’s like getting married on a beach in Bali or Hawaii. Tiona weddings is about to become your new best friend.
Every time I shoot a wedding at Tiona, the way the light hits the water and the palm trees blows my mind. I have to remind myself I’m only a few hours north of Sydney!
If you’re looking for a summery coastal vibe for your Forster wedding, this place is it! The way the sun floods into the Pavillion at sunset warming up your guests and creating this magical feel. The way the pastel colours of dusk wash over your dancefloor, honestly, you cannot go wrong.
And don’t even get me started on the crew at the venue. Most peoples biggest fear is stress, or things going wrong. Do not bother worrying about it. Kelly and the crew will have you covered, feeling like family.
What I want to do on this page is break down why, if you’re wondering where to get married in Forster, Palms Pavillion is the place for you! I’ll show you films I have shot. I’ll show you full galleries so you can see all the nitty gritty stuff (not just the hero images), and provide recommendations to make your day much easier!
Contents
- 1 Palms Pavillion Wedding Films
- 2 Full Wedding Galleries
- 3 Vendor Recommendations
- 4 Possible timelines to consider
- 5 Ceremony Locations I love
- 6 Portrait locations in Palms Pavillion Forster
- 7 Places for you to stay in Forster
- 8 Best places to eat in Forster
- 9 What to do next if you want to get married at Palms Pavillion Forster?
Palms Pavillion Wedding Films
I don’t want to put too much text on this page. Let’s face it, you probably just want to see what The Palms Pavillion Forster looks like when it’s set up for a beautiful wedding, right? Below I have 3 of my favourite Forster wedding films my team have shot with me. As you can see, every single time I shoot at Forster, the sunset is like something from a movie. Enjoy.
Full Wedding Galleries
Same as above, you just want to see the photos, so let’s get to it. The reason I am showing you these, is because I think it is important to see all the shots from the day. When you scan an instagram or website, you might see the photographers favourite 4 or 5 shots from the day, but the gallery could be between 400 and 800 photos. So what about the rest, how do they look? Check them out below by clicking the image. When you’re done that, scroll down a bit more for helpful tips and advice about Palms Pavillion weddings.
Vendor Recommendations
I’ll keep it short and sweet, here are the vendors I recommend when getting married at Palms Pavillion, Forster. One thing I will make mention before you view the list is, due to the size of Forster, most vendors will be travelling in from bigger cities, most often Newcastle (being the closest). These vendors have worked countless times at this epic venue, and they will take great care of you!
Photography & Videography – James White Photography
Florist – As Sweet As Jasmine
Hair & Makeup Artist – Lisa Fowler
Celebrant (a few options) – Dirty Deeds, That Altar Guy or Married by Adam
Entertainment – DJ Ricky Bonomini
Dress Maker – KWH Bridal
Suits – Peter Jackson
Possible timelines to consider
One of the things that concerns people the most when it comes to getting married, is organising the day and making it run smoothly. This, predominantly comes down to the timeline you roll with. Generally speaking, your photographer should be coming up with this timeline for you, in conjunction with you and your vendors, but just to get you thinking, I have included 2 of my most common timelines I would run with at Palms Pavillion in Forster, one for winter (sunset of 4.50pm) and one for summer (sunset 8pm).
Now reading these timelines, you might think this doesn’t work for you, because you’re having a longer ceremony. Or perhaps you’ve invited 200 people and have a huge family. So what do you do? It’s simple, these timelines are jumping off points. They work for the majority of people, however, where you have something unique about your day, this would require some timeline juggling, which I can absolutely, hands down do for you. So again, just reach out and let’s chat about the timeline for your palms pavilion Forster wedding!
Ceremony Locations I love
When you choose to get married up at Palms Pavillion in Forster, I like to keep things simple for people. Sure, you could get married on Elizabeth Beach, or up at Box Head Lookout, but let’s be real, you chose Palms Pavillion because you love the place, so let’s do it there.
Option number 1, and probably the most commonly chosen ceremony site in Forster is the Green Cathedral, it’s a beautiful sire, built into nature, where you can get married in peace and serenity. One potential downside is that on weekends, they may be doing back to back weddings, so you may have to move out rather fast, which can kind of suck.
Option 2 is the get married on the lawn, with the lake, uninterrupted, as a backdrop, right outside the Palms Pavillion. I don’t see many people do this, however, it’s 1 ceremony a day, so no rush, and it’s on site, so your guests can already be a few drinks deep, ready to celebrate your love.
Do I have a preference, not really. On a moody cloudy day I do love the Green Cathedral, but on a bright sunny day it can be a bit harsh in terms of lighting. If you’re not sure, honestly just contact me here, let me know your concerns and I will run through everything, including solutions with you.
Portrait locations in Palms Pavillion Forster
When it comes to portraits, you have quite the banquet of options. One caveat I would like to mention though, is that if your wedding is in winter, your options tend to be more on site (this is not a bad thing). This is simply because of the daylight hours, driving to locations is usually not feasible.
But let’s run through some of my favourite spots and when it comes time to plan out your Palms Pavillion Forster wedding, I will help guide you on what is possible.
First, and easily the best (by a mile) is the lake out back of Palms Pavillion. If you’ve been to the venue, you know what I mean. The sun sets over the water!! Not a common occurrence for us on the East Coast, but the colours and light it throws up at you is unreal, without a doubt my go to option for the sunset/dusk portraits for all Forster weddings.
Then you have the Green Cathedral itself. Just a short few minute walk from Palms Pavillion, once the sun goes down a bit, it becomes beautifully backlit, and can get really moody.
Then finally you have any of the beaches within a 10 minute drive. I particularly love Seven Mile Beach, which is only a 2 minute drive away. It gets gorgeous afternoon sun which cuts off early due to the landscape, meaning you have time to get back to Palms Pavillion and get sunset on the lake too (in summer at least). In summer, this is a Forster wedding formula for me!
Places for you to stay in Forster
When it comes to your wedding in Forster, do not skimp on the room. Honestly, nothing would be more depressing than having the most epic day of your life, all your friends and family, and then you return to your room, full of wedded bliss, only to remember you got a $49 motel special with a shared bathroom. No bueno.
So let me give you 3 unbelievable places to stay. These are places you will want to return to, and maybe bring mates for a few cheeky kick ons. I won’t bother talking to much about them, because let’s face it, you can just click the link and read all you want, so here goes:
Not only are these amazing spots to return too, but selfishly, these are some really aesthetic spots for you to get ready in for your wedding. They have great light (helps with photos, as well as hair and makeup artists), and are wide open with minimal clutter. Just something to consider.
Best places to eat in Forster
I know this doesn’t have too much to do with Forster weddings, but if you and your guests are travelling up to (or down to) Forster for your wedding, it’s probably going to be a couple day affair. So you will probably want to go out to dinner with them, or even go out to dinner as a couple. Whatever your fancy, I have a couple awesome places to tell you about. Again, I won’t bang on about them, I’ll just let you click the link and discover for yourself.
I’ve put in a good mix of casual eats, more upscale food, as well as a cheeky cafe (because you know, the morning after your wedding you will absolutely need a coffee or two).
What to do next if you want to get married at Palms Pavillion Forster?
If you’re still reading, it’s probably a given that a Palms Pavillion wedding in Forster is the go for you. No doubt about it. And I would love to tell you that this is one venue that I do love to return to, again and again and again. So if you love what you’ve seen from me so far, and would like to talk more about how I can help turn your wedding dreams into a reality, fill out the form below and I will get the ball rolling for you!