Old Treasury Building Wedding Ceremony Rooms Explained
The ceremony rooms inside the Vic Marriage Registry
A comprehensive deepdive on both of the ceremony rooms at the Old Treasury Building, the Margaret Craig Room and Thomas Hyde Room. Learn the capacity and layout of each space along with photos to show how they are utilised.
The welcome sign out the front of the Vic Marriage Registry
Updated September 2026As part of my ecosystem of the best and most informative articles on the internet about getting married at the Old Treasury Building; I welcome you to a detailed look behind the curtain of the most popular way to elope in Melbourne.
This guide is a hyper focused look at the two ceremony space options within the building so you can get a feel of the space, illustrated with photographs from real weddings. I will dig into capacity, costs, features, things to note and more.
Editor’s note: Be sure to check back occasionally to check for updates and new additions.
Contents
Introduction
The question might be, which ceremony room should we chose? Or it can be simply determined by how many guests you might want to invite to the ceremony. In Australia, you only need two witnesses to sign the marriage certificate, so the smaller Thomas Hyde will do (with the Legals Only Ceremony), or if you want to have a larger gathering, the bigger Margaret Craig Room is the obvious choice (for the Classic Ceremony).
As a photographer who started to specialise in smaller marriage elopements and micro weddings directly after Covid Lockdowns, I grew into one of Melbourne’s most experienced photographers at the Vic Marriage Registry. I’m on a first name basis of many of the celebrants there and they even check with me if the blinds are to my liking, so I hope I can pass on my experiences there so you can build a vision and go in with full knowledge of the building.
A Brief History
The building was designed by a 19 year old (wait what!) architect by the name of JJ Clark and built between 1858 and 1862. It is one of Melbourne’s finest examples of Old Melbourne architecture, right in amongst the east side of the CBD adjacent to the Melbourne Parliament House and first in a line of government buildings including the Premier’s Office, Education Department and Commonwealth Offices. It is designed in Renaissance Revival style, derived from 19th century Italian Palazzo form.
The Old Treasury Building under construction circa 1869, facing south
The forecourt wasn’t finished until 1868 complete with a guardhouse and is still largely original. The basement is build around vaults for gold storage during the Gold Rush era. The interior was finalised in 1872 and refinished in its current state in the 1990s. Ceremonies started to be conducted there from only 2004, long after the opening of the museum section of the property. The exterior was completely restored in 2023 with scaffolding that surrounded the entire building from the ground up.
It is not uncommon to spot well known politicians on a weekday or a news crew setting up for the latest interview in the vicinity. The two ceremony rooms within the building, are actually named after the first couple to have their marriage registered there.
Why Couples Choose the Vic Marriage Registry
The Old Treasury Building is arguable one of the most beautiful ceremony spaces you can hire in Melbourne. You can’t BYO styling, but it is a ready to go space that is also one of the cheapest. The ceremony rooms have a nice feel to them, they are ideal for an intimate union for anything from a legal’s only ceremony with two witness up to 55 guests.
It is extremely popular, with a massive 3600 couples married there in 2024 and on a recent visit, the security guard told me they had 22 booked in one day…in the middle of winter!
The Victoria Marriage Registry suits couples:
That seek simplicity - no organising needed, just book and show up
East End Melbourne location - all the best photo spots within a 15 minute walk
Historic character - Old Melbourne Style architecture and cosy feel
Registry convenience - Great for couples celebrating overseas, in secret, keeping costs low
No need to organise signage, seating charts, flowers or guest comfort items
The Margaret Craig Room
A view of the main ceremony space, the Margaret Craig Room at the Old Treasury Building
The Margaret Craig Room is the main ceremony space, located just inside the entrance doors to the left of the foyer. This room has a capacity of up to 55 guests, plus the couple, a photographer and or videographer, plus an interpreter if required. If you are going for a Classic Wedding Package, you have a choice of both rooms depending on guest numbers.
The room layout has what you would call an aisle leading from the double entrance door, where you can do a processional to be given away by a family member for a more traditional feel (or walk in together), and also do a recessional back up the aisle as newlyweds on the way out. I cover what to do after you are announced in more detail in my master Treasury guide.
The view of the Margaret Craig Room looking back towards the front door showing the chair layout
The room is equipped with heating and AC hidden in cabinets on either side of the room, a signing desk and Bluetooth speaker. A box of tissues is always on standby as well as the celebrant will provide a pen. The space is already decorated with flower vases behind the signing desk, on the piano and on the mantelpiece as you cannot bring in your own styling.
Rough Dimensions (give or take 10%):
Length: 9m
Width: 6m
Ceiling height: 4.7m
Floor Area: 61m2
Chairs: 55
Climate Control: 4x heater/AC units located in each corner of the room
Margaret Craig Room FAQs
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It is rare for a Registry Wedding to have a wedding party at all, but for the occasions there are, I would recommend they sit towards the front on the chairs provided as they count to your guest numbers. The space up front is for just you both as too many people it looks bunched in and less opportunity for photographer to get around. If you had one per side, that can work, but seated is better.
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No, you cannot have more than the 55 allocated guests, while that is a squeeze on its own, there is no additional standing space. This is so the photographer and celebrant have the space to do the job.
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The celebrant can supply a standard wedding like soundtrack and operate the playback and volume by remote. You can also link to their speaker if desired with your own phone, but someone will need to allocated the task. You can also bring in your own pre-connected speaker if that is preferred.
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No there isn’t a waiting area for guests as the foyer is quite small. There are a couple of chairs in the hallway, best reserved for elderly that might need to enter via the accessible entrance at the rear of the building. You guests will need to wait out the front until they are called in.
The Thomas Hyde Room
The Thomas Hyde Room is the smaller of the two rooms in the north east corner of the building. It is used for smaller wedding ceremonies and the legals only ceremony (plus two witness and a photographer). You have seating for 8 chairs plus a chaise lounge to squeeze in one or two more. I liken the size of this room to that of a bedroom.
You stand in front of the mantelpiece in view of your guests
The distance from the door to the ‘altar’ is only 2 meters or a few steps, so it doesn’t have an aisle as such. I’ve seen some couples try it with music, but it doesn’t result much in the way of photos or the feeling of an aisle walk. If that is what you’re after, I’d suggest a classic ceremony in the Margaret Craig Room, which is the one that gets booked out first.
Rough Dimensions (give or take 10%):
Length: 4.2m
Width: 4m
Ceiling height: 4.7m
Floor Area: 17m2
Chairs: 8
Climate Control: 1x large split system on the west wall above the chaise lounge chair
Thomas Hyde Room FAQs
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The room is too small to have any wedding party members up front, they count towards the guest count anyway and will need to be seated
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It is recommended to stick to the 8 and under number as the room is too small for the celebrant and photographer to do their job otherwise. The chaise lounge under the AC can fit one or two extras but have been mainly reserved for storing bags, coats and sometimes my camera gear
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Same as the Margaret Craig room, there is a celebrant controlled Bluetooth speaker that has a preset wedding style playlist (honestly less stress for you). You can however pair your own phone or bring you own speaker. You don’t need large at all.
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Both of the rooms have equally the same level of natural light. In the mornings, the Thomas Hyde room has a bit more from the morning sun and in the PM the Margaret Craig has slightly more. I do adjust the blinds to what I think fits best before we start anyway.
The 8 chair layout of the Thomas Hyde Room & Signing Desk to the right
Which Room Should We Choose?
If you have answered that question of guest count and ceremony style you intend to book, no room is better than the other as they both have their own charm. The larger room actually feels empty with only 8 guests or less, but gives you a more grand perspective as I can take a step back and take shots of the whole space. It may also come down to availability, the Vic Marriage Registry is busy year round, so during the peak seasons in Autumn and Spring they may be booked solid up to a year in advance.
What Happens Before the Ceremony
I cover the guest experience and what to do more in my main article here. But in short, you need to enter via the LHS main door on Spring Street, arrive there 20 minutes (15 at a minimum) before your appointment time and make yourself known to any staff or security. The door can only open from the inside so you will just need to wait until someone comes. I never see a wait greater than 5 minutes.
Once you’re inside, you will be whisked away to one of the two offices to have your documents viewed and signed off. This portion is never photographed.
A sneaky photo of the check in office. I did actually get told off after this…so never again.
Photography Inside the Rooms
The below cluster of images will illustrate the typical photography angles inside each room. The Margaret Craig room, I spend the most time in the centre aisle (so make sure you stand in the middle of the desk for the best central composition). During the asking and Vows I will move to the sides to capture expressions of the person listening, ring exchange and kiss will be back up the middle.
I do my best to not to remain too long in front of the guests for the best viewing experience. The signing is often anywhere I can get a good angle, the celebrants sometimes mix up the order and the way the signees will face, so there is no perfect order here.
A couple of the celebrants will say to your witnesses to move to the side for a photo with the couple, but this is often not needed as you will be doing a formal version with the rest of the guests outside anyway. Best just go for a hug.
In the Thomas Hyde room, there is limited space to move around so I often take a few shots from the back corner under the AC. During the asking and Vows I will move to the sides to get reaction photos and the ring exchange. I will always do my best to retreat from being in front of guests for the best experience for them. This is where my nearly 20 years in the business shows through.
Practical Tips
These are simple tips for the best photos and guest experience.
Parents, grandparents and any siblings should absolutely sit down the front. We want to see their smiling faces.
Arrive on time for your check in. The staff get anxious when you are not there as you can set the whole day of appointments back.
I often start my coverage just before your arrival time so I can capture storytelling/contextual photos of the building, your guests waiting to greet you and even a couple of solo portraits before you go inside.
Keep personal items such as bags, documents, umbrellas and coats together and have a family member wrangle them for you.
If you have more than a couple of family photos, say 5-10 groups, put together a shot list with first names in number order. Assign a photo captain to wrangle the guests and family members as well inform everyone that needs to be in photos to stick around and listen. Using a chat group on WhatsApp or Facebook messenger is the easiest way to let everyone know.
FAQs
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Yes, the Old Treasury is accessible by having two disabled car parks on Spring Street in front of Alconston House across the road (Subject to availability). The entrance is to the rear and called via a doorbell. There is a disabled toilet on the basement level and an elevator to the ground level with audio and braille. There is also a drop of bay right out the front of the building at the entrance of Treasury Gardens.
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With the Classic Ceremony you are able to do a Vow reading and or a guest reading, such as a book passage, poem or something or something of a religious nature. You can also use your music of choice if desired.
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No, you cannot bring in any styling items to the Old Treasury Building, you simply don’t have enough time to setup or pack down. Both rooms are quite tight for space as well.
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There isn’t a waiting room as such, you can have elderly or disabled persons wait in the foyer in the back hallway if they had to enter via the Accessible entrance to the rear of the building. The foyer is quite small and needs to be kept clear for OHS reasons and for the exit of the ceremonies before your appointment.
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The Margaret Craig Room is the larger of the two rooms, with a capacity of up to 55 persons, plus an interpreter and your media team.
Final Thoughts
Both rooms are equally beautiful, it mainly comes down to guest count and if a legal’s only ceremony or not. They both feature the same decor, natural light and chair style. The desk in the Margaret Craig Room is more substantial and has a more symmetrical layout with the window, desk and aisle all lining up. If you would like to see full galleries of the room you intent to marry within, get in touch for an enquiry and let’s chat about covering your Vic Marriage Registry Wedding by one of the most experienced Old Treasury Photographers in Melbourne.
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