Choosing your Melbourne ceremony

Registry Weddings, or the Victorian Marriage Registry?

Both give you a legally recognised marriage. Only one gives you a private chapel, seven-day availability, and a person who answers the phone when you call. Here's an honest side-by-side to help you decide.

Registry Weddings

The Ivory Room

A private chapel opposite Albert Park Lake

  • Legals-only ceremony from$295
  • Availability7 days a week
  • Book onlineInstantly, any hour
  • Speak to a person7 days a week
  • Guest capacityUp to 40
  • Ceremony length15, 30 or 60 min
  • Google rating4.9 ★ (3,000+ couples)
Victorian Marriage Registry

Old Treasury Building

Government registry at 20 Spring Street

  • Legal-only ceremony from$400
  • AvailabilityWeekdays & Saturdays
  • Book onlineVia Service Victoria account
  • Speak to a personBusiness hours (email first)
  • Guest capacityUp to 55 (larger room)
  • Ceremony length30 minutes allocated
  • Typical wait3+ months in peak season

The honest side-by-side

Same legal outcome. Very different day.

What matters to you
Registry Weddings
Victorian Marriage Registry
Cost of a simple legals-only ceremony
From $295 Mon–Thu · No admin fee, no NOIM fee, no separate celebrant fee
$400 Mon–Thu (weekday only) · Includes a $195.10 non-refundable administrative fee
Weekend ceremonies
All packages available Saturday & Sunday
Classic package on weekends only; legal-only unavailable
Answering your questions
Speak to a real person 7 days a week · Phone (03) 85 921 921
Email enquiry first, government business hours
How far ahead you need to book
Often same-week availability · Fast-tracked ceremonies possible if you qualify
Recommended 3 months ahead in peak season
How your ceremony feels
Private chapel with lake views, natural light, silk bouquets included, unhurried
Heritage ceremony room, 30-minute time slot allocated per ceremony
Personalising the ceremony
Your story, your vows, your music. Included in the 60-minute package
Classic script with limited personalisation (within legal & time limits)
Booking process
Live online calendar · No payment required to secure a date · $150 booking fee within 7 days
Service Victoria account required · Payment upfront · Reschedule fees from $70.40
Evening ceremonies
Weddings starting as late as 6pm
Standard registry hours only
Cancellation of admin fee
No separate non-refundable admin fee
$195.10 administrative fee is non-refundable in all circumstances

Four things you'll actually feel on the day

Beyond the price list, this is what makes the difference.

01 — Time

A ceremony that isn't on a stopwatch

At the government registry, 30 minutes covers your arrival, ceremony and departure so the next couple can come in. Our packages give you the room to yourselves — 15, 30 or a full 60 minutes — so nobody feels rushed, including you.

02 — Voice

Someone on the phone, seven days

Planning a wedding raises questions at odd hours. Ring us on a Sunday evening and we'll pick up. You'll deal with the same small team from your first enquiry to the moment you sign the register.

03 — Story

A ceremony that sounds like you

Our Personalised package weaves in how you met, what you love about each other, your own vows, your choice of music. It's still a legal ceremony — it just doesn't feel like a form being read aloud.

04 — Space

A room built for weddings, not paperwork

The Ivory Room looks over Albert Park Lake, with natural light and a flower wall you're welcome to borrow bouquets from. It's calm, it's photographable, and it's yours for your booking window.

Straight pricing, no surprises

Every fee, laid out. Compare what you pay for the same legal result.

Registry Weddings

The Ivory Room · Albert Park

Legals only · up to 6 guests
From $295
Mon–Thu · $395 Fri · $595 weekend
Intimate ceremony · up to 16 guests
From $495
Mon–Thu · $595 Fri · $695 weekend
Personalised ceremony · up to 40 guests
From $695
Mon–Thu · $795 Fri · $895 weekend
All-inclusive: registered celebrant, all legal work, lodgement of NOIM, the ceremony space, silk bouquets on the flower wall, and the $150 booking fee. No admin fee. No hidden extras.

Victorian Marriage Registry

Old Treasury Building · 20 Spring Street

Legal-only package · weekday only
$400
Mon–Fri only · not available on weekends
Classic ceremony · Mon–Fri
$500
30-minute slot in a heritage ceremony room
Classic ceremony · Sat & Sun
$600
30-minute slot in a heritage ceremony room
All ceremony fees include a $195.10 non-refundable administrative fee. Rescheduling costs from $70.40. Cancellations less than 45 days out are non-refundable.
★★★★★
"David made planning our wedding an incredibly smooth and easy process. He took care of everything — all we had to do was turn up. The ceremony was beautiful and genuine. We all laughed and cried. We left feeling on top of the world."
— B & A · From 3,000+ couples we've married

Ready to see what your wedding could look like?

Check dates in our live calendar, ask us anything by phone, or book a time to come and see The Ivory Room.

Check available dates Call (03) 85 921 921

Comparison based on publicly listed fees and information from the Victorian Marriage Registry (bdm.vic.gov.au) at time of writing. Registry Weddings is a private wedding ceremony service and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria. All ceremonies at both venues are conducted by Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants and are equally legally recognised. Government fees are updated periodically; please confirm the current fees on the BDM website before comparing.

The Ivory Room vs The Government Registry Office.