St Joseph’s Guesthouse

Our beautiful 1839 convict-built sandstone church was bought a few years back in 2009 when the building was roofless and there were trees growing inside. While staying true to the church’s original aesthetic, we pieced it back together and made some changes along the way. See that steel steeple on the church? And the gap beneath it? That’s our rooftop lounge area, complete with fire pit for you to toast marshies in comfort. Plus, we’re pretty confident it’s the best old church to witness a sunset from, this side of Europe.⁠

⁠This beautiful property in St Albans, just 2 hours from Sydney and Newcastle features accommodation for 10 guests onsite in 5 separate bedrooms all with ensuites, is pet-friendly and a beautiful option for BYO weddings.⁠ There’s also a kitchen, a large lounge area downstairs with a projector, a big deck and a plunge pool onsite with plenty of lawn area for marquees and outdoor weddings.

Lunchtime weddings for 100 guests are our specialty as the curfew is 7pm BUT the good news is we also own one of Australia’s oldest pubs (Settlers Arms Inn) just five minutes down the road, where we’ll reserve a beautiful space for your wedding after-party until midnight. It’s worth noting there’s plenty more accommodation there too, with rooms at the pub and camping available on the lake just across the road.⁠

Our team can also help organise local transport for your guests, an Aboriginal smoking ceremony, a celebrant, catering, party hire and everything else you can possibly think of. ⁠Just touch base with us for a chat.

PRICING

We have no event or hire fees and only ask for the bride and groom and their closest 8 secure the accommodation offered at the Church with a booking minimum of 3 nights. 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms with pricing starting at $7,500 with pricing alternating depending on your booking dates.

You can instantly book and check the pricing of your dates by searching our Airbnb listing https://airbnb.com/h/takemetochurch, you can also only pay a deposit with the rest payable just before your wedding start.

Hey there, I’m Steve. I bought this unique property in 2009 when the church was roofless and full of trees growing inside. We fixed this place up with a helping hand from friends, family and a bunch of talented tradesmen. After three years of building, we completed the marathon rebirth of this once-grand building, with a few additional touches. Our achievements were recognized in 2013 when we won the National Trust Best-Restored Heritage Building in NSW, an award we’re very proud of and are now so happy to be hosting weddings at our beautiful church. We also own Settlers Arms Inn down the road, where we can host additional guests in our accommodation onsite, as well as continue the party in our large beer garden and indoor spaces.