Wedding venue collapse leaves 48 couples scrambling to salvage big day

Wedding Venue Collapse Leaves 48 Couples Scrambling

Hidden Garden Estate in Berriedale, Tasmania, has entered liquidation after being found in breach of its home business permit by Glenorchy City Council. This sudden closure has forced 48 couples to quickly reorganize their wedding plans.

Council Permit Breach and New Restrictions

The venue informed couples via email on Friday, November 7, that the council had notified them the previous Thursday about permit violations. The email, titled “Sad,” outlined three options for couples:

Proceed with weddings under new strict permit conditions
Postpone to a later date
Cancel and receive a full refund

The new conditions were harsh: only the owner Diane Burrows was allowed to conduct ceremonies, guest numbers were limited to 60, and only two vendors could be present.

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

Permanent Closure and Liquidation

Couples had until the close of business on Monday, November 10, to decide. By that afternoon, the estate confirmed it was closing permanently and entering liquidation.

Owners Shan Strus and Diane Burrows stated the council’s strict terms had forced couples to choose refunds, leading directly to the venue's closure.

“The authority initiating stringent terms that effectively caused couples to vote for refunds, has forced us to close the business.”

They also mentioned efforts to seek relief from the council were unsuccessful.

Community Impact

The local community is rallying to support those affected by the abrupt shutdown.

Author's Summary

The liquidation of Hidden Garden Estate due to council permit violations has left dozens of couples urgently rescheduling weddings and highlights the severe impact of regulatory restrictions on small businesses.

Pulse Tasmania — 2025-11-10