Sergeants Mess Wedding Photos
A 1963 army mess on the water at Chowder Bay, bush behind, harbour in front, a wharf for arrivals
Sergeants Mess is a waterfront function venue at Chowder Bay in Mosman, on Sydney’s lower north shore, looking across the harbour to Watsons Bay. The site became a Submarine Miners Depot in 1892 and later an army base; the present building went up in 1963 as the sergeants’ mess and opened to the public in 2000. It sits between the water and a steep wall of bush, with a dining room for 250, a bar with a 180-degree view and a private wharf.
We have photographed a wedding here and filmed seven more since 2021. The venue keeps ceremony, portraits and reception on one strip of foreshore: vows by the water, the wharf and the bay for the couple, and the dining room with the harbour behind the top table.
Photographing a wedding at Sergeants Mess
Chowder Bay faces east across the harbour, so mornings are bright on the water and by late afternoon the sun is behind the bush at the back of the building, leaving the foreshore in soft shade while the far shore still glows. The wharf is the frame with the most water in it, and the ferries and yachts passing are worth waiting for. The bar’s wide windows make the rain plan easy. The road down to the bay is steep, so give guests a few extra minutes.