The Best Wedding Venues Down the Shore
These 12 destinations all exude their own brand of coastal charm.
Bonnet Island Estate is among the Jersey Shore wedding venues on this list / Photograph by LeAnna Theresa Photography
You can’t get married down the Shore without first picking a venue to say “I do” down the Shore. From historic hotels to working farms to refurbished railroad stations, these New Jersey Shore wedding venues all boast their own style of coastal cool.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, and if you have a favorite beachfront celebration spot, we’d love to hear about it. Please reach out on Instagram @philawedding or via email at kschott@phillymag.com. Now then, go have a splashy bash!
The Asbury Hotel
Asbury Park
Photograph by Opal & Jaye Photography
If Atlantic City just feels like too much, why not head north? This 110-room hotel is a lively mash-up of its namesake town’s rock-and-roll and Victorian roots — trust us, it works — and offers plenty of fun ways to do a wedding. Our favorite: Exchange vows on the open-air fifth-floor terrace, then head to the sleek ballroom for a seated reception of up to 140. Direct guests to the lobby’s 15-foot light-up marquee bearing your wedding hashtag for plenty of Insta-worthy pics before taking over the rooftop bar for the after-party. 210 5th Avenue.
Beach Plum Farm
West Cape May
Photo courtesy of Cape Resorts
With five rustic cottages that can sleep up to 32, this 62-acre working farm is the perfect spot for an intimate BYOB wedding. Groups of 80 or less will gather in the greenhouse-like Hoop House for an authentic farm-to-table dinner — all produce and livestock served are raised on the back fields — then head to the main barn to dance the night away. Book early though, because wedding season is limited: Fridays and Saturdays are only available from the end of April to early June, and from September through October. 140 Stevens Street.
Bonnet Island Estate
Manahawkin
Photograph by LeAnna Theresa Photography
The beauty of Bonnet Island begins with Boathouse Chapel. Brought down from Vermont and reassembled beam by beam, the former barn sets a distinctively New England tone for the day with whitewashed benches and a stone fireplace. Dinner and dancing for up to 250 happen in the nautical-inspired ballroom next door, where the wood-paneled cathedral ceiling rises 30 feet high and the bay-facing wall features floor-to-ceiling windows. Entirely enclosed by water, the private island can also host your parents and wedding party overnight in 12 luxe suites. 2400 East Bay Avenue.
The Breakwaters at the Dunes
Sea Isle City
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Tie the knot just steps from the beach at this seaside venue complete with on-site wedding planners and condo rentals. Enjoy the ocean breeze during a sunset rooftop rehearsal dinner, or sip cocktails and indulge in hors d’oeuvres after a ceremony in the classically designed ballroom. Catering starts at $115 per person and includes seafood delicacies like fresh oysters. 8600 Landis Avenue.
Congress Hall
Cape May
Photograph by Rachel Pearlman Photography
Here, against the buttery yellow facade and iconic white pillars of America’s first seaside resort, your wedding will exude old-world elegance. After a ceremony on the Grand Lawn and cocktails on the veranda, you’ll sojourn to the 3,500-square-foot ballroom with a sleek black-and-white-checked floor. (Be sure to pause for portraits on the resort surrey at some point in between.) Upstairs, the 108 guest rooms are classically decorated, and the on-property Blue Pig Tavern is a laid-back spot for a post-wedding brunch (following your after-party in the Boiler Room). 200 Congress Place.
Corinthian Yacht Club of Cape May
Cape May
Photograph by Nona Martin Photography
Founded in 1872 and brimming with nautical decor, this destination is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the country. Weddings with up to 180 guests take place in the first-floor clubhouse, where there’s a newly renovated bar and screened-in porch. All events have access to a second-floor porch; be sure to make time for sunset portraits, which are beautiful on the harbor. 1819 Delaware Avenue.
Everly at Railroad
Tuckahoe
Photograph by Madeline Isabella Photography
Fans of the shabby-chic aesthetic will love Everly at Railroad. Originally built in 1895, this former train stop was reopened as the Everly event space by Michelle Pollock in 2016. Exchange vows outdoors — or in the one-of-a-kind 6,000-square-foot vintage shop filled with cool Americana finds — then move on to dinner and dancing in the industrial barn. 171 Railroad Avenue.
The Grand Hotel of Cape May
Cape May
Photograph by Abhi Sarkar Photography
This oceanside venue offers upward of 17,000 square feet of event space. A mahogany bar and classic cocktail lounge create a sense of elegance as you enter the 180-person-capacity Grand Ballroom; you can also say “I do” to the sound of crashing waves in the 280-person-capacity Penthouse Ballroom, which offers views of the Atlantic and surrounding Victorian homes. 1045 Beach Avenue.
Hotel LBI
Ship Bottom
Photograph by LeAnna Theresa Photography
Hosting its first weddings in June 2019, this 102-room hotel is an elegant addition to the event scene of Long Beach Island. If you don’t mind a short drive, have your ceremony at the foot of nearby Barnegat Lighthouse, then return to the weather-protected veranda for cocktail hour and a reception for 220 in the Conservatory, a vaulted, white-wood-ceilinged ballroom with a full glass wall for sunset views. Served at finished farm tables lined with cross-back chairs, dinner will be a localized affair with foods from nearby farmers and fisherfolk. And an upgrade could send guests off with mini homemade pizzas as a late-night snack. 350 West 8th Street.
Icona Diamond Beach
Wildwood Crest
Photo by Helena Raju Photography
Want everything to happen right out on the beach? This retro-leaning hotel claims one of the area’s only private shorelines, so you won’t have to worry about interlopers at your steps-from-the-waves ceremony. Available May through October, the tented pavilion has a built-in bar, holds up to 150 for a seated dinner and dancing, and is in the nearby dunes. Special arrangements can be made for a celebration that’s right in the sand. Also an option: the sister property you see below, in Avalon. 9701 Atlantic Avenue.
Icona Windrift
Avalon
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Seven Mile Island isn’t exactly teeming with beachside venues boasting second-level ocean views, so that’s a big reason to love the blue-hued, 250-person reception space at the Windrift. (Though retractable glass walls that lead to fire pits on the patio definitely don’t hurt.) The events team will gladly set your ceremony up on the sand, but don’t worry if there’s rain — the covered roof deck makes for a delightful backup option. 105 80th Street.
The Reeds at Shelter Haven
Stone Harbor
Photograph by MLE Pictures
Since its opening in 2013, couples have loved The Reeds for the easygoing elegance of its suites (dubbed Skye, Sienna, Indigo and Salt), the 220-person ballroom with bay-facing sliding glass doors, and the ability to arrive via boat to their ceremony. (Click here to see the experience in action.) In 2018, a major renovation added 21 guest rooms, a fitness center and a two-story luxury spa (located just across the street). R&R options include facials (we love the Glow Start, for refreshing our skin) massages, flotation therapy, a Turkish bath, and a group-friendly hair and makeup studio that’s ready and willing to glam up your entire wedding party. 9601 3rd Avenue.
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