6 non-traditional places you can host your wedding that aren't typical venues
- Ali-Pop Events
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
You're ready to start planning your wedding- how exciting! You're starting to look at venues and you're slowly realizing they all look exactly the same and making a decision is getting hard. When me and my husband were planning our wedding, we were so burnt out on going to friend's wedding and being at the same types of venues with the same format every weekend. So, we began to look into nontraditional venues, and it was the best decision we made for us!
The following are 6 non-traditional wedding venues you can host either your ceremony, party, or both!
Restaurant
As I said, my husband and I hosted our wedding reception at a restaurant and we absolutely loved it. First of all, the food is guaranteed to be amazing because that's their main focus. People still talk about how amazing the food was, and the best part? We were able to totally customize the menu! Plenty of restaurants have separate areas you can host your reception or even have options to buy out the restaurant and you can utilize the full space. We had our wedding at BranchLine in Watertown and would recommend it to anyone looking for a venue! We even joke that we wish we could host another party there every year.
Beach
Okay, I know this one sounds a little chaotic, and it could be. This type of venue is definitely best for a smaller crowd and a low key couple. Imagine the sound of the crashing waves, the feel and smell of the salt air, and a few loves ones surrounding you as you share your vows. The pictures alone would look incredible! I would definitely recommend this only for the ceremony and suggest hosting your reception elsewhere, as well as having a rain option.
Backyard
If your parents or you have a big enough house and backyard to accommodate your guest list- definitely consider this option. My husband and I had our ceremony, with family only, in my in-laws backyard and it was truly a beautiful option. Don't have family with a backyard but interested in this? Look into an Airbnb with a big backyard and space to host. Just check with the owners they allow it!
Castle
This one might require traveling abroad, but how cool would it be to have your wedding in a castle! You'd feel like royalty through the entire process. I'm not shy to admit I looked into Scottish and Irish castles, but ultimately realized my grandma was definitely not going to travel that far and I wanted her to be able to attend the festivities. However, I'm sure the pictures and the trip with your close ones would be worth it.
credit: celticcastles.com
City Hall
This is definitely the most cost effective and easiest spot on the list. If you don't want a big wedding and want to do something small- seriously consider a small town hall ceremony. It's free! You can invite 10 of the people closest to you and get married in a small and intimate setting.
Public Park
The last option is kind of like the beach, but an option for the city or suburban people. Have a park near you that you love and feels like the right place to host your ceremony? Look into the ability to host something there. Keep in mind you'll have to bring all of your own equipment (chairs, arch, chuppah, etc.), but you'd have the opportunity to build your own setting in a picture perfect landscape.
Keep in mind - the size of your wedding will dictate the type of venue that works best for you. For all of these non-traditional options, I'd recommend hiring a wedding planner or day of coordinator as they won't have these on hand, like traditional venues. Coming from someone who ran her own backyard wedding- trust me, it is absolutely worth the money. It gives you the chance to relax and actually enjoy your wedding while someone else handles all the details and your guests.
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