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Outside The Box // Unique, Non-Venue Wedding Venues - Part 1
- Jul 15
- 6 min read
Traditional wedding venues and banquet halls are wonderful for making wedding planning easy and truly make for gorgeous ceremonies and receptions. They host so many weddings each year and really know how to create a no-stress, timeless and beautiful wedding day for couples.
But many couples are looking for something just a little different. Something to make their wedding stand out amidst the standard weddings of their friends and family. And if you feel the same, consider choosing a unique, non-venue venue for your ceremony and/or reception! It's perhaps the most impactful way to give your guests a surprise and leave a lasting favorable impression of your day. Aside from just being positively out of the ordinary, these venues have many advantages over traditional wedding spaces, too.
One of the greatest benefits of non-venue wedding venues is that most have unique character and charm. Repurposed commercial buildings, museums, art galleries and former industrial sites tend to have an interesting history attached and certainly don't look like a typical wedding ballroom. From the moment you enter, a non-traditional venue promises to fully captivate and delight you and your friends and family.
Going non-traditional with your venue also allows you the opportunity to choose a location that helps tell your love story, reflects your personalities or relays your own history together. Perhaps it's a favorite restaurant or the place you celebrated after the proposal. Or maybe you're wine enthusiasts and want to hold your wedding at a winery or in a vineyard setting. Are you a nature or animal lover? Then consider choosing a zoo or greenhouse venue for your big day. Unique non-venues are perfect for personalizing every aspect of your wedding event.
A growing wedding trend sees couples curating a smaller guest list and using the savings to put towards a more elevated experience for them. Well, plenty of non-venue venues serve up luxurious, premium cuisine and amenities and are perfectly suited for small weddings, as many weren't built with large wedding receptions in mind. If you love the idea of having a smaller, more intimate wedding and providing your friends and family with enhanced, upscale experiences, don't hesitate to look at non-venue venues.
Many non-venues also offer a more interesting, entertaining and fun experience than one would find in a traditional banquet hall, and more couples are looking for immersive venues that guests will talk about for years afterwards. Museums, aquariums, zoos, art galleries and even other businesses such as wineries and distilleries have their own built-in recreation, allowing guests to tour the facilities or view and interact with exhibits in a private setting. While most weddings have only food and dancing during the reception, your wedding will offer additional enjoyable and unforgettable experiences for your guests!
And last but not least, by choosing a non traditional venue for your wedding, you could be saving quite a bit of money. The fees for booking the event space and cost per guest can often be less pricey, and with their own interesting and beautiful built-in decoration, they often require less in the way of added décor as well.
There are lots of great non-venue spaces that are thrilled to also host weddings in New Jersey and in the Philadelphia area. Our little list below highlights just a tiny sample of the fantastic non-venue, venues available for your wedding.
Museums and Galleries
National Constitution Center - Philadelphia, PA
Located at Independence Mall in Center City, this wonderful, open and modern venue features access to Signers Hall which showcases bronze statues of our Founding Fathers. Also included is a rooftop terrace that can accommodate outdoor events and an all-inclusive catering package through their in-house caterer, Rhubarb Hospitality Collection. We still fondly remember filming Jennifer and Andrew's fabulous National Constitution Center wedding years ago.
Please Touch Museum - Philadelphia, PA
Memorial Hall is the setting, located within Fairmount Park in the western part of the city. The grand historic reception hall, which was once the site of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, can accommodate up to 1,000 guests within its gorgeous architecture. Several distinctive halls are available for rental and a 100+ year old grand carousel featuring hand-carved animals is ready for guests to ride. Rhubarb Hospitality Collection is the exclusive caterer for this venue as well.
Barnes - Philadelphia, PA
Minutes away from the Franklin Institute is the Barnes Foundation, a one-of-a-kind art gallery and meeting space where works by Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso and Van Gogh are just a few on permanent exhibition. But just a few years ago the foundation also began hosting beautiful weddings with their exclusive catering partner, Constellation. Complimentary guest access is granted to their stunning private gardens, collections and special exhibitions and for the main event, the Annenberg Court and terrace accommodates the ceremony, cocktails, dinner and dancing. Be sure to see Stephanie and Monty's amazing wedding event all held at the Barnes!
Franklin Institute - Philadelphia, PA
This fascinating science museum in Philadelphia that's fun for both children and adults alike doubles as a gorgeous wedding venue at night! The Franklin Institute invites wedding guests to either take a tour or visit some of their galleries and exhibitions after they've wined and dined. Our past clients Lindsay and Zach held their wedding here, allowing their guests to see the museum as they never had before... after hours!
Zoos and Aquariums
Adventure Aquarium - Camden, NJ
If you love the idea of an 'under the sea' wedding event, look no further than the Adventure Aquarium. Say your 'I do's' with the Philadelphia skyline as your exciting backdrop, then celebrate afterwards with sharks silently sailing overhead in their Currents Ballroom. Or choose the Ocean Realm Gallery Theater, with colorful tropical fish, turtles and stingrays on exhibit and a magnificent indoor waterfall to set the scene. This one-of-a-kind setting will leave guests breathless throughout the event, and talking about it for a long time afterwards.
Philadelphia Zoo - Philadelphia, PA
The zoo arranges a very adventurous wedding event for couples thinking outside the box! Mature trees provide a lush canopy of green overhead and winding trails lead guests to historic buildings housing exotic animal exhibits. The zoo offers their Garden Pavilion in the daytime and your choice of several different evening locations to hold your wedding event. From the intimacy of the McNeil Avian Center and Plaza, featuring colorful birds from around the world, to the larger two-story PECO Primate Reserve with unobstructed views of frolicking lemurs, squirrel monkeys and impressive great apes, the Philadelphia Zoo certainly delivers a unique wedding day alternative.
Greenhouses or Conservatories
The Horticulture Center - Philadelphia, PA
Imagine a wedding overflowing with fresh botanicals, dripping with hanging varieties and anchored by lush, green potted ornamental trees. Located in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, this greenhouse venue built on the site of the former Horticultural Hall is inherently gorgeous, thanks in part to the abundance of fresh plants and the brilliance of full glass windows allowing light to stream in. Constellation is the exclusive on-site caterer for weddings at the Horticulture Center. And we absolutely loved Casey and Colin's beautiful Horticulture Center wedding and filming for this sweet couple.
The Madison Hotel Conservatory - Morristown, NJ
The Madison Hotel offers a beautiful, naturally colorful setting for nature-loving couples in their stunning conservatory. This amazing, light-filled Victorian design space can accommodate both ceremonies and receptions, complete with a breathtaking crystal chandelier overhead. Check out Brooke and Grant's gorgeous Madison Hotel Conservatory wedding event!
Conservatory at the Sussex County Fairgrounds - Augusta, NJ
This rustic chic conservatory also has a spacious courtyard featuring seven gorgeous gardens, several gazebos, pergolas and bubbling fountains. Couples rave about the abundance of natural light in the eco-friendly conservatory and the endless photo ops provided among the well-manicured grounds.
Restaurants and Cafés
Restaurants and cafés provide the perfect setting for foodie couples who want a smaller, slightly scaled down wedding event. These locales dish up intimate events with your favorite fare, all set in a lovely ambiance, whether it be warm and cozy or chic and modern. And if by chance you have the opportunity to hold your wedding at the same place you had your first date or got engaged, why not consider it?
Inquire at any of the many acclaimed restaurants near you, including:
Liberty House - Jersey City, NJ
Ninety Acres at Natirar - Peapack & Gladstone, NJ
Lambertville Station Restaurant - Lambertville, NJ
Tavern on the Bay - Somers Point, NJ
Chart House Restaurant - various locations across the US
Braddock's Tavern - Medford, NJ
