2 weddings, 1 national icon, and lessons to be prepared
Last month, I had not one, but two weddings at the Sydney Opera House. One was in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, and the other in the Yallamundi Rooms. Both stunning, both unforgettable. And while they were pinch-me moments, they were also a reminder that venues like the Sydney Opera House run differently - and your prep accordingly.
These shiny, impressive, national landmark locations also come with layers of logistics, security, and timings that you don’t experience at smaller venues. The good news? Once you know what to expect, you’ll feel completely confident walking into any big-name space. Here’s what I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way!) about preparing for weddings and events at major venues.
Arrive earlier than you think you need to. Like, extra extra early.
At regular venues, you might aim for 30 minutes early. At places like the Opera House? Double it, at least.
Iconic venues are beautiful, but they’re also super busy and full of moving parts. Expect longer walking distances, multiple entrances and delays waiting for staff assistance (trust me, it happens).
At high-security venues like the Sydney Opera House, you can’t just stroll in and find your space (believe it or not - haha). But depending on the event, you may also need to; sign in with reception and/or be escorted through restricted areas to get to the event space.
And before you even get that far… it’s best to mentally prepare for the limited onsite parking, paid car parks, long ramps and corridors to the event space. I’ve learned to check the venue’s parking situation before leaving home, not when I’m doing laps of the car park in mild panic (learnt that one the hard way!!).
All of this can add 10 - 25 minutes to your arrival time. Longer if staff are juggling multiple events. Make it easier on yourself and allow the extra time (future you, that’s at the event and not in a panic, will thank you for it!)
Pre-Event Requirements
Many major venues now require online inductions to be completed ahead of time rather than at the venue. If you haven’t had to do a site induction yet - they often cover safety, access restrictions, emergency procedures, and bump-in rules. Some take 5 minutes. Some take 25. Either way - you can’t skip them.
The last non-negotiable is public liability insurance. For most large venues, and many smaller ones, all contractors, creatives, and suppliers are required to hold current PLI (usually $10-20 million cover). It protects both you and the venue in case something goes wrong - think equipment being damaged, a guest tripping over your cables, or an unexpected accident during bump-in. Make sure you have an updated copy of your PLI ready to send!
Hot Tip: Create a little “Venue Pack” folder in your Google Drive with your PLI certificate, business details, and any other commonly requested documents. That way, when a venue asks, you can send everything through in one neat, organised email - and look like the absolute pro you are!
