There comes a point in planning a party where the group chat stops being fun.
You need somewhere big enough. Somewhere with decent food. Somewhere everyone can actually get a drink they like. Somewhere that doesn't require you to spend half the night organising things.
And preferably somewhere with a bit more personality than a beige function room.
If you're hunting for a function venue in Pakenham, an independent brewery might just tick a few boxes.
Tucked away in Pakenham's Southeast industrial estate, Smiley Brewing is an independent, family-owned brewery and taproom that's become a local spot for beers, food trucks, live music and events.
But it's also available for private functions and celebrations.
The brewery can cater for everything from a table full of mates through to private events of up to 90 guests, with several different spaces depending on how big — or how rowdy — you're planning to go.
And because this is an actual working brewery rather than a purpose-built function centre, the whole thing feels considerably more relaxed.
Think brewery tanks in the background, beers pouring from the tap wall, food cooking outside and music playing rather than chair covers and fluorescent lighting.
Pick Your Corner — Or Take Over the Whole Place
There are a few ways to do a function at Smiley.
For smaller celebrations, you can reserve an area of the brewery and still be part of the atmosphere of the taproom.
There's the Outdoor Beer Garden for casual afternoon sessions, Up Front near the main bar and stage, or Down The Back if you'd prefer your own little corner.
Planning something bigger?
You can take over the entire venue exclusively for up to 90 guests.
That's probably the move for milestone birthdays, corporate events, Christmas parties and celebrations where you'd rather not have Dave from table six accidentally joining your family photos.
Birthdays Without the Function-Room Vibe
Smiley works particularly well for birthdays because you don't really need to reinvent the venue.
Get your favourite people together, organise some food, put some money behind the bar and you're already most of the way there.
It can work for milestone birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, family celebrations or simply an excuse to get 40 people together in the same place for once.
You can keep things casual or add decorations, entertainment and other extras if you want to make a bigger night of it.
Importantly, it still feels like going out rather than attending a function.
There's a difference.
Your Work Christmas Party Doesn't Have to Be Awkward
Corporate functions get a bad rap, and occasionally that's deserved.
But getting everyone out of the office and into a brewery is already a reasonably solid start.
Smiley can host corporate functions, staff parties, Christmas celebrations, team events and client functions in Pakenham, with options to make the day or night a little more interesting.
There are TVs, a PA and wireless microphone if someone absolutely has to make a speech.
Then you can move on to the important stuff.
Brewery tours, beer tastings, live music, DJs, karaoke, trivia and other entertainment can all be worked into the event depending on what you're planning.
PowerPoint first. Pints afterwards.
Obviously, There's Beer
It would be a fairly disappointing brewery function if there wasn't.
Smiley's beers are brewed on-site, just metres from the taproom, with a rotating tap list alongside the brewery's regular favourites.
But nobody's forced onto a six-hour craft beer journey either.
The bar also pours wine, spirits, cocktails, mocktails and plenty of non-alcoholic options, so everyone is covered.
For functions, you can set up a bar tab or drinks package rather than leaving everyone to fend for themselves.
Or don't.
Your party, your call.
Then There's the Food
Rather than running a traditional pub kitchen, Smiley has built a bit of a reputation around its rotating lineup of food trucks.
Depending on the weekend, that could mean pizza, burgers, BBQ, Thai or something completely different.
For private events, there are also options for dedicated menus, catering packages, platters and other function food depending on the size and style of the event.
Which means you can go from casual beers and burgers to a more catered setup without suddenly turning the brewery into a wedding reception centre.
Want to Make a Night of It?
This is probably where having your function at a venue that already runs entertainment comes in handy.
Smiley hosts live music and events throughout the year, so adding entertainment to a private function isn't an unusual request.
You can look at live musicians, DJs, karaoke, trivia, bingo and other entertainment options, depending on what suits your crowd.
You don't necessarily need entertainment either.
Sometimes good food, cold drinks and a playlist are more than enough.
But if Uncle Mick wants karaoke, apparently that's something you'll have to deal with.
And You Don't Have to Pay Just to Hire a Room
Here's one of the better bits.
For Smiley's part-venue function options, there's no traditional venue hire fee.
So rather than handing over a pile of money simply to reserve four walls, you can put more of the budget towards the things your guests will actually enjoy.
Food and drinks seem like a reasonable place to start.
For larger events where you want the entire brewery to yourself, exclusive venue options are available with a minimum bar spend.
So, Is a Brewery a Good Place for a Function?
Depends what you're after.
If your dream event involves white tablecloths, chandeliers and seven different forks, probably not.
But if you're looking for somewhere relaxed where people can have a genuinely good time, eat well, drink something decent and not feel like they're trapped at a formal function, a brewery starts making quite a lot of sense.
Particularly when the beer is being made in the next room.
Planning a Function in Pakenham?
Whether it's a birthday, engagement, work party, Christmas function, milestone celebration or something that doesn't really need a label, Smiley Brewing has function options for groups of different sizes up to 90 guests.
You don't need to have the whole thing figured out before getting in touch either.
Pick a date, have a rough idea of numbers and tell us what you're thinking.
We'll take it from there.
View the Functions & Events Pack →
Because the best functions shouldn't really feel like functions.
They should just feel like a bloody good time.