Recently Komodo Music had the opportunity to fly over to Melbourne to check out some of the beautiful venues. We discovered the amazing possibilities brides and grooms can achieve with the best Melbourne has to offer
Ascot House
50 Fenton Street, Ascot Vale VIC 3032, (03) 9370 8717http://www.ascothouse.com.au/ Not many wedding venues can say they have been at it for over 100 years, but Ascot House certainly can! Built circa 1860 and purchased by John Thomas Smith (one of the first council members of the city of Melbourne and later became the mayor) the entire venue is steeped in history, but the most amazing thing is that through the changes of owners, it has still managed to retain the magic of its era. There are 2 main rooms for your wedding, the Grand Ballroom or the Chandelier Room depending on the size of your reception. The Grand Ballroom seats up to 200 people and has a beautiful ornate open fireplaces, antique gilt mirrors and high ceilings. Add to that 2 acres of fully-lit gardens (which can be used for your ceremony) and a music room of exceptional Georgian architecture (Yes I looked it up). Not only that, but the music room where your guests will enjoy their pre-dinner drinks has a 70 year old operational grand piano and they have an in house pianist who comes in a plays for your guests!It must be noted however that the Grand Ballroom does have an in-house sound system, meaning DJs are required to plug in and can only go as loud as 90 decibels. This should not be a problem for most weddings and the function manager assured me they have never had any problems* The Chandelier Room is also beautiful and suits a reception of 80 people. It opens up onto a Tuscan-inspired courtyard which is beautiful with the greenery that sounds the grounds. Also an advantage is because it us under the house, there are no sound restrictions and DJs bring their own speakers. Another interesting point that is different from a lot of venues is it is a requirement that the vendor is supplied a meal! This means that it is imperative that brides and grooms know how many suppliers will be attending their wedding so they know how much they will be charged. Komodo Music’s policy has always been we would like a meal but it is not in our contract so it is different (in a good way) to see a venue that insures there will always be a meal for the supplier. Overall this venue is amazing. It looks amazing, the staff are amazing, and the photo opportunities would be amazing. And considering how close to the Melbourne CBD it is, it is lovely to find this hidden gem amongst the city
Not many wedding venues can say they have been at it for over 100 years, but Ascot House certainly can! Built circa 1860 and purchased by John Thomas Smith (one of the first council members of the city of Melbourne and later became the mayor) the entire venue is steeped in history, but the most amazing thing is that through the changes of owners, it has still managed to retain the magic of its era. There are 2 main rooms for your wedding, the Grand Ballroom or the Chandelier Room depending on the size of your reception. The Grand Ballroom seats up to 200 people and has a beautiful ornate open fireplaces, antique gilt mirrors and high ceilings. Add to that 2 acres of fully-lit gardens (which can be used for your ceremony) and a music room of exceptional Georgian architecture (Yes I looked it up). Not only that, but the music room where your guests will enjoy their pre-dinner drinks has a 70 year old operational grand piano and they have an in house pianist who comes in a plays for your guests!It must be noted however that the Grand Ballroom does have an in-house sound system, meaning DJs are required to plug in and can only go as loud as 90 decibels. This should not be a problem for most weddings and the function manager assured me they have never had any problems* The Chandelier Room is also beautiful and suits a reception of 80 people. It opens up onto a Tuscan-inspired courtyard which is beautiful with the greenery that sounds the grounds. Also an advantage is because it us under the house, there are no sound restrictions and DJs bring their own speakers. Another interesting point that is different from a lot of venues is it is a requirement that the vendor is supplied a meal! This means that it is imperative that brides and grooms know how many suppliers will be attending their wedding so they know how much they will be charged. Komodo Music’s policy has always been we would like a meal but it is not in our contract so it is different (in a good way) to see a venue that insures there will always be a meal for the supplier. Overall this venue is amazing. It looks amazing, the staff are amazing, and the photo opportunities would be amazing. And considering how close to the Melbourne CBD it is, it is lovely to find this hidden gem amongst the city
DJ Recommendation- 9/10
Bridal Recommendation- 10/10
This series is designed to give our OPINION on the venue from a DJ's point of view. It is not meant in slanderous manner and remember to ALWAYS make up your own mind. I give a "DJ Recommendation" on what us vendors see and a "Bridal Recommendation" which is based solely on what a bride and groom would see :-)
*As of this blog's publishing date, Komodo Music has not yet done a reception here so we cannot confirm or deny the accuracy of the claims of the venue regarding sound