Weddings

Real Weddings - David & Danni at est.

Hi Kathy,

Our wedding was everything we had hoped for and exceeded our expectations.  This can be attributed to the wonderful assistance from Denee and the professional service of the est. team. From our first meeting with Denee we were put at ease knowing we had found the right person to manage the night.  At no time in the lead up to the wedding did either of us experience problems or stresses with the wedding venue. Nothing was too difficult and Denee's experience helped us with the planning making it stress free.

The est staff were exceptional, Herve was wonderful in his attentiveness and professionalism making us and our guests feel so welcome.  Unlike typical wedding venues, the staff were actually friendly, attentive, proud of their work and again nothing was to difficult.  The feedback we have received from our guest has been all positive with most saying it was the best wedding they had ever attended.  The little attention to details - like cutting the children's food so parents could enjoy their meals and the head waiter helping to keep my father in-law relaxed before the speeches were just some of the examples of staff going above and beyond.  The food was perfect, and as we had hoped the highlight of the night.  Once again the feedback was excellent from all our guests.  The Sommeliers recommendations were well received and we were pleased to see that no one was left wanting when after a drink.

Our experience at est., Hemmesphere and the Establishment hotel were all as equally impressive with excellent service and the venues were all superb.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Denee and the rest of the Merivale group that were involved with our wedding - the excellent service resulted in a wonderful day that we'll never forget.

Cheers,

David & Danni
est. March 2012

Natalie and Tony at Ivy Ballroom

We couldn’t commend Denee enough throughout the planning process, it seamless and quite headache-free. Denee was very responsive and always did what she could to meet our requirements.

From the moment we walked into the venue, our jaws dropped and we were overwhelmed by the beauty and my mind wandered with all the styling options I had running through my mind.

From very fussy families, we had exceptionally high expectations of the food. We enjoyed the food at our menu tasting and the Head Chef made slight changes to the courses to satisfy our needs. The presentation was lovely, the quality of the ingredients was fresh and beautiful and the portions were significant by fine dining standards.

We were very happy with the beverage options we had. The house wine and sparkling was very nice and easy to drink. We were happy that we were able to bring our own scotch and spirits and not be charged for corkage per bottle.

Everyone is commenting on how amazing Denee, Victoria and all the staff were on the night. Completely on the ball, attentive, accommodating, friendly yet uber professional, I cannot complement them enough. My dad was extremely impressed, he emailed the day after the wedding expressing his thanks to such a wonderful team. I’ve had so many guests tell me that the ivy is definitely a venue they will consider for their weddings – even corporate functions because the service was so amazing combined with the beauty of the Ballroom itself.

Having a venue on board that is able to negotiate, compromise things in standard packages and meet couples half way on things really impresses. I can happily recommend the ivy to our friends and confidently tell them we had a fantastic experience, Make sure you call Denee, she will really look after you and help you get the most out of your budget.

Natalie, May 2013

Real Weddings - Anna and Tom at Bistrode CBD

It was the best night of our lives and we cannot thank everyone involved enough. Thank you!!!

Denee was an amazing,event planner right from the word go! Denee answered every question we had and was there to help whenever we needed it…even when the bride and groom turned up too early to the reception…Denee and the staff remained calm and allowed us use of a private terrace to relax and have drinks prior. We could not have asked for a more kind, sweet and accommodating event planner. Thank you Denee.

The venue was just beautiful! It was exactly how we had imagined it. The perfect venue for a small, intimate wedding. We were ecstatic when we saw Jeremy Strode’s menu - every bite was exquisite! We had a lot of acclamation about the whole evening but the food was consistently complimented!

There was never an empty glass, which is always a good thing, especially for the Bridal table! Our every wish was met, whether it was Lagavulin 16 for the Groom or Veuve for the Bride.

Every staff member was kind, welcoming and served with a smile. Lucinda deserves an award! She was so helpful, friendly, kind and we, along with our guests, agree it was not only the best service we have ever received but she made everyone feel right at home. Thank you Lucinda.

If we were ever to do it again (hopefully not to anyone else…haha), we would not hesitate in using Merivales services.

Anna, March 2013

Real Weddings - Ivana and Stephen in Establishment Ballroom

Our overall Merivale experience was just perfect - thank you to everyone for making our day so special, we had the best time.

Denee was fantastic with the event planning  from start to finish – so patient, answered all of our questions and solved any concerns we might have had / specific things we wanted, and always with a smile. She is amazing to work with!

Establishment Ballroom was absolutely fantastic. We looked at many, many venues but when we saw the Establishment Ballroom we knew it was the one. Very elegant, simple and refined, and we loved the natural light coming in especially from the windows overlooking the small garden on the Gin Garden side. Establishment Bar was also a great spot for the pre-function drinks and Hemmesphere for the after-party. Our guests loved the venue too.

The food was excellent by all accounts. Merivale were so accommodating in making little tweaks to the menu and we really appreciate that – thank you so much. All of our guests commented how delicious every single dish was and the presentation was very impressive. While we didn’t get to try the canapés, they were also a really bit hit. Please pass on our thanks to the Head Chef and the entire team.

Service and Operations staff on the day were fantastic – we had so many comments about how seamless and efficient the service was. There was never an empty glass and the staff were very attentive but never in the way. Brilliant service. A special thanks to Denee and Travis for overseeing everything.

We would absolutely recommend Merivale to anyone considering one of your venues. The entire experience and your team were amazing.

Ivana, March 2013

Real Weddings - Tamara and Igor in Ivy Ballroom

Hi Denee,

We have only great things to say about our experience with Merivale and I can't thank you enough for all your help. You made the planning process an absolute breeze!! We had an absolutely amazing time, and our wedding was everything we wanted and so much more. A truly memorable experience!!

Ivy Ballroom was an absolutely gorgeous venue – love the carpet, chandeliers, candles on the wall – love it all! Great location, great floor plan and easy accessibility to all amenities. The optional lighting is a great feature and just added the final touch – it lifted the room and looked stunning! Also great that the mirror bases and tealights were included, made our lives much easier in that we didn’t need to source these items ourselves.

All meals were absolutely delicious and the Merivale wines were of very high quality. We have had many guests tell us they were very impressed with the quality of the food. Really appreciate that our comments from the tasting night were taken into consideration for the day.

Service on the day was exemplary! Extremely attentive and very professional. We have had many guests mention the service was amazing and their glasses were always filled and service was prompt. Service for the bridal table was also extremely attentive and every effort was made to ensure we (Bride and Groom) were always looked after.

We will definitely recommend the venue to family and friends, but I think the venue speaks for itself in volumes (especially for those that were there to experience it on the night of the wedding!). Our day/night was perfect, and was everything we dreamed of and so much more. It was a truly magical day. Thank you Merivale!

Take care,
Tamara xx
Feb 2013

Real Weddings - Karene and Nathan in Ivy Ballroom

What an incredible venue! The Ivy Ballroom is simply stunning. So many people commented on the venue and how beautiful the room was. Service was exceptionally good. The staff were so helpful and Lauren and Denee for the bridal table were especially wonderful. Very friendly and helpful.

Merivale event planners were very helpful with all of my requests and in getting things organised for my kosher wedding.

Thank you for making our day so incredibly special. We loved every minute of it and were thrilled with our choice of venue. Thank you for everything!

Karene, February 2013

Real Weddings – Erin and Nicholas in Ivy Penthouse

It was the perfect day, a day that will be remembered for the rest of our lives. Denee was so helpful from our very first meeting. She took the time to get to know us and what we wanted for our wedding, so that she could make suitable recommendations. Everything was so easy with Denee, which made our wedding planning a dream.

Ivy Penthouse was stunning. We loved the space from the first moment we saw it! We have received so many comments from our guests about the wonderful space, unique to every other wedding reception venue that we looked at. The food was so delicious and there was a great range to choose from, so we were very happy. Many of our guests told us that they had to turn down food as they were so full. Everyone loved the cocktail on arrival, when we saw they were passionfruit mojitos we were very impressed! 

It was great that the person that we had worked with for a year leading up to the day was there on the day. Denee knew what we wanted and made sure the day ran perfectly. All the staff were helpful and friendly, making sure that the bridal party always had a drink and had plenty of food.

The venue was perfect with exceptional food and beverages that spoiled our guests. We have heard nothing but praise from our friends and family and constantly hear comments along the lines of “best wedding they’ve been to”.

Erin, December 2012

Real Weddings - Alys and Richard at Establishment

Hi Denee, we were beyond impressed with the Establishment for our wedding and have been telling anyone who will listen. Interestingly nearly everyone I speak to had no idea that you could have private events at The Establishment which makes it even cooler choice as a venue for us. When we first visited the Estab we thought there was no way we could affordit. I am so glad we didn’t listen to that. The venue is so easy to have ceremony, reception, after drinks and accommodation in the same place with a the one team was the best asset to us ever!

All of the work that yourself and Alexis put into help us just added to it. We really did feel like we got more value for money than we could have ever expected. We felt like a $100,000 wedding in terms of how well we were treated and helped by you all. It made it so special. I am not sure if I missed it in the paperwork somewhere but it was a wonderful surprise to have a bridal assistant. She took fantastic care of me.

We still have to go through all our photos but I promise to send you some. Warm regards, Alys and Richard

Real Weddings - Gideon and Beata in Ivy Ballroom

Denee, thank you for all your help in the lead up to our wedding and on the day! You were absolutely wonderful and went above and beyond to ensure that our wedding day was as magical as we had hoped. We have received so many compliments about the ivy ballroom and how professional and courteous the staff were! We wish you all the best and we look forward to attending our next Merivale function.

Real Weddings - Monique and Danny in Ivy Sunroom

A huge thank you to a fabulous team - Denee is especially fantastic! Our day was perfect and was everything we had imagined it to be. Our wedding was not the usual - with a ceremony in the lane and an 8 am start time, we definitely had some odd requests. Merivale did everything possible to help. Also the staff and atmosphere at Ash St Cellars (rehearsal lunch venue) and The Establishment (accommodation) were nothing short of amazing. The ivy sunroom was breathtaking and the guest raved about the service. And a massive thanks to Brett Odgers (photographer - also recommended by Merivale) we have beautiful photos to remember an amazing day.

Monique, August 2011

Photography by Brett Odgers

Real Weddings - Joanna and Craig at Establishment

"Our reception at the Establishment was nothing short of exceptional. We had the MOST wonderful day! Our wedding executive Denee was outstanding. Dealing with her during the lead up made the entire process so easy for us, and on the day she delivered a truly remarkable event. Under the guidance of Denee and Travis (the venue manager) the entire floor team was excellent and worked so hard to ensure that our guests thoroughly enjoyed their day. We have received so many compliments about our day (delicious cocktails, canapes, lunch and dessert station aside!) and we will forever be grateful. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Joanna, June 2011

Photography by Between Us Photography

Real Weddings - Emma and Joseph in ivy ballroom

Our amazing reception location was one of the first things we locked in for our wedding. As soon as I saw the room, I loved it. It is modern and stylish, yet still very elegant. Because of its simple black and white colour scheme, any colour can be added to the room to match your wedding's theme.We had so much fun planning our wedding reception at the Ivy Room and we are so pleased that everything turned out even better than we could have ever imagined. From our first meeting with our wedding specialist, our planning was so easy. Denee was so friendly and supportive, and so helpful with any decision making, giving us all the information we needed.

Now to the reception... everything was AMAZING! I couldn't fault a thing. The room looked absolutely spectacular - better than I could have ever imagined!  The staff are all so friendly and lovely and helpful and it was really nice to spend our special day with great people around us. The staff made sure everything ran perfectly smoothly and on time.

Delicious food was really important to us in picking a reception venue, and The Ivy Room exceeded all our expectations. We attended our first tasting with our parents and and we all loved every dish - which made it difficult to narrow it down to two choices! Everyone I have spoken to from our reception loved our food - and you usually don't hear compliments on food produced for such large numbers.

Emma, August 2011

Photography by Inlighten Photography