Hawkesbury Country Retreat - Cornwallis, New South Wales

Rebecca Murray

We recently celebrated our wedding at Hawkesbury Country Retreat, and it was truly magical—everything we could have expected and more. From our first visit, we were captivated by how stunning the property is. The venue provided a truly breathtaking backdrop for our special day. Our wedding was a month ago and our guests are still commenting on how beautiful the space is.

What truly set our experience apart was the feeling of being part of the HCR family. Anna, the owner, and her team made us feel incredibly welcomed and cared for throughout the entire planning process. Every time we visited the venue, it was like visiting a second home. Working with Anna was an absolute dream; she was incredibly attentive and responsive, always going above and beyond to ensure everything went smoothly. Despite facing a few hiccups along the way with some of our other vendors, Anna was our rock. She handled every challenge with grace and efficiency, allowing us to enjoy our day without worrying about any issues. Anna truly bought our dream wedding to life, and I cannot put into words how grateful we are.

If you are looking for a venue that truly listens to what you want and offers a stunning setting for your celebration, Hawkesbury Country Retreat is the perfect choice. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience, and we’re so grateful to Anna and her team for making our wedding day unforgettable!

Andrew Holland

Went to a friend's wedding and stayed the previous night where were ~80 total guests.

The venue was well set up, and serene.

There was construction across the river, but it couldn't be seen unless you went to the back of the property.

The tables were a little too tight together in one of the rooms for the quantity of people, but that didn't affect the quality of service.

The staff were kind and accommodating. I'm assuming they were employees of the venue. They also displayed excellent adherence to RSA policy.

The atmosphere was great. They had two fireplaces, one inside, one out, as well as an aviary, which livened up the ceremony!

I stayed in the residence the previous night, and it was well set up and the bed I was in was comfortable, though it smelt vaguely of animal, I was aware of this before I stayed there.

I can't comment on the price, as it was paid by the bride and groom, but I would definitely consider this if I were looking to host a function.

Edit: After observing the content of other people's reviews, I can see that we all have different standards and expectations.

If my wedding was here and went as well as I observed, then I wouldn't change anything.

Amanda King

Hawkesbury County Retreat is an absolutely beautiful venue. We were so amazed at how beautiful it was. The staff have done so much work to the property since the recent floods. They have put their heart and soul into bringing this property back to the beautiful property that it is. The staff are amazing and make you feel like part of the family. It was perfect for us as we could customise it to our taste. Anna and her staff have an endless amount of props and accessories for you to choose from. The grounds are amazing and there are so many choices for photo shoots. Anna and her staff made sure that our day was perfect and it was more than we expected. It is definitely worth checking it out we would love to have another event there. It is such a beautiful place and you can see the love that they have in every part of their property.

Tika Yeend

We initially booked the Hawkesbury Country Retreat back in 2019, and have been through a few postponements due to COVID and the NSW floods. Anna and Andrew have been with us every step of the way, and have been nothing short of amazing. Over the past few years, I have seen their venue grow into an absolutely stunning location. Our day finally happened in June this year, and it was perfect. The staff were incredible and so accommodating. I was able to put my own touch on the venue, all whilst having the constant support of Anna and her staff. I could not recommend this venue enough! Anna's magic room of props and décor items will be everything you need to make your wedding set up perfect! Photography by @wildreef.co on Instagram.

Kat McIntosh

Very disappointed. These are the following issues we had leading up to and on the day of the wedding:
1. Linen for tables were not ironed totally creased plus dog fur and fluff on some linen. Even bridal table and skirting was so crushed it ruined photos.
2. Spider webs inside and outside of venue.
3. Mirror in female toilets was filthy.
4. Dogs including a Great Dane allowed to run and play through entire venue including kitchen and reception area.
5. Anna was rude on wedding day.
6. Bride’s dressing room had someone sleeping in there when we arrived. Had to ask him to leave to have makeup and hair done for bridal party.
7. Room which groom and his party were to use and we had paid for was being used by her workers to sleep so son and party had to change in their underwear in open reception area. Embarrassing for me and female photographer.
8. Anna was suppose to provide lolly jars and tongs but they weren’t provided so had to race out day before wedding to get them.
9. Anna admitted to eating and others eating 2kgs of lollies which were for the lolly bar and smirked at me when she admitted it.
10. Only one sign was put up but florist thankfully had one we could use. Anna was to provide 2 as per contract.
11. Elderly lady wondering through the venue and drinking at 10.30am. No idea who she was not invited to celebration.
12. Kitchen facilities were dirty in relation to industrial fridge as I needed to access them for food.
13. In the contract venue was to provide faux flowers for arbour but nothing was so was blindsided and paid $720 from her florist to provide them.
14. Table seating plan and table numbers were never provided as per the contract.
15. There were flowers strewn everywhere at the ceremony area from the day before which were bright orange which were not the bride’s colours. We even had to pick them off the seats before sitting down.
16. Anna changed the finish time from 12am to 11pm to 10.30pm against the contract requirements.
17. Air conditioning was broken a week before the wedding but Anna did not bother to get if fixed but supplied industrial fans which did not do much.
18. I paid $1160 cash payment to staff just before reception. I was quoted $1050. I have yet to receive a receipt or advised as to why it increased.
19.Only groom and groomsmen were to have alcohol prior to ceremony. When bar staff were not there everyone helped themselves prior to the wedding even though I tried to stop them.
20. I provided two plates and a cheese knife for bridal party food in the morning prior to wedding in the afternoon and they have not been returned.
21. Last and certainly not least had to basically beg to get our $1000 security deposit back. It was to be returned within 2-4 weeks after wedding finally received nearly 6 weeks after wedding when I threatened to take legal action.

I can honestly say, she ruined my son’s wedding for me. It was the first wedding for our family and extended family also. I never want to see another mother endure and have to deal with what I went through on his wedding day. Please do not use this venue, what she says and what she does are two very different things.

KATHRYN HEGARTY

Absolutely beautiful, I was at a wedding and it was so comfortable and beautiful. All the staff were just so friendly. The food was beautiful. Beef and lamb WOW. SO YUMMY. They have the best gravy too.

Sean Balk

How do you start a review about a place that fulfilled your vision of what your perfect wedding would turn out like?

We visited your standard cookie cutter wedding venues, the ones you know are just a room, with a fairly standard feel, we all know those venues because we've all been to a wedding there.

Hawkesbury Country Retreat immediately felt right, the smell, the staff, the setting, the versatility and lastly but most importantly it's owners Anna and Andrew.

Without Anna and her experience it would have been a very difficult day to plan.

Do yourself a favor, put yourself on their list for their showcase, take advantage of these, get to know the property every time they are on, get to know the vendors and build your vision of your perfect day because HCR can deliver that for you.

My only negative is that we can't get married there every week, you build a relationship with Anna and Andrew over the course of the year and once your day is over it felt like a break up hahaha. In all seriousness, that's more of a positive because you genuinely feel cared about through the whole process and you don't feel like just another couple, hiring a venue, that feels like everyother wedding you've been too.

Thank you HCR for bringing our dream to life and letting us and our guests experience something nothing short of incredible.

Jeffery Mousley

We were invited to a wedding with approximately 100 guests.
The event was over 8 hours commencing with ceremony followed by magnificent afternoon tea and dinner
The food was exceptional and not your normal fare. I e at dinner we were provided ongoing dishes whilst seated with enormous variety not to mention the magnificent sweets & cakes at the end.
The atmosphere was very relaxed with a Australian rustic theme.
The staff were great and you could tell they are a family business ready to make sure everyone had a good time
A real experience to be remembered