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Outdoor weddings and celebrations - permits and bookings

Outdoor weddings and celebrations - permits and bookings

If you are organising a private celebration, gathering, party, wedding or wedding photography in any of the City of Port Phillip’s public open spaces you may need a permit. Permits ensure safety and amenity in public spaces and assist in the sustainable management of our parks and foreshore.

Get an event permit

To get a permit and quote for the permit fees, you will need to make a booking.

As part of the booking process, you need to:

Read the following documents:
Weddings and Celebrations Guidelines (121 KB)
Weddings and Celebrations Fees (PDF 119 KB)
Please be sure to read the frequently asked questions section below for more information.
Log into our booking portal to check location availability and request your date.
Applications are reviewed by an Events Manager, who will contact you within 5 business days.
An invoice for the permit and public liability insurance will be sent to you via email.
Once payment has been made, an event permit will be sent by email.

A card payment fee applies.

The following help cards can help you make your booking:

Click here to apply for your event permit

Do I need a permit?

You will need an event permit if:

there are 20 or more people at your event
the event involves structures such as a 3x3m marquee
the event involves a legal ceremony such as a wedding
wedding photography and or videography only.

Amplified music played in public open space requires a permit. Personal music devices such as a phone connected to a single, low powered speaker is allowed.

All amplified music must comply with Local Law - Clause 52, A person must not behave on Council land in a manner which causes interference with the quiet enjoyment by any other.

Street parties

We understand neighbours’ desire to gather together and celebrate collectively with a street party. This neighbourhood spirit and connection was one of the unexpected benefits of the pandemic period and we fully support it continuing. Street parties require a permit that includes supporting documentation. We do not organise the event, arrange the road closure or supply any equipment.

A street party requires:

a traffic management plan
a public notice advising of the street closure
public liability insurance
proof of support – 80% resident consent required from closed street (name, address and signature required)
temporary safety barriers around the road closure.

Port Phillip already hosts up to 600 events per year. We need to be mindful of the considerable impact to residents of the road closures many of these events require. If you'd like to hold a party or gathering for your local neighbourhood – and this can’t be accommodated in somebody’s garden, please consider choosing one of our many parks and open spaces. Also, take a look at the community event planning checklist for information on planning your event.

The information below is for private events including birthday parties, celebrations, weddings and wedding photography. For corporate, commercial events, promotions and any event with more than 200 attendees see Outdoor Events and Activities for relevant permitting information.

If you are planning a public assembly, demonstration, protest or rally, we would like to hear from you.

Alcohol bans

Our Local Law is in effect regarding alcohol on the beach and in foreshore reserves in St Kilda. For full details, visit alcohol bans.

If you are planning on having alcohol at your event or wedding, a liquor licence may be required. This can be obtained from the Liquor Control Victoria, or if you have a caterer supplying the alcohol, they would need to provide their liquor licence. Please note eight weeks may be required for the processing of a liquor licence, check these time frames with the VCGLR.

No liquor licence is required if you are providing your own alcohol to guests, free of charge.

Popular locations for weddings and celebrations

Please refer to these maps in your application to indicate the area of the open space you would like to use.

Location map	Layout map
Alma Park East	Alma Park permitted areas, East (PDF 2.8 MB)
Alma Park West	Alma Park permitted areas, West (PDF 0.7 MB)
Elwood Beach	Elwood Beach permitted areas (PDF 0.5 MB)
Middle Park Beach	Middle Park Beach permitted areas (PDF 0.7 MB)
Point Ormond	Point Ormond permitted areas (PDF 0.78 MB)
Port Melbourne Beach	Port Melbourne Beach permitted areas (PDF 0.77 MB)
St Kilda Beach	St Kilda Beach permitted areas (PDF 0.7 MB)
St Kilda Botanical Gardens	St Kilda Botanical Gardens permitted areas (PDF 0.3 MB)
St Vincent Gardens	St Vincent Gardens permitted areas (PDF 0.3 MB)

Celebrations or weddings on piers

Contact the relevant organisations below, who manage the piers along the foreshore, for permission to use the following:

Princes Pier, contact The Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions
Station Pier, contact Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne)

For all weddings on other piers and at Albert Park Lake and Reserve, please contact Parks Victoria.

Rotunda covered in pink rose vines in the rose garden at the St Kilda Botanical Gardens

St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Rose Garden Rotunda

Frequently asked questions

A permit allows the event organiser to hold an event in the open space as shown on the permit, but does not give exclusive rights to the area.
Members of the public have the right to use the parks, gardens or foreshore while the event is in progress.
Events being held on the sand at the beach are permitted to rope off a small area for the duration of the event.
The City of Port Phillip does not rope off the permitted area or provide any signage.
A list of all open spaces within the municipality can be found on Parks and Playground locations.
From 01 November – 31 March each year, the St Kilda Foreshore experiences an increase in visitor numbers and is extremely busy with events and activities.
During the peak event season, minor event bookings may not be accepted in high use areas of the St Kilda foreshore. We can advise of other locations for minor event bookings within City of Port Phillip that are also located along the foreshore.
- Point Ormond Reserve
- Elwood Beach
- Port Melbourne Beach
- Middle Park Beach
All major events and road closures are listed on our Major Events Calendar.
The City of Port Phillip cannot guarantee that equipment, marquees or road closures will not be present in the surrounding area on the event day.
Road closures occur on Beaconsfield Parade during the peak months from October to March.
As part of the event permit, event organisers are permitted to set-up the following equipment:
- a maximum of 10 trestle tables
- a maximum of 100 chairs
- temporary structures 3x3 meters or smaller, can be used without additional charge. Marquees can not be pegged into the ground.
Structures that are larger than 3m x 3m must be approved in advance by the Events Services Team and may need to be installed by a professional hirer. Additional permit fees may apply for structures larger 3x3 meters.
Jumping castles are not permitted for such events.
The City of Port Phillip does not supply any equipment or staff. Your permit duration includes any time required to set-up and pack-down equipment.
At Port Phillip we have alcohol bans on beaches and in foreshore reserves in St Kilda.
These laws include:
- Consumption of alcohol is prohibited in all open spaces and foreshore reserves between the times of 8 pm to 12 midday every day throughout the year. Additional restrictions apply over the Christmas and New Year period.
- Consumption of BYO alcohol is only permitted in a limited capacity during other times.
- No glassware is permitted in any City of Port Phillip open spaces or foreshore reserves. Drinks must only be served in recyclable cups.
The floral displays in the Alastair Clark Rose Garden are optimal in the spring (September-November).
However, the City of Port Phillip cannot guarantee continual or constant flower displays in any parks or gardens, and in particular the Rose Garden due to seasonal variables and the management of annual displays.
The below indicates the usual planting schedule:
- March to September
  Annual displays may be starting to fade
- April and October
  Annual displays are removed
- May and November
  Annual seedlings with small flowers are pruned to promote foliage growth
- June and July
  Roses undergo winter pruning
All events must have public liability insurance with a minimum of $20,000,000 coverage.
Event organisers can:
- provide a copy of their own insurance policy along with the application form
- purchase cover through City of Port Phillip by completing the required form and paying the premium.
If equipment is hired for the event, a copy of the hire company’s Certificate of Currency for Public Liability Insurance needs to be sent to us.

Contact Event Services

Email: minorevents@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Post: Event Services, City of Port Phillip, Private Bag 3 St Kilda, Victoria, Australia 3182

If you are unable to access the web portal, please complete a Weddings and Celebrations Application form (PDF 177 KB) and the Community Liability Insurance application form (PDF 55 KB)

Outdoor weddings and celebrations - permits and bookings

Get an event permit

Do I need a permit?

Street parties

Alcohol bans

Popular locations for weddings and celebrations

Celebrations or weddings on piers

Frequently asked questions

Do I have exclusive rights to the open space when I have a permit?

How far in advance can I apply for a weddings and celebrations permit?

Where can I hold my event?

Can I bring chairs, tables or a marquee?

Can I serve alcohol?

Which open spaces have BBQs or can I bring my own?

When do the flowers bloom in the Rose Garden at the St Kilda Botanical Gardens?

Do I require a permit for wedding photography?

Do I need Public Liability Insurance?

Contact Event Services

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