Rustic wedding venues is one of my most requested email topics so I’m delighted to be joined today by the wedding coordinator of Sydney Polo Club Tiffany Capeski! Sydney Polo Club  is located a mere 50 minutes from Sydney and has so many spaces for weddings including barns (both a new and an old!) the grandstand, the stables and even the lawns!

Tell me a little about yourself – what is your background?

I have always had a flair for organising and design, so when you put these two together you have yourself a great events planner. If you add to the equation that I have also been married it helps qualify me as a superlative wedding planner. I have been involved in planning functions for many years from Corporate events to private low key parties. I studied Event management and have incorporated this skill to follow my passion of wedding planning. At the end of the day, I know what brides go through planning their wedding as I planned my own so I can

How did the Sydney Polo Club and your involvement in it come about?

My sister Rebecca Higgins is the owner of the Sydney Polo Club and together we have evolved this enterprise.  We make a really dynamic duo. Bec is a designer by trade and I am an events coordinator. So we decided that it would make sense to combine forces to enable people to have the perfect wedding, like the ones we used to dream of as little girls.

Where is the Sydney Polo Club?

The Sydney Polo Club is located on the banks of the beautiful Hawkesbury River in Richmond, NSW. Just an hour from the Sydney CBD it’s close enough to be convenient but far away enough to feel like a destination wedding.

You have many different areas on the grounds suitable for weddings. Please describe a couple to give us an idea of what you offer.

We have quite a few different locations to suit a range of budgets and wedding sizes. Two of our inside facilities are barns

With a capacity of 130 people the Polo Barn is located near the Garden Pavilion and is surrounded by manicured lawns and gardens. The more modern one of the two barns, it boasts a décor unrivaled, of chesterfield chairs and cobblestone floors. Located near the Stables this location is elegant to say the least.

The Sunnybrook Barn is a rustic barn that has been restored to its original glory, steeped in history with an appearance of country charm. This barn with a capacity of 120, was recently pictured in the Donna Hay magazine.

We also allow our clients to choose other locations around the property more unique to their style, ranging from a ceremony under the oak tree to a cookout in the paddock or a wedding ceremony in the stables. Our venue is very flexible and we are very creative.

 

Are there any restrictions on their use?

We try to be as accommodating as possible on such a special day; we do however have restrictions in place to ensure the property remains as beautiful for other couples. These restrictions are relatively routine and apply mostly to grounds preservation and safety. We are strict on driving speed, the Polo Club is a working farm and there is livestock around.

Do you offer the whole package from cake and food to décor?

We are very accommodating to make this the perfect day. We have a caterer, which is included in the price of the package and will happily arrange other aspects of your big day! We can arrange only the food or absolutely everything.

Do you have on-site chefs who can cater to any size wedding?

All our function packages include the catering. It is part of the approach of the caterer to tailor the catering packages to suit each wedding’s individual needs and budget. They will happily accommodate any size wedding. The sky is the limit.

If a bride booked one of your packages but wanted to use a particular vendor for her cake or décor for example, could she negotiate that with you?

Included in the price is caterer and associated venue costs. We do insist that the couple use these resources, however they are welcome to outsource all other aspects of the wedding.

Can a couple hire just one of the buildings on your property and bring in their own catering/décor etc?

We have a fantastic relationship with our caterer who knows his way around our kitchen like the back of his hand. A condition of using the Sydney Polo Venue is our caterer is involved in the menu. We are more than happy to welcome the bride to decorate her perfect wedding anyway she wishes.

Do you have an in-house wedding planner who can assist?

Absolutely. Our Wedding designer is on hand from the initial contact through out the entire design process. As part of the package cost you have your own personal wedding coordinator available the entire day of the wedding to ensure your perfect day runs as smoothly as it can. They will be available to answer any questions and to ensure the schedule of events is kept to. This allows the bride and groom to sit back and enjoy their perfect day.

Is there accommodation for guests at the Polo Club?

Not at this stage, however there are a number of beautiful places in the Hawkesbury to stay. We are more than happy to point you in the right direction.

What is unique about the Polo Club as a wedding venue?

There are a plethora of unique points about our venue. Not only does it have unique buildings and rustic appeal it is a working farm so it includes livestock running in the paddocks, with the Blue Mountains behind them. Over the space of 500 acres there are more than 11,000 magnificent trees creating a range of scenery to choose from for your wedding photos. The location is fantastic, less than an hour from Sydney however you feel like you are on a country escape.

At the end of the day it is important to us that not every wedding looks the same, because not every couple is the same. We allow you to choose your own location, decorate it the way you want and add the personal touches that make you the couple you are.

What do you love about having weddings at the Sydney Polo Club?

There is so much love that has gone into creating this property and I really enjoy seeing people express their love for each other in this pure environment. Every detail of the property has been hand picked and designed by the owners themselves, much like a wedding. The sport of polo and an appreciation for the rural lifestyle has been the driving force behind the creation of the property.

When a property is built around a love, it is the perfect location to convey the love you feel about someone else.

A big thank you to Tiffany for joining us today! To find out more about the venue, visit the Sydney Polo Club website!

All images courtesy of  Nuance Photography

January 2013

Dear Dotties
Please take note that Tiffany no longer works for Sydney Polo Club.
This is a whole new year, with a fresh slate and the owner Rebecca has taken back the reins. She is happy to work with you to create an amazing wedding, that will make the most of this unique venue. Please contact Rebecca for more details.