The destination wedding has taken a turn for the affordable as loved-up couples opt to host more casual big day celebrations closer to home.
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Perhaps it was the price point, the no-fuss setting or the memories it holds, but Canberra couple Jenny and Adrian Kovacs were charmed by a caravan park on the south coast.
The couple had about 100 people from across the country attend their wedding in March. After they searched high and low for a venue on the south coast, they settled on Murramarang Resort, about a two-hour drive from Canberra.
They were married on a grassy headland overlooking the beach, and had photos on the sand while guests drank cocktails around the holiday park pool.
The meal was served in the park's restaurant, and after the fanfare the couple settled into a spa cabin on the beachfront for their first night as husband and wife.
While the original plan was to get married overseas, to make the event more inclusive and particularly because their grandparents couldn't travel, they settled on the south coast.
"You can't get a location like this in Canberra," Mrs Kovacs said.
Mr Kovacs said his family had stayed at the park a few times when he was younger. With everything all in the one place it made the day - or week, as the couple had it - a lot more easygoing.
"I knew the park had the nature reserve and it was just a really nice spot," Mr Kovacs said.
"I wouldn't say it's your standard typical park. It's set in a nature reserve right on the beach."
The setting was just one of the selling points for the couple.
Mrs Kovacs said the logistics were easier with everyone all in the one place.
"We had people coming from interstate, and having everyone stay in the one location, having the ceremony, reception and accommodation all in the one spot meant everyone could come own a few days earlier and meet each other. By the wedding day, everybody had mingled and had drinks together, it was a lot more relaxed," she said.
According to Australian Tourist Park Management general manager of marketing Deborah Holland, Murramarang Resort has seen the greatest increase in weddings in 2016 out of more than 30 parks ATPM manage across Australia.
