Weddings at Old Palm Liquor


your guide to old palm liquor weddings in brunswick east, from a melbourne wedding photographer


If your idea of a great wedding is less ballroom and more really good dinner party, Old Palm Liquor is definitely worth checking out! Set on Lygon Street in Brunswick East, it is a restaurant and wine bar first, which is a big part of the appeal. The rooms already have warmth and character, the food and wine are genuinely important, and the whole place feels comfortable rather than overly polished. An Old Palm Liquor wedding can feel special without ever feeling like you have stepped into a traditional wedding venue.


What I particularly like about it is that the space encourages people to actually spend time together. Long tables, low light, timber, greenery, good music, plenty of wine. It lends itself naturally to the kind of wedding where dinner is a big part of the night, conversations run long, and at some point everything turns into a party.


Ceremony options


1) Hold the whole wedding at Old Palm Liquor

Couples do hold both their ceremony and reception at Old Palm Liquor Brunswick, and for the right size wedding it works really nicely. There is something intimate about getting married inside a restaurant rather than in a traditional ceremony space. Your guests are already close, the room feels warm, and once the ceremony is finished there is no big transition. Drinks appear, conversations start, and the wedding just continues. If you like the idea of your wedding feeling like one long celebration rather than a series of separate formalities, this is probably the way I would do it.


2) Ceremony elsewhere, then Old Palm for the party

The other option is to have a ceremony somewhere nearby and use Old Palm purely for the reception.

I have seen this work really well with registry ceremonies, gardens, private homes and some of Melbourne's inner-city ceremony venues. You get a little change of scenery during the day, then everyone settles into Old Palm for dinner, wine and dancing.


The Full Venue

For a larger Old Palm Liquor wedding, you can hire the entire venue exclusively for either lunch or dinner.

This gives you access to the different personalities of the building rather than asking everyone to stay in one room all night. The front section is darker and more intimate, with the timber bar, warm lighting and that slightly nostalgic Old Palm feel. Further back, the space opens into a much lighter garden room, with high ceilings, greenery and access to the courtyard.


That contrast is one of my favourite things about the venue. The gallery changes naturally as you move through the building, but it all still feels connected.


Public event information has previously listed the full venue at around 150 guests, although I would confirm your exact seated or standing capacity with Old Palm when you enquire, particularly if you want space for a ceremony and dance floor as well.


The Undercover Garden

You do not necessarily need to take over the entire restaurant. Old Palm also offers its Undercover Garden for exclusive events, for both lunch and dinner. It is a lovely option for a smaller wedding where you still want that Old Palm atmosphere but do not need the scale of a full venue buyout.


The garden end of the venue is lighter and greener, with a more open feeling than the front bar. It still has plenty of warmth, though, so it does not feel like you have been moved into a generic function area.

For an intimate wedding or long lunch, I think this space makes a lot of sense.


Food and wine

This is, obviously, one of the main reasons to have a wedding here!


Old Palm's menu changes seasonally and is designed around sharing, which suits a wedding incredibly well. Instead of the traditional alternate-drop function meal, the food arrives at the table and becomes part of the conversation. The cooking has long had a strong wood-fired influence, with the kitchen using a braai-style grill and drawing on South African flavours alongside produce-led dishes.


....and then there is the wine....


Old Palm has always taken its wine list seriously. It is broad, interesting and constantly changing, rather than feeling like the standard function package of one sauvignon blanc, one shiraz and a sparkling.


If food and wine are genuinely high on your list of priorities, this is where the venue really earns its place.


Travelling and logistics

  • Where: 133B Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057
  • Style: inner-north restaurant and wine bar, warm interiors, greenery and a strong dinner-party feel
  • Events: exclusive Full Venue or Undercover Garden hire is available for lunch or dinner, seven days a week
  • Food: seasonal menus with sharing-style options
  • Drinks: extensive, evolving wine list alongside beer and other drinks
  • Transport: Lygon Street is well serviced by trams, with rideshare and taxis also straightforward
  • Accommodation: no accommodation on site, but plenty of options across Brunswick, Carlton, Fitzroy and Melbourne CBD


OLD PALM LIQUOR FAQs

Can you have a wedding at Old Palm Liquor?

  • Yes. Old Palm specifically offers the venue for weddings, with both the Full Venue and Undercover Garden available for exclusive hire.

Can we have both our ceremony and reception at Old Palm Liquor?

  • Yes. Couples have held the entire wedding here, including ceremony, dinner and dancing. Another popular option is to marry elsewhere nearby and use Old Palm for the reception.

How many guests can Old Palm Liquor accommodate?

  • Public event information has listed the full venue at around 150 guests, but the final capacity will depend on whether your wedding is seated or standing, your table layout, and whether you also need ceremony or dance floor space. Confirm current numbers directly with the venue.

Can we hire just part of Old Palm Liquor?

  • Yes. The Undercover Garden can be hired exclusively, which makes it a particularly good option for a smaller wedding or long lunch.

What is an Old Palm Liquor wedding like?

  • I would describe it as more of a very good dinner party than a traditional wedding reception. Long tables, excellent food and wine, warm interiors and everyone close together. If that is the feeling you want from the day, the venue suits it beautifully.

Where should we take Old Palm Liquor wedding photos?

  • I would use the venue interiors first, then spend 10 to 15 minutes around Lygon Street and the surrounding Brunswick East laneways. You do not need to go far to create plenty of variety.


Planning an Old Palm Liquor wedding?

If you want a wedding that puts food, wine and your favourite people ahead of traditional wedding formalities, Old Palm Liquor is a beautiful option. If you have any questions feel free to get in touch!