54 Sweet Spots for Restaurant Weddings

Here’s the scoop: There’s just something about restaurants that feels celebratory. Big-moment meals for birthdays, graduations, proposals, anniversaries, and anything worth a proper toast often take place in your favorite eatery. So, it only makes sense to consider a restaurant for one of your most significant, cherished moments ever: your wedding day. Whether you’re a devoted foodie or simply want a special spot for your soirée, restaurant weddings offer a memorable experience, plenty of versatility, and—of course—a delectable meal.

A restaurant wedding is not only a unique way to celebrate your big day, but also comes with ample benefits. Beyond meals that will delight even the pickiest food connoisseurs, restaurant wedding venues offer the simplicity of a streamlined catering experience, as well as built-in infrastructure—no need to bring in rental tables, power generators, or restrooms. A restaurant wedding also sets the stage for many sentimental dinners in your future. 

Even more,  restaurant weddings allow you to host your big day in any corner of the world. So while you or your guests may need to travel far for a beach wedding or book a mountainside venue during a particular season, restaurant weddings allow you to stay closer to home (if you’d like!) and book at practically any time. Whether you’re picturing a casual affair at your favorite local eatery or dreaming of a Michelin-starred destination for your reception, you can find a venue for your restaurant wedding that aligns perfectly with your vision.

Because there are countless spots to choose from, we’re highlighting some of the best restaurant wedding venues to consider for your big day. We made sure to include spots that could accommodate both a ceremony and reception, as well as smaller locales perfect for a post-wedding celebration. In addition to shouting out our favorite places across the nation and around the globe, we’ll cover all the benefits of restaurant weddings and the different factors to consider when narrowing down on a locale. Whether you’re looking for a spot to accommodate 20 guests or 200, check out some of the best places for restaurant weddings.

What are the benefits of a restaurant wedding?

There’s an endless list of pros that come with a restaurant wedding: the convenience, the sentimentality, the deliciousness—we could (and will!) go on. Couples can opt for anything from an intimate indoor gathering with their closest friends and family to a larger alfresco affair with room for 100-plus loved ones. Long story short? There’s no shortage of options to select from, and any spot you pick will come with countless advantages. 

Here are some of the top benefits of restaurant weddings:

Plenty of Versatility:

As we touched on above, there are so many unique paths you can take with a restaurant wedding. First of all, you can be as picky as you’d like. The size of the space, the overall experience (think casual versus fine dining), location, and more vary from place to place. Envisioning a sophisticated city rooftop experience? Great! Prefer a more cozy, at-home atmosphere at your go-to local spot? Excellent. Either way, you can find the most ideal space for restaurant weddings by searching for spots that match your style and cuisine preferences. 

And while restaurants are an especially great choice for microweddings or smaller reception dinners, many eateries are large enough  to accommodate your entire wedding line-up, from ceremony to after-party. There’s also usually plenty of space options to pick from, whether you just want to rent a private room or prefer a full restaurant buyout. And while some venues require you to book months (if not years) in advance, restaurant weddings are generally obtainable for shorter planning timelines–especially for more intimate celebrations. 

For Louise and Hoe’s wedding, the private dining room at New York City’s highly acclaimed Eleven Madison Park provided them with an idyllic space to celebrate their love for each other and food alongside their 19 guests. And over in South Carolina, Emily and Ciarra’s celebration at Cannon Green in Charleston accommodated a larger guest count while still providing a unique, food-focused setting. ​​​​​​

Fit for Foodies:

If you and your spouse-to-be are big-time foodies, a restaurant wedding reception venue is a meaningful way to pay homage to your favorite cuisines. If you’re obsessed with a venue’s menu already, you can rest easy knowing that you’re in for a delicious meal when you have a restaurant wedding. Catering may also become more streamlined, since the culinary team will prepare the meals at their regular kitchen without needing to worry about transportation or cooking in a new space. And if you and your spouse-to-be know you want to prioritize enjoying the most memorable meal at your reception, restaurant weddings come with a guaranteed focus on the food.

Sentimental Value: 

Whether you had your first date or popped the question at a particular restaurant, feel at home at your go-to locale, or have been dreaming of dining at a new place, there’s there’s no denying that restaurant weddings offer a unique sentimental value. While spaces like ballrooms or estates are excellent places to celebrate, you may not be able to visit them as easily in the future to look back fondly on your big day. But with a restaurant wedding, you can come back and dine with your partner as much as you’d like. (How romantic would it be to return to the restaurant where you said “I do” on your anniversary every year?)

Built-In Infrastructure:

With restaurant weddings, there’s no need to worry about the necessary facilities that you might need to rent for, say, an outdoor wedding at a private residence. That means you don’t need to worry about securing things like power generators, bathrooms, or tables and chairs, since the restaurant will already have those things. Plus, it likely has beautiful tablecloths, quality silverware and place settings, and more—even more things that take the guesswork out of your already-extensive planning process. And if you’re getting married in the restaurant’s outdoor patio or garden, you can potentially move the setup to an indoor dining room in case of inclement weather.

All of these built-in elements can inspire your other decor decisions too, which might make the planning process significantly easier. For instance, if your ideal venue for a restaurant wedding has a stunning piece of art on the wall, your florist or designer can choose colors and elements that’ll complement the space, making it all the more cohesive and special for your celebration.

What are the different types of venues for restaurant weddings?

Whether you’re planning to have your ceremony at one place and reception at a nearby restaurant or are hoping to host your entire celebration at an eatery, there are tons of options to consider. First, think about the general type of property you’re after. Are you hoping to book a standard stand-alone restaurant? Or, would you prefer a restaurant wedding that’s attached to a resort or hotel for convenient guest lodging offerings? Perhaps you and your partner have a favorite bar, winery, or tavern you love that also serves food. If you’re both art aficionados, you may consider restaurants in museums. Or if you want plenty of space to spread out, you might prefer to get married on a farm or vineyard that specializes in local produce. No matter what you’re after, there are so many ways to design restaurant weddings that are unique to every couple.

Once you’ve narrowed down  the type of space you’re dreaming of, consider the desired vibe that would make you the happiest and most comfortable. There’s the big-city, food forward focus, whimsically rustic farm-to-table experience, and everything in between. Determining exactly what you want, from menu to mood,can help whittle down the (many!) possibilities. 

Finally, it’s crucial to consider the size of your guest list. While you might love the idea of one spot, they may only be able to accommodate a microwedding of, say, 15 guests or less. Other spaces may require a full buyout, which might feel too large or costly. Either way, it’s important to factor in how many loved ones you’re inviting when you’re selecting a space for your restaurant wedding.

What are the most popular places for restaurant weddings? 

If you’re on an endless search to the query “Where can I find restaurant wedding venues near me?” rest assured that your ideal space is out there. To make your decision a little easier, we’ve hand-selected 54 of our favorite spots for restaurant weddings. In building our list, we researched across geographic regions, styles, price points, and more. We also factored in the level of hospitality, as well as our own research and knowledge of the properties. And of course, we looked to all of the couples who’ve shared the details of their restaurant weddings with us before.

Here, check out some of the best, most drool-worthy places for restaurant weddings.

Top Venues for Restaurant Weddings in the Northwest

You could start in Washington, go through Portland, and drive down the entire West Coast all the way through Northern California and run into tons of delicious places. But when it comes to your big day, there are a few standout spots that come to mind for restaurant weddings.

Top Venues for Restaurant Weddings in the Southwest

From Southern California to Colorado and beyond, this region is full of must-see (or rather, must-eat) places for restaurant weddings that’d serve as ideal backdrops to your big day. 

Top Venues for Restaurant Weddings in the Northeast

From culinary hotspots in the Big Apple to dreamy farms and vineyards with bucolic landscapes, the Northeast is jam-packed with popular places for restaurant weddings to celebrate your new marriage over a meal with all your loved ones. 

Top Venues for Restaurant Weddings in the Southeast

From the Lone Star state to NOLA, there’s no shortage of iconic locales to pick from for a restaurant wedding in the southeastern region of the U.S. 

Top Venues for Restaurant Weddings All Over the World

Take your great taste beyond the U.S. with a celebration at one of these noteworthy international restaurant wedding venues.

Food works wonders at bringing people together and creating lasting memories. Whether that’s a meal for 10 at your dining room table table or an event for 200 at spaciouseatery you love, a restaurant wedding is an excellent way to celebrate your marriage with the people who mean the most to you and your partner. Now that you know the ins and outs of what to look for in a restaurant wedding venue (plus all of our top spots to consider!), it’s time to narrow down on which space is calling your name—and your taste buds. 

Bon appétit!