The Perfect Alternative to a Brisbane Registry Wedding
Micro Weddings on the Tweed Coast | Osteria Weddings, Casuarina
Over the years the way people do weddings has changed, and for many couples that means that the eighteen month wedding planning marathon and 120 guest wedding is no longer the preferred style. For them, it’s more about refining the guest list and keeping only the parts of the wedding day they really value, without the stress and the second mortgage that usually come attached to such a lavish affair.
If this sounds like your vibe, then our Micro Wedding package is the perfect affordable wedding package for you. A package for those who are considering a registry wedding but still want to have a luxe feel to their celebration. A package for those who are considering eloping but when you start to add the essential loved ones to the list, you realise you need a venue and a planner to help you pull everything together. A package for those who don’t want to drop $50k on a wedding and have to sacrifice a honeymoon or a house deposit.
That’s what our micro wedding package is. One all inclusive price of $7,990, up to 40 guests, five hours with the garden and refinery to yourselves. Ceremony, cocktails and dinner all in the one spot, with a coordinator running the day so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Here’s how it works.
So what is a micro wedding?
A micro wedding (also known as a mini wedding) is a proper full service wedding, just smaller. Usually up to 40 guests, with the full run of the day, ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing, kept to the people who matter most, and you have the venue all to yourself.
It sits somewhere between an elopement and a big traditional wedding. You still walk the aisle. You still have the first dance and the speeches. You just skip the enormous guest list, the year and a half of planning and the price tag that comes with both.
Who books a micro wedding?
A micro wedding is for you if:
- You’d rather spend the money on a great night for the people you love than on filling a room with plus ones you’ve never met.
- You want to be engaged and married inside a year. Weekend dates open five months out, weekday dates nine months out.
- You care more about the food, the drinks and the feel of the day than the formalities. That’s exactly how we run.
- You’ve thought about eloping but can’t stomach leaving your closest people out. This gives you the intimacy of an elopement with your inner circle still in the room.
- You’re thinking about getting married at the Brisbane Registry, but you prefer a more boutique, garden party vibe.
- You want the venue to do the heavy lifting, so you’re not managing all the annoying little details.
What do you get in the $7,990 micro wedding package?
$7,990 including GST. Up to 40 guests. 5 hours of exclusive use of the Osteria Garden and Refinery. We don’t hook you in with a low number and then hit you with a list of extras to make it a real wedding, the package includes everything you need.
Your ceremony
- A wooden rectangle or white circular arbour
- White signing table and two chairs
- Seating for up to 40 guests
- Welcome cocktails the moment you’re married
- Grazing platters or canapés straight after
Your dinner
- A $1,000 tab across dinner service (for 40 guests that’s around 2-4 drinks per person, depending on what you’re drinking)
- A full service bar for anything else, spirits and cocktails for purchase
- Your pick of a two course alternate drop or our classic Italian banquet
Your team
- We build the run sheet with you in the lead up
- A professional team works the day start to finish
- A dedicated coordinator handles the venue and catering logistics
The food, because it’s the bit people remember
The word ‘Osteria’ literally means, a place where people gather to eat, drink and socialise, so the dining experience is an important part of what we do. We kick off with an Italian grazing platter, house made dips, antipasti, local cheeses, salumi and breads, or three post ceremony canapés picked across vegetarian, seafood and meat. Heirloom tomato bruschetta, grilled prawn skewers, herbed meatballs, crispy pork belly – that kind of thing.
For dinner you choose a classic Italian banquet, shared entrees, pizzas, seasonal pastas and a garden salad, or a plated two course alternate drop. Want roasted lamb shoulder and whitefish on the table? Upgrade to the deluxe banquet for $10 a head. Every menu bends to suit your style and your budget, and there’s plenty already on the list for gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian guests.
Options to add even more sparkle
The micro package covers all the essentials and some special touches, but if you do want add even more sparkle to your day, we have options.
- A Bridal Suite and Groom Room, private spaces to get ready on site, a fifteen second walk from the ceremony.
- A champagne tower to mark the end of the ceremony (or a margarita, espresso martini or aperol spritz tower.)
- The whiskey bar, a little breakaway area off the refinery, festoon lit and tucked away for those who want a whiskey and a chat.
- Fairy light wall curtains and light up LOVE letters for the refinery.
Plus there’s lawn games, a photo booth, extra time at the venue. Just ask and we’ll sort it.
A destination wedding feel without getting on a flight
Osteria Weddings is in the idyllic coastal town of Casuarina, near Kingscliff on the northern NSW Tweed Coast. 5 minutes from the ocean, 20 minutes from the Gold Coast Airport, 40 minutes from Byron Bay. A private ceremony garden for the vows and cocktails, a fairy light lit refinery for dinner and dancing, and a secret whiskey bar.
We’re a pet friendly venue with an indoor wet weather backup, so the forecast is never a reason to lose sleep. There’s parking on site and stacks of accommodation close by in Casuarina, Kingscliff and Cabarita Beach, so your guests can turn the wedding into a weekend at the beach. That mix of one location, short travel and resorts a walk away is also why so many couples end up spending less here than they would piecing a wedding together somewhere else. Plus you and your guests have so many places to eat, drink and play in the region, from renowned dining to water activities and hinterland walks.
Why our couples pick it
- One price, most of the work done for you. Venue, food, drinks tab, furniture, coordinator, run sheet, all in.
- A short planning run. 5 months out for a weekend, 9 months for a weekday.
- Everything in the one place. From getting ready to the last song, nobody has to drive between venues.
- A day that actually feels like you. Good food, good cocktails, a relaxed coastal setting and 40 of your favourite people.
How to lock it in
- Book a tour. Email us or book online and come see our spaces in person. Guided virtual tours are also available.
- Secure your date. A $2,000 intial booking fee holds it, and the remaining payment times and amounts are flexible.
- Start planning. Our booking team hands you to our planning team and the fun starts.
Weekend bookings open five months ahead, Monday to Thursday nine months ahead. Every booking is a five hour service window between 9am and 10pm.
Enquire about your date or book a private venue tour and leave the rest to us.
Alternatively, if you prefer to dig a little deeper into the micro wedding package and inclusions, you can request the kit here.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mini wedding? A mini wedding is just another name for a micro wedding, still a full service wedding at a wedding venue, but just with a smaller number of guests.
Whats the different between an elopement and a micro wedding? An elopement is usually a secret wedding with only 2 witnesses and usually without a traditional reception to follow. A micro wedding still allows you to have a calm, stress free experience but including the people you love most.
Is there a Tweed Coast registry office to get married at? Unfortunately, there’s no wedding registry on the Tweed Coast. There’s also no Gold Coast wedding registry. The closest registry office for people living in Byron Bay or on the Tweed Coast or Gold Coast, is in Brisbane. If you are leaning towards a Registry wedding with 40 of your loved ones, because it’s a super cheap option, you are right. The ceremony alone definitely is, but if you’re planning to celebrate after the ceremony over a meal at a Brisbane restaurant, you’re likely spending $150 – $250 per head for food and drinks – we’ll do the maths for you, that comes to $6,000 – $10,000. And you’re not getting any of the extras in the Osteria Weddings micro package – exclusive venue use, intimate ceremony garden, fairy light reception space, festoon whiskey bar, post ceremony canapés, welcome cocktails, etc etc!
How much is a micro wedding at Osteria? $7,990 including GST for up to 40 guests. That covers 5 hours of exclusive use of the garden and refinery, welcome cocktails, post ceremony platters or canapés, a $1,000 dinner tab, your choice of a two course or banquet menu and a dedicated coordinator.
How many guests can a micro wedding have? Up to 40. If your list creeps over that you can add guests from $100 a head.
What’s included in the package? Five hours of exclusive venue use, the ceremony set up with an arbour, signing table and seating for 40, welcome cocktails, post ceremony grazing, a $1,000 dinner tab, a full service bar, your pick of a two course or Italian banquet menu, run sheet support and a coordinator on the day.
How far ahead can I book? Weekend dates open 5 months out, Monday to Thursday dates nine months out. It suits couples who don’t want a long engagement.
Where is Osteria Weddings? 1 Barclay Drive, Casuarina, on the northern NSW Tweed Coast. 5 minutes from the ocean, 20 minutes from the Gold Coast Airport and 40 minutes from Byron Bay.
Is a micro wedding cheaper than a full sized wedding? Yes. One all inclusive price, a shorter planning run and the whole day in one place takes out most of the costs that stack up across a big wedding, from extra vendors to extra guests.
Can we add things like a champagne tower or extra time? Absolutely. There’s a full list of add ons, champagne tower, whiskey bar, fairy lights, late night feasting, a kids’ menu and extra time at the venue among them.
What happens if it rains? We move the ceremony inside the refinery. Book any season and don’t give the weather a second thought.
