IMAGINE

Hear from some of our beautiful wedding couples for reviews, inspiration or simply to feel the love!

Stay AT WILLOW & STONE

As part of your wedding weekend experience you will have full use of our luxury suite, including dressing room, with a three-night stay included as part of the venue hire.

You may choose to stay with your bridal party pre-wedding, luxuriate in the expansive dressing room, then return as newly-weds to your romantically prepared suite for two nights.

BALLARAT SANCTUARY DAY SPA

TESTIMONIALS & REVIEWS

Taylor & Reilly Noonan

Willow and Stone Estate really was our dream wedding venue. After we got engaged there was no urgency to get married right away so we took our time to find our perfect venue.

Reilly and I were both born and bred in Ballarat so we had always hoped to marry in our hometown however we’re really beginning to think that this wasn’t going to be possible as there was no venue’s that really stood out to us or somewhere where our guest’s hadn’t all been before. Then we found Willow and Stone on Instagram and couldn’t believe that it was in Ballarat and we had never heard of it before! It actually happened to be basically backing onto my grandparents house where they have lived for over 50 years!

Long story short after we visited, we couldn’t stop thinking about it and what we could do with the place. It literally blew our minds with how beautiful it was. We were adamant to make our day as personalised as possible and not be your typical “package wedding”. Willow and Stone gave us that, we could do ANYTHING we wanted.

Long story short after we visited, we couldn’t stop thinking about it and what we could do with the place. It literally blew our minds with how beautiful it was. We were adamant to make our day as personalised as possible and not be your typical “package wedding”. Willow and Stone gave us that, we could do ANYTHING we wanted.

Leish the venue owner/manager was there every step of the way and I honestly feel like she made our day what it was, so chilled and every request she made happen (one way or another). Leading up to the big day so many of our guests were excited just to see the venue and were SO happy it was all at the same place! So as soon as they got there they could relax! And for us it was amazing being able to get our photos out the way at the venue, not having to leave the party for too long.

I honestly feel like I could bang on about the venue all day there was not one thing that wasn’t perfect. Willow and Stone is a place that you have to see, and once you do you will stop looking any further! It was the best day of our lives and if we could come back and do it all again we would in a heart beat!!

Thank you so much, Leish and Carlos the property is an absolute credit to you both and we wish you all the success in the future.

Aaron & Amy Finch

From the moment we left our initial walk through of Willow & Stone, we knew we had found our wedding venue.

It was a freezing cold winters’ day and I was sick as a dog with the flu and the owners Leisha & Carlos had pre-warned us that we’re probably visiting at the worst time of the year so we would have to use our imaginations a little. Can I just say that there was no need, the venue was nothing short of breathtaking! If we were seeing it at it’s worst, we were overcome with excitement to see what it may look like during peak wedding season.

I had stumbled across the venue whilst doing a bit of a social media search. We were looking for a wedding venue that hadn’t been showcased to death, something a little different and a location that made sense for a lot of our guests travelling from different parts of Victoria to be there. Willow & Stone was the first and only venue we looked at, everything we wanted and needed was there so we knew our short hunt was over!

The fact that both the ceremony and reception could be held on site and that the day would be a gradual transition from area to area meant that we and our guests could benefit from everything the property had to offer and the space could be showcased in all its beauty. The bridal suite in particular where my bridesmaids and I stayed the night before was like something you’d see in a movie. It was absolutely beautiful with stunning décor to match. It made getting ready there so enjoyable, luxurious and relaxing which is ultimately what you want on your wedding day. They had thought of everything including delicious locally sourced produce in the kitchenette.

The boys also made use of the ‘man cave’ space when they arrived on the day which meant they could have time to themselves before the ceremony, time to have a drink, relax before the emotions ran to a high.

The number of comments we had from guests about the venue, how we came across it, how beautiful and seamless the day ran were countless. Everybody was blown away with the space and couldn’t compliment the choice of venue any higher.

In the months, days and even hours lead up to the wedding we couldn’t have hoped for better owners to have been dealing with. Leisha and Carlos were truly spectacular, so accommodating and flexible with us and generous with their time to help make our day as special as it was. We cannot thank them enough for setting the scene to what was honestly the best day of our lives. Their venue painted the perfect picture and Willow & Stone was everything we had hoped our day would reflect – beautiful, elegant, relaxed and ultimately a big party! It’s no word of of a lie when I say that our wedding day was the best day of our lives and even now, months later when I look at our images from the day there’s a huge smile on my face which Willow & Stone can take so much credit for.

Thank you again Leisha & Carlos, we wish you both immense success in the future for what we believe is the best wedding venue you can find in Victoria, hands down!

Xxx

With love, Aaron & Amy Finch

Danielle & George Coltman

We wanted to say a BIG thank you for all you did to make our wedding the best day of our lives! However thank you doesn’t seem enough for bringing to reality the dreams for our spectacular wedding day. Your commitment to us and your business is immeasurable and your heart and soul is in everything you do. Your support for us to have a relaxed and yet beautiful afternoon wedding was second to none.

Everyone said “You’re a very relaxed bride” and a lot of the credit for that goes to Leisha because I know she wouldn’t have let anything go wrong if she could help it. In life it’s the little things we will remember and I will remember the wonderful things your family did to help us on our special day (especially offering to order us pizza, so we wouldn’t go to bed hungry after a long and spectacular afternoon in your garden). We can not thank you or speak highly enough of you and we look forward to coming back to stay for a weekend escape sometime soon. Oh and did I mention that bed… WOW.

Sending our love and thanks,
Danielle & George.

Kate and Matt

Willow and Stone Estate was everything we could have ever wanted and more in a wedding venue. From the moment I first visited the venue with my mum, I knew I had found the most perfect place imaginable. I must have been excited for I called my fiancé Matt on the spot, for him to say on the phone “Okay, okay… Book it today!” Luckily, he visited a few weeks later and loved it as much as me.

The combination of lush gardens, old-world beautiful buildings, a five-star bridal suite, insanely cool bar and beautiful big marquee renders an immaculately presented venue that is quite simply breathtaking. We stayed within the venue for our photos and they are just incredible. You can have so much flexibility, from the time of your ceremony, to the set-up of the day in cocktail or sit-down, to choosing caterers and furniture that you love. 

There are so many possibilities for where you can hold your ceremony, to your drinks, to the reception – even a barbeque the following day. I was so drawn to the fact that everything was in the same place and our guests from all over Victoria came to stay for the weekend at the hotels next door. On the day, I was so grateful as I calmly got ready with my girls in the incredible bridal suite, and the boys enjoyed a whisky in the man-cave before walking out to the ceremony area. It made for the most relaxed, magical day from start to finish.

The wonderful owners of Willow and Stone – Leisha and Carlos – are two of the nicest, organised, practical, can-do attitude people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Our wedding was cancelled twice due to the COVID pandemic, with the first cancellation only two and a half weeks out from the initial date. Within an hour of government announcements, Leisha was on the phone to me consoling Matt and I and working out a way to make a new plan. They could not have been more helpful, flexible, understanding and delightful to deal with through a process that could have been awful. Instead, I could not speak more highly of their professionalism and their firm belief that they can make the day of our dreams come true.

We have had SO MANY people say to us that it is the best wedding venue they have ever attended. Before the wedding, so many people asked us “why Ballarat?” when we sent our invitations, having had no personal ties to the town before. We simply replied with: “we love the venue!” After the day, everyone knew what we meant. We can say without a shadow of a doubt that picking Willow and Stone was the best decision we made for our wedding. Matt and I will forever have a very special place for Willow and Stone in our hearts.

Kate & Matt

Liana & Nathan Brown

Willow & Stone Estate will forever hold a special place in our hearts after marrying there in December 2015. I was bride with a vision when I first inspected Willow & Stone, and I was blown away by the endless possibilities that the grounds provided. Grand, natural & timeless- Willow & Stone reflected all the things we love about Ballarat & provided the perfect setting for our suppliers to do their thing.

We were drawn to the relaxed & calming feel of the lush green surrounds but it was that amazing bridal suite that really won me over!! On the day during our photos, I loved seeing our guests spread out relaxing on the lawn, taking in the afternoon sun & exploring the gardens. They continue to comment on the awesome vibe your venue has! Our photos are insane & a reflection of the beauty of Willow & Stone Estate. Thank you Leisha, Carlos & the team for your tireless work in ensuring the immaculate presentation of your property for our event.

The day was so much fun & we want to come back to do it all again!

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