As a Melbourne wedding photographer, I've had the privilege of capturing love stories in some of Victoria's most breathtaking locations. But when I first drove down that winding 1.5-kilometre track through tea trees and sheoaks to Barragunda Estate, I knew I'd discovered something truly special. This isn't just another wedding venue—it's a place where sustainable luxury meets raw coastal beauty, where every element tells a story, and where your wedding photography will be unlike anything else on the Mornington Peninsula.

Let me take you on a journey through Barragunda Estate and show you why it's become one of my favourite venues to photograph weddings at—and why it might just be the perfect backdrop for your own celebration.

A Landscape That Takes Your Breath Away

Positioned on the rugged eastern tip of the Mornington Peninsula, Barragunda Estate sprawls across 1,000 acres of native bushland, stretching from Green's Bush all the way to Bushranger's Bay and the dramatic cliffs of Cape Schanck. From a photographer's perspective, this diversity of landscape is a dream come true. Within a single property, you have access to windswept coastal vistas, intimate forest groves, serene lakeside settings, and heritage architecture that creates depth and character in every frame.

The estate sits on the traditional lands of the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin nation, and its name—Barragunda—is said to honour the thunderous roar of the sea against those towering cliff-edged coastlines. That connection to place, to history, and to the natural world permeates everything about this venue. It's not just a pretty backdrop; it's a living, breathing landscape with soul.

The Heritage Barn

The centrepiece of Barragunda's wedding offering is the stunning heritage limestone barn. Picture this: a beautifully restored structure overlooking a tranquil lake, surrounded by 100-year-old pine and fig trees that create natural frames for your ceremony and portrait photography. The barn itself seats up to 200 guests, and when you extend it with a floating dance floor, the styling possibilities become endless.

What I love most about photographing weddings in this space is how the limestone catches and reflects light throughout the day. During golden hour, those stone walls glow with warmth, creating a romantic ambience that requires minimal artificial lighting. The contrast between the heritage architecture and the modern, floating dance floor extension gives your wedding photos a unique blend of timeless and contemporary aesthetics.

The estate has partnered with White Top Venues, which means you'll have access to expert event coordination and styling support. As someone who's worked with countless venues and coordinators, I can tell you that having experienced partners who understand the space makes all the difference—not just for your stress levels, but for ensuring every moment flows seamlessly, giving me the opportunity to capture authentic, unrushed moments throughout your day.

Ceremony Options That Photographers Dream About

One of the most unique features of Barragunda Estate is the floating pontoon on the lake where ceremonies can be held. Imagine exchanging vows on the water, surrounded by nature, with your guests gathered along the shoreline. From a photography standpoint, this setup creates incredible opportunities for dynamic compositions—reflections in the still water, the natural symmetry of the landscape, and the way light dances across the lake's surface during different times of day.

Of course, the estate offers multiple ceremony locations throughout the property, each with its own character. Whether you choose the lakeside setting, a clearing among the native bushland, or a spot overlooking the market garden, you're working with a canvas that changes with the seasons and the light, ensuring your wedding photos will be truly one-of-a-kind.

Take a look at some of my other favorite venues:
State Library Victoria
Sophia at The Prahran Arcade
Coombe Yarra Valley
The Terrace
The Trust
Stones of the Yarra Valley
Gardens House, Royal Botanical Gardens
Alto, Royal Botanical Gardens
Butler Lane

Farm-to-Table Dining with Purpose

Now, let's talk about something that sets Barragunda apart from virtually every other wedding venue I've worked with: its commitment to regenerative agriculture and sustainable practices. Opened in February 2025, Barragunda Dining is run by Hayley Morris, Executive Director of the Morris Family Foundation and a passionate advocate for Australia's transition to regenerative agriculture.

But this isn't just about serving locally sourced food—though Executive Chef Simone Watts does create exceptional farm-to-table menus. It's about a complete philosophy of land stewardship and sustainability that touches every aspect of your event.

A Closed-Loop System That Actually Works

The estate operates with a genuine 'closed loop' for agricultural and food waste. Everything is processed into compost for the market garden and orchards. Fish bones and mussel shells become compost teas to boost soil nutrients. Vegetable waste is preserved or composted. Even the menus and paper towels from your wedding are woodchipped to create the brown element for compost. Bones from the butchery become stocks, then are carbonised into 'bone char' that helps soil retain water.

This level of commitment to sustainability means that when you choose Barragunda Estate for your wedding, you're not just getting beautiful photos and an unforgettable experience—you're supporting a venue where all profits from the restaurant go directly back to the Morris Family Foundation to support grassroots environmental and social projects.

As someone who cares deeply about leaving a positive impact on this world, I find this approach refreshing and inspiring. Your celebration can be both luxurious and meaningful, beautiful and responsible.

The Restaurant Space

For couples considering a more intimate celebration or for those corporate events and smaller gatherings, Barragunda Dining offers something truly special. The glass pavilion emerges from a heritage farm shed, thoughtfully reimagined by David Dubois Architecture into a serene space that feels both contemporary and connected to the land.

The restaurant overlooks the market garden, and that view—especially during golden hour—creates stunning natural backdrops for portraits and detail shots. The architecture itself, with its interplay of glass and heritage materials, offers interesting geometric elements that add visual interest to photographs without overwhelming the human moments at the heart of your celebration.

What I particularly appreciate about the restaurant space is how the design allows the landscape to remain the star. The glass walls bring the outside in, creating that seamless connection between your celebration and the spectacular natural environment surrounding you.

Why Barragunda Estate Works for Wedding Photography

After years of photographing weddings across Victoria, I can tell you that certain venues just work better for creating truly memorable images. Barragunda Estate ticks every box:

Natural Light: The variety of settings means we can chase the best light throughout your day, whether that's soft morning light filtering through the forest, dramatic midday sun over the lake, or that magical golden hour glow across the market garden.

Diverse Backdrops: Within minutes, we can move from architectural shots against the limestone barn to intimate portraits among native bushland to dramatic coastline imagery. This variety means your wedding album will have depth and visual interest from start to finish.

Authentic Beauty: The landscape here hasn't been overly manicured or controlled. It's raw, real, and stunning. That authenticity translates into wedding photos that feel genuine and timeless rather than staged or artificial.

Space to Breathe: With 1,000 acres at our disposal, we're never fighting for space or privacy during your portrait session. We can take our time, explore, and let the moments unfold naturally.

More Than Just a Venue

What makes Barragunda Estate special isn't just the physical beauty of the place—though that's certainly remarkable. It's the philosophy behind it. The Morris family, who own the estate through Morris Group, aren't simply running a wedding venue. They're stewarding land, supporting regenerative practices, and directing profits toward meaningful change in Australia's food systems.

Every year, large-scale revegetation projects repair damage from colonial grazing and connect important wildlife corridors. The estate eliminates single-use plastic from the kitchen and bar. Products that arrive in plastic containers are returned to suppliers for refilling. This is a venue where sustainability isn't a marketing angle—it's embedded in every decision.

As your wedding photographer, I'm not just capturing your celebration; I'm documenting a day spent in a place that represents hope for how we can live more harmoniously with the land that sustains us.

Planning Your Barragunda Wedding

Whether you're drawn to the heritage barn with capacity for 200 guests or the intimate restaurant space, Barragunda offers a bespoke approach to event planning. Working directly with Executive Chef Simone Watts, you can curate menus that reflect your tastes and the abundance of what the estate produces. The collaborative partnership with White Top Venues ensures you'll have expert support in bringing your vision to life.

From my perspective as your photographer, this collaborative approach means I'm working with a team that understands how important it is to maintain the flow of your day, to honour those special moments, and to create space for authentic emotion to surface naturally.

Final Thoughts from Behind the Lens

In my years running Ten Acres Agency and photographing weddings across Melbourne and regional Victoria, I've learned that the best wedding venues are those that offer more than just aesthetics. Barragunda Estate delivers stunning beauty, certainly—those cliffs, that barn, the play of light across the lake will never get old. But it also offers meaning, purpose, and a genuine connection to place that elevates your celebration beyond the ordinary.

When you choose Barragunda Estate, you're choosing to celebrate your love in a landscape that's being actively restored and protected. You're choosing food that's grown with respect for the soil and the ecosystem. You're choosing a venue where profit serves purpose, supporting grassroots environmental and social initiatives through the Morris Family Foundation.

And from a purely photographic standpoint? You're choosing one of the most spectacular, diverse, and emotionally resonant locations on the Mornington Peninsula.

If you're considering Barragunda Estate for your wedding and want to discuss how we can capture your celebration in this extraordinary place, I'd love to chat. There's nothing I enjoy more than helping couples tell their love story against the backdrop of Victoria's most beautiful landscapes—and Barragunda Estate is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable.

Here's to your love story, to sustainable celebration, and to creating images that will move you for decades to come.