Garden or farm wedding venue on your own land

Engaged couples and their families, usually booking 12 to 18 months ahead. Some venues also hire to corporate groups and private parties.

A venue hire fee per event, often with a weekend premium. You can add extras such as accommodation, furniture hire, an in-house coordinator or preferred-supplier fees.

• Customer service and patience with stressed couples
• Organising and project management
• Basic marketing and photography of your venue
• Handy with property maintenance

• Council planning or development approval, and zoning rules for events on rural land
• Noise limits, neighbour complaints and curfews, which can limit your event hours
• Alcohol: check your state's liquor licensing rules, or whether caterers hold the licence
• Public liability insurance and event cancellation cover
• Fire safety, crowd capacity, toilet and access requirements, and bushfire or flood risk
• Bookings are seasonal and weather-dependent, so plan for quiet months

Startup costs are typically around $20,000 to $100,000, depending on your property, the marquee or barn setup, toilets, parking and access. These are estimates, so get quotes for your own site before committing.

Monthly revenue is typically around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on how many events you host, your pricing and the season. Bookings are seasonal and weather-dependent, so plan for quiet months.

Check council planning or development approval and zoning rules for events on rural land. Also check noise limits and curfews, your state's liquor licensing rules, public liability and event cancellation insurance, and fire safety, capacity, access, and bushfire or flood risk.