The Ultimate Bowral Wedding Itinerary
If you are a bride or groom getting married in Bowral or Mittagong, you may already have your chosen venue… but everyone knows a wedding is at least a three-day party!
Trying to curate your perfect weekend can feel like a minefield, especially when you’re not familiar with the area. That’s where we come in.
Below is our ultimate Bowral wedding itinerary to get you started on your wedding planning journey. The Local Compass highly recommends booking and calling venues, caterers and cafes in advance so you don’t miss out!
Day 1 – Day Before the Wedding
Arrival – Brunch or Lunch
Say you and your party arrive in the Southern Highlands around midday and wish for a spot of brunch before checking-in to your accomodation, then we recommend you go to The Press Shop or Franquette Crêperie. However if you are feeling more of a lunch, then Harry’s on Green Lane is perfect.
Or, perhaps you have organised an Air BnB for the bridal party and are looking to put on some welcome nibbles. In that case, we suggest you swing by Harris Farm for your cheese board essentials and the Gumnut Patisserie for sweet treats. If you are after some heartier yet healthy spreads, Bendooley Estate Larder on Bong Bong Street has a selection of salads, sandwiches, and hot meals perfect for takeaway.
Optional Afternoon Activity – Beauty Treatment
Depending on the bride and groom, a massage might just be what the doctor ordered. For luxurious treatments in Bowral Endota Spa is your go-to. For something very luxurious however a little out of the way, Osborn House is a must.
Evening – Welcome Drinks
For your welcome drinks event you have an abundance of options at your fingertips.
If you are looking for a dining experience for only a handful of your nearest and dearest and want something small and intimate yet still chic, Eliza’s Cocktail Bar or Osborn House would be perfect.
If a relaxed beer garden where everyone can mingle is more your vibe, then the Mittagong Hotel or the Briars Inn are the places for you.
If you’re after bit more upscale, however still able to host plenty of people, try Centennial Vineyards or Bendooley Estate.
If you would prefer to host your wedding party at your Air BnB and wish to get your event catered you have plenty of options in the Southern Highlands area. Graze Catering, Delilah & Co and PB Catering are all local, well-established pros. If you would rather a more relaxed style of catering (on the plate and wallet) pizza’s from BD’s Woodfired Pizza or Eccetera are both delicious options. Or alternatively you can stock up on goodies from Bendooley Estate Larder (we recommend you pre-order, of course!).
Day 2 – Wedding Day
Morning – Breakfast and Optional Activities
First things first – coffee! For your bride tribe organise a pre-ordered breakfast box of treats from The Press Shop and collect those coffee orders.
Depending on our bride and groom, some lovelies like to get up early and seize the day with an activity or two!
Bride Tribe, Studio Pilates in Bowral offer one-off Pilates classes for you and your girls, or you can organise a private yoga class through Mittagong Yoga, who has a wedding day offering where you are guaranteed to de-stress before putting on the dress.
For the guys, a hit on the green at the Bowral Golf Club might just be the perfect pre-wedding activity.
Midday / Evening – Wedding Time!
This one is all you!
Late night – Keep the party going
Most wedding venues in the Southern Highlands have an end time of before or on midnight – but that doesn’t mean you or your guests are ready to kill the party!
If you wish for a late night tipple somewhere there are a few (see, only a few) venues that are open into the early hours – we do recommend you call ahead and see if they haven’t closed up early, though.
For all you party people, The Bowral Hotel or the Royal Hotel Bowral are open late, but again, just to be safe we would call ahead and see.
Day 3 – Recovery
Midday
The ‘recovery party’, a uniquely Australian concept is a bit of a fan favourite, and for good reason. Luckily, there are quite a few venues around the Southern Highlands where your friends and family can nurse the hangover in the sunshine. If most of your guests are Bowral based, then head to the Briars Inn. If a lot of your guests are based in Mittagong, then the Mittagong Hotel outdoor courtyard will do nicely.
Evening - Optional hotel stay
Wedding’s are tiresome, and the newlyweds might not be ready to drive back to Sydney after a big few days…sometimes a post-wedding wind down in a hotel room is just what the two of you need. The perfect, luxurious places to stay and soak in the love bubble before you go back to reality (or the airport!) are Berida Hotel, Peppers Manor House, Osborn House, Moss Manor or the Mittagong Hotel.
There is SO much more to the Southern Highlands area than meets the eye - or makes this list. If you’re after more inspiration check out our other guides for the best recommendations in the area guaranteed to make your wedding day feel that extra bit special.
