Located in the heart of St Kilda, The Deck at The Prince Hotel, has played host to some of Melbourne’s most elegant weddings and spectacular events. Eternally chic, The Deck’s contemporary style and exceptional food make it a popular choice for wedding planners year in, year out.
On this month’s Venues We Love, we were thrilled to speak to Sarah Bolitho, Sales Manager at The Deck, to find out why The Deck continues to be one of Melbourne’s most sought-after spaces for beautiful weddings and to get up to speed on some very exciting times ahead for this iconic venue.
Why are weddings at The Deck always so special?
The Deck is such a unique, yet iconically Melbourne venue. With panoramic views of both Port Phillip Bay and the city skyline, it’s a destination that feels like Melbourne, yet, as the sun sets over the bay also feels removed.
With both the inside function space and the large outdoor deck area, the property is also well suited to Melbourne weather which, at times, can be unpredictable (always great to have a wet weather option!). The Prince Hotel facility also encompasses a 38 room boutique hotel which makes it easy to accommodate guests travelling from abroad, and also gives the bride her own space for between-photo touch ups!
What are your team’s favourite wedding style predictions for the season?
Love in every way is exciting and we are really looking forward to helping all couples celebrate their love in 2018 and beyond.
Being able to mingle and speak to all your wedding guests is always important to our Brides, however can also be challenging. Our clients love incorporating roving entrées and desserts to maximise their time talking to friends and family, not to mention allowing for more time outside on the rooftop and on the dance-floor!
We continue to see a trend towards feasting style mains, which are a great way to offer variety and encourage interaction between guests.
We also love creating signature cocktails with our clients – if they have sipped something special somewhere in the world we can recreate for their wedding (our beverage manager loves a challenge!).
What’s new at The Deck?
We have some very big changes happening at The Prince Hotel in 2018. The entire property including The Deck and all food and beverage outlets, will see a renovation and rebranding this year. We are working with the extremely talented Iva Foscia on the redesign, which will commence with the renovation our restaurant space (Circa) from May. The Deck will follow in June/July – we can’t wait to give the space an amazing face lift.
In late 2017, we completed a full refurbishment on The Prince Hotel accommodation rooms. The interior design approach was focused on preserving the hotels original art deco architecture, offering a softer palette of alternating textures and hues, suggestive of Miami beaches and candy coloured ice-creams.
What are your team’s top tips for making a wedding really memorable?
Make it personal – showcase things that represent you both eg: cocktails, signage, fave dishes.
Don’t over complicate things – keep it simple and don’t lose sight of what’s important to you.
Enjoy the process – it should be fun the whole way!.
Feature image credit: Badlands + Co