Kevington Hotel

The Kevington Hotel, known as the Kevi, sits at 4695 Mansfield-Woods Point Road in Kevington, on the Goulburn River in Victoria's high country, about two and a half hours' drive from Melbourne. John and Mary Garrett opened it as Garrett's Beerhouse in 1862 to serve the gold-rush miners; it was later the Poplar Hotel and then the Kevington. It was closed for more than two and a half years because of bushfires and lockdowns, until the Cashmore family bought it in 2022 and reopened it as an exclusive-hire venue.

That is the point of a wedding here: the whole place is yours for up to three days and two nights, with your guests sleeping in the rooms, the caravans and the camp sites, a ceremony on the lawn by the river and a party under the poplars that doesn't have to end at a set time. This guide follows the day in order, the way Jay and Sofia photographed Lana and Todd's wedding here in March 2026, a wedding first called off because of bushfires and held at last on a new date.

Getting ready at the hotel

Couples get ready on site, in the hotel rooms or the retro caravans, and the venue can recommend local hair and makeup artists.

At Lana and Todd's wedding the women got ready in a room with chandeliers, red wall lamps and red patterned carpet, at a long table set with mirrors, a big gilt one among them, with bentwood chairs for the hair and makeup. The men took over the old pub: a long bar with white panelling, walls covered in photographs and memorabilia, a stone fireplace with a Carlton Ale mirror above it, chalkboard menus and a pool table. Their shirts, a grey jacket and Todd's black wide-brimmed hat hung on a rack by the fireplace. The pub is dim and full of character, so we photographed much of the men's morning in black and white, and the two sides were only a few steps apart.

Ceremony by the river

The hotel offers ceremonies by the river, on the lawns or indoors in the historic building. It doesn't publish a ceremony capacity, so confirm your numbers with them.

Lana and Todd married on the lawn by the river, under tall trees, with white wire chairs, a white runner and white rugs laid on the grass and a small round table to one side. Before the ceremony the guests waited on benches in the dappled shade, with the timber pavilion behind them, and Todd and his groomsmen waited on the grass beside the river. The bridesmaids and the flower girls walked through the trees, Lana came down the aisle on her dad's arm, and the vows were read into a microphone. They signed at a round table beside the pavilion and walked back through their guests in confetti and bubbles. It was a hot, clear afternoon, and the trees kept the whole ceremony in deep shade.

Portraits around the hotel

The hotel names the river, the poplars, the mountains and the night sky among its photo spots, along with its Kombis, its retro vans and a historic church (ask where the church is). Our route on Lana and Todd's day:

• The hotel front. KEVINGTON HOTEL painted in white on the red iron roof, with the welcome chalkboard by the door. It is the place for one big photograph of every guest, and for the bridal party; Lana and Todd's had a round of shots right there.
• The Kevington Hilton veranda. A timber veranda with a hand-painted Kevington Hilton sign and a bench, made for a line of groomsmen.
• The paved forecourt beside the hotel. Room for big family groups, with tall trees behind.
• The trees and the timber fence. Right beside the hotel, with the sun coming low through the branches in the late afternoon.
• The river and the poplars. Behind the ceremony lawn, and lovely with festoon lights after dark.

Lana and Todd's family photographs took ten minutes, the bridal party another ten and their couple portraits only a few minutes. If you want more, plan half an hour in the trees before the reception; in mid-March the sun sets around half past seven.

Reception under the pavilion and the poplars

The hotel is hired exclusively, and it says the hire comes without closing time curfews. Catering is up to you: bring your own food, use the venue or use a recommended caterer, with picnics, barbecues, spit roasts, wood-fired pizzas, canapés or a seated dinner. There is a historic bar where you can be your own publican and an outdoor bar by the river, and a purpose-built riverside stage stands among tall poplars.

Lana and Todd's guests walked in through a covered timber walkway. Long timber tables were set on a covered deck among the trees and under a timber pavilion, with white tapers in brass holders, amber bottles and dried flowers, and the bridal table was a small round one with a lace doily and blue bentwood chairs. A mobile tattoo artist worked in a tin-walled corner under a ring light, the beer sat on ice in bathtubs, and the lawn under the poplars had a fire pit for later. The speeches and dinner were under the pavilion, and the first dance and the dancing were on the floor in front of the stage, under its Sound Centre and Riverside Bar signs and strings of festoon lights.

A day at the Kevington Hotel, hour by hour

This is how Lana and Todd's day ran, with our two cameras' clocks lined up:

• 2.15pm We arrive: the hotel being set up, and the camp ground already full of tents and caravans.
• 2.40pm Hair and makeup in the chandelier room; the men dress in the pub, with a game of pool.
• 3.20pm Drinks in the pub, then the groomsmen out the front and on the Kevington Hilton bench.
• 4pm Guests take their seats by the river.
• 4.05pm The processional, with the vows at 4.20 and the first kiss at 4.24.
• 4.25pm Signing beside the pavilion, then the walk out through confetti.
• 4.40pm Everyone out the front of the hotel, then the family photographs and the bridal party.
• 5.05pm A few minutes of couple portraits in the trees.
• 5.10pm Into the reception through the timber walkway, and live tattoos until about 5.30.
• 6pm Drinks on the lawn and at the pavilion.
• 6.40pm Speeches under the pavilion.
• 7.40pm Dinner.
• 9pm The cake, then the first dance in front of the stage.
• 9.10pm Dancing under the festoons and around the fire pit, still going when we left after 10.30.

If it rains

The hotel has all-weather indoor and outdoor spaces, and the ceremony can move inside the historic building. The timber pavilion and the covered deck keep dinner and the speeches dry, and the old pub and the chandelier room make good portrait spots out of the rain. Lana and Todd had a hot, clear afternoon and a cool night: by nine Lana was in a faux fur coat and guests had pulled on jackets round the fire pit, so tell your guests to pack something warm, even in March. For a summer date, also talk to the hotel about its bushfire plan; Lana and Todd's first date was called off because of bushfires.

Practical notes

• The address is 4695 Mansfield-Woods Point Road, Kevington VIC 3723, about two and a half hours' drive from Melbourne. Jamieson is the nearest town.
• Up to 50 people can stay on site: eight hotel rooms sleeping 23 and six caravans sleeping 12, all with linen and shared bathrooms, and about 15 camp sites for up to 30 people who bring their own linen. With the riverside properties nearby, about 100 can stay.
• Campers use fire pits only, with no fires on Total Fire Ban days, keep dogs on leads and take their rubbish home.
• The hotel says there are no closing time curfews.
• The hotel doesn't publish details on parking, road conditions, mobile reception or accessibility, so ask about all four, especially for older guests.
• Lana and Todd's guests threw confetti at the recessional. The hotel doesn't publish rules on confetti, so ask before you buy it.