Lake Macquarie, New South Wales

Lake Macquarie is the largest coastal saltwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere, four times the size of Sydney Harbour, sitting between Newcastle and the Central Coast. Its shoreline runs to more than a hundred and seventy kilometres, which gives couples an unusual amount of choice: jetty ceremonies at Belmont and Toronto, lawns running down to the water at Rathmines and Wangi Wangi, and surf beaches at Caves Beach and Redhead only minutes east across the peninsula.

Weddings here lean relaxed and waterfront rather than formal. Sailing clubs and lakefront restaurants take the receptions, with yachts moving on the water behind the bridal table and the sun setting across the lake to the west — a west-facing outlook that most Australian coastal regions cannot offer. The Watagan Mountains rise behind the western shore for hinterland ceremonies, Newcastle Airport is under an hour away, and the Hunter Valley vineyards sit forty minutes north, so guests can easily make a weekend of it.