Casas Secretas – La Villa

Evocative of a Tuscan estate, La Villa is a transportive canvas for intimate weddings rich with detail and ambience in the Byron Bay hinterland.

Vines painted with golden light tumble over nostalgic facades. Secrets spaces are revealed in artfully framed glimpses. Intimate settings shock with beauty and simplicity, rich with magic and decadence.

“A perfect canvas to draw from worldly inspirations and infuse the memory of travel and the ambience of sunsets abroad into a magical tablescape.”

Journeying to every edge of the world will always reinforce the same thing – the magic of a place is always found hidden its pockets. The dreamscapes that are Byron Bay’s iconic beaches and gypset lifestyle draw travellers from every corner of the globe. Spend a while here and that beauty, while still as potent, will soon trickle out into the rolling hills of Byron’s lush hinterland. Here, hidden away are the gems held onto tightly by locals and snapped up in a heartbeat by those lucky enough to get their hands on this rare property.

Just a short drive from Byron and a few minutes from the quaint town of Newrybar is a scattering of homes that bottle up the region’s magic – Casas Secretas. Meaning secret houses, these transportive, design-infused homes set on 55 acres are laced with authenticity and deeply explore the concept of ‘home’ created by mother and daughter duo, Lucy Haidamous and Julie Weis.

A jewel at the top of the hill-set properties is La Villa – a Tuscan-inspired home surrounded by a macadamia orchid that can be hired for intimate weddings or events. With architectural pillars that choreograph the space, a pavilion artfully framing lush hinterland views and a fountain enclosed by chalk-hued walks, it’s the kind of canvas we dream of for intimate weddings. A place for everything or not much at all. A venue so beautiful it needs just hints of styling, or for design-focussed couples, the perfect canvas to layer a single table with in such intricate detail that would be difficult and costly to replicate en mass.

Hold your ceremony within leafy arbours or exchange vows amongst rows of macadamia trees. Style a magical reception in La Villa’s pavilion and then dance under a blanket of stars and festoon lights in the open-aired courtyard. Stay on site at The Dairy – a stunning holiday home with hinterland vistas that sits alongside the the original dairy, reimagined as an outdoor entertaining space perfect for pre-wedding dinners, or post-wedding brunches (see our venue story here)

The Magic

The Courtyard

Evocative of a Tuscan estate, La Villa’s courtyard is a dream backdrop for an intimate wedding. Architectural pillars frame dramatic views over the hinterland and the most incredible sunset light beams through the space as if artificially lit. The original pizza oven creates an ambient setting for languid afternoons that stretch into decadent celebrations.

The Transportive Setting

For those who want the feeling of a destination wedding without the logistics, La Villa is a just a short drive from Byron Bay and a completely transportive space that rivals the beauty of a Tuscan estate. The property is a perfect canvas to draw from worldly inspirations and infuse the memory of travel and the ambience of sunsets abroad into a magical tablescape.

The Dairy

Casas Secretas offers a plethora of choice when it comes to wedding festivities and a dreamy place to stay in total seclusion. Just a few steps from La Villa is the property’s original dairy reimagined as a rustic entertaining area and beautifully designed holiday home. Another option for intimate weddings, pre-wedding dinners or post-wedding brunches, The Dairy is a rustic canvas that invites a myriad of styling options. Extending onto The Dairy is a newly built, architectural home that drinks in hinterland views with floor to ceiling glass, repurposed materials, luxurious styling (honestly – this duo have the most exquisite style) and decor by local artisans.

The Wedding

“A venue so beautiful it needs just hints of styling, or a canvas for design-focussed couples to layer a single table with such acute detail that would be difficult and costly to replicate en mass.”

The Pre-Wedding Dinner

Hold a pre-wedding dinner with your family and bridal inside The Dairy. Holding 16 guests, this rustic space opens up to hinterland surrounds and looks magical at dusk and in the evenings lit with ambient candlelight and contrasted with whimsical blooms. See our venue story on The Dairy.

The Ceremony

La Villa’s gardens are a highlight of the property, with cascading vines and lush foliage that envelope the villa. Hold your ceremony in the leafy arbors or macadamia orchid forming a naturally-occurring aisle that opens up to sweeping views of the hinterland and glimpses of the ocean.

The Aperitivo Hour

Indulge in cocktails at sunset on the lawn outside La Villa’s courtyard. Create a blanket of lights with festoon or fairy lights suspended above to create ambient lighting as dusk fades.

The Reception

Style a dramatic tablescape that stretches throughout the courtyard. Drape oversized table linen that spills to the ground to soften the space, fill with candles and blooms keeping the styling simple but ambient and rich with texture and tone. La Villa holds a maximum of 30 guests in the space.