Wedding venue collapse leaves 48 couples scrambling to salvage big day

A beloved Tasmanian wedding venue has closed permanently, leaving 48 couples racing to reorganize their celebrations after the estate went into liquidation due to council permit violations.

Closure and notification

Hidden Garden Estate in Berriedale informed its clients by email on Friday, November 7, that the Glenorchy City Council had ruled the venue was operating in breach of its home business permit. The council’s decision came late the previous Thursday.

Initial options for couples

The email, titled “Sad,” offered three choices for affected couples:

Proceed with weddings under strict new permit terms,
Postpone events to a later date,
Cancel bookings for a full refund.

New permit restrictions

The new conditions were described as extremely restrictive. Only one owner, Diane Burrows, could conduct ceremonies, guest numbers were limited to 60, and no more than two vendors were allowed on-site.

“DJ, photo booth, live music, wedding planners, event hire suppliers and similar services are all classified as vendors,” the notice stated.

Couples had until the end of business on Monday, November 10, to decide how they wished to continue. By that afternoon, the owners confirmed the estate would shut down permanently and begin liquidation proceedings.

Owners’ response

“The authority initiating stringent terms that effectively caused couples to vote for refunds has forced us to close the business,” owners Shan Strus and Diane Burrows said in a statement.

They added that they requested leniency from the council but that their appeal was denied.

Author’s summary

The Hidden Garden Estate in Tasmania closed after losing its permit, leaving nearly 50 couples scrambling to find new venues just weeks before their planned weddings.

Pulse Tasmania — 2025-11-10