14 Exciting New Philadelphia Wedding Venues for 2020
For all you newly engaged folks out there.
So. You got engaged over the holidays, and all potential New Year’s resolutions have been replaced with a far bigger task: wedding planning. Before you can pick anything else, you’ve got to pick your wedding venue. Below are the most exciting new Philadelphia wedding venues on our radar right now. But if you’re looking something more specific—like, say, a glam ballroom, a woodsy setting, and or something down the Shore—we’ve got you covered there, too.
The Notary Hotel
Center City
The Grand Ballroom at The Notary Hotel
The old Center City Courtyard Marriott was upgraded to The Notary Hotel, Philly’s first-ever Autograph Collection property, this past summer. (Fun and wedding-related fact: prior to life as a Courtyard, the building was a City Hall annex where a notary’s stamp of approval was given to marriage applications.) The Art Deco-inspired makeover includes the 3,400-square-foot Juniper Ballroom, where the walls *literally* shimmer, a rehearsal-dinner-ready tapas restaurant that’s one of the most Instagrammable spots we’ve seen, and there’s even an on-site La Colombe for early morning hair and makeup calls. Learn more about the venue—and see photos—here. 21 North Juniper Street, Center City.
Banca
Callowhill
The main bar at Banca | Photo by Jackie Botto
After expanding their meat-and-cheese empire to smoothie counters and really cool bars, Di Bruno Bros. opened a banquet-hall-style event space in November. Drenched in history, the Frank Furness-designed building opened as a bank in the 1800’s and was later reborn as a The Bank, a Stephen Starr dance club. Inside, the 2,300 square feet of open floor space is surrounded by 31-foot walls dotted with arched windows and capped by a coffered ceiling. There’s also a handsome wooden bar, and, downstairs, one of the building’s three original vaults serves as a unique spot for a first look or ketubah signing. More details—and photos!—can be found here. 600 Spring Garden Street, Callowhill.
Vue on 50
Center City
Vue on 50’s main ballroom. | Photo by Theerapon Pureksa
The former Top of the Tower space has been revamped in a modern monochrome palette of marble and gray and expanded to hold up to 250 for dinner and dancing. Twenty-foot ceilings accommodate a mezzanine in both of Vue’s ballroom spaces, there are breathtaking 270-degree bird’s-eye-views of the city from 50 floors up, and a wide variety of catering partnerships (12th Street Catering, Brûlée, Garces, etc.) means you can easily tailor the event to your exact, ahem, tastes. Buyouts start at $5,400 for Fridays and Sundays and $6,000 for Saturdays, with base fees including round tables and champagne-colored chairs. A more thorough rundown of the space is available here. 3 Logan Square, Center City.
The Four Seasons Philadelphia
Center City
The main ballroom at Four Seasons Philadelphia
Philly’s most buzzed about hotel of the decade officially opened this past August, and with it came a gorgeous new ballroom option in the heart of the city. The 15,000 square feet of event space spreads throughout two main ballrooms, a connecting cocktail hour foyer, and an outdoor terrace (a rare find in Center City). Both ballrooms are outfitted with 17-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, and, most significantly, a neutral color scheme. (While most hotels opt for heavily patterned carpet to hide the effects of wear, tear and red wine spills, the Four Seasons has often for an elegant beige.) For florals, couples have to the option of working with in-house florist Jeff Leatham, a celeb florist who counts Oprah and several Kardashians as clients, and catering will be chosen from a menu featuring dishes created by both Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Greg Vernick, the star chefs attached to the hotels’ two restaurants. Read more about weddings at the Four Seasons Philadelphia here. 1 North 19th Street, Center City.
River House at Odette’s
New Hope
The ballroom at the River House at Odette’s.
This new 34-room luxury hotel from the group behind the Reeds at Shelter Haven is inspired by French actress Odette Myrtil, who ran the boisterous cabaret that once stood on this property. Here, against a backdrop of rich fabrics and deep jewel tones, you’ll say your vows on the banks of the Delaware River, then dine on farm-to-table cuisine with up to 200 guests in a ballroom adorned with lines from Odette’s own love letters. The hotel officially opens in Spring 2020, with weddings available starting September 2020. All couples who book their wedding at River House will receive a complimentary two-night stay. More details and photos can be found here. 274 South River Road, New Hope.
Terrain Gardens at Devon Yard
Devon
The main reception space at Terrain Gardens
This highly anticipated new URBN venue on the Main Line includes a lush garden for ceremonies, a dreamy 150-person reception space outfitted with reclaimed barn wood and cafe lights, an outdoor porch for cocktails, a well-appointed bridal suite, and, of course, portrait options galore at the adjacent Terrain store. Also on property: Anthropologie & Co. as well as two separate eateries. Take our photo tour of Terrain Gardens here. 138 West Lancaster Ave. #130, Devon.
The Curtis Atrium
Washington Square West
The Curtis Atrium | Photo by M2 Photo
No, it’s not technically a new venue, but it is under new management—and with that has come a whole host of exciting renovations and additions. Constellation Culinary Group (formerly Starr Catering) took over the space from Cescaphe in 2018. They reopened for weddings this past May with a new on-site kitchen and a cocktail hour mezzanine that connects to the main event space via two marble staircases on either side of the atrium. If that piques your interest, Constellation is also running a contest for a free wedding at the Curtis through January 15th. Meaning: there’s still time to enter! 601 Walnut Street, Washington Square West.
Globe Dye Works
Northeast Philly
Globe Dye Works | Photo by BeauMonde Originals
The 150-year-old yarn dying plant that houses several artist and small business studios in Northeast Philly opened its ground floor for weddings in early 2019. The factory aspects of the space have very much been left in tact. Inside you’ll find exposed pipes, concrete floors, important-looking machinery … if it’s industrial-chic you’re going for, it doesn’t get much more industrial than this. Maximum capacity is 220 for a seated dinner, and 350 for a cocktail-style reception; the pre-existing stage is large enough to hold a ten-piece band, and there’s a built-in dance floor. For more details and photos, click here. 4500 Worth Street, Northeast Philly.
Location 215
Callowhill
The east studio at Location 215.
With 15-foot ceilings and all-white walls, this industrial venue is perfect for the couple searching for a blank canvas for their Big Day. Owners Jen Blauvelt and Nicole Poulin have also worked as art buyers and producers, so they’ve planned their conjoining spaces with the necessary fixtures (nine-foot windows, easy load-in from the adjoining parking lot) to make your celebration both seamless to pull off and completely photo-worthy. Total capacity for the two spaces is 425; the east studio can hold 250, while the west fits up to 175. We’ve got a full set of photos for you to browse here. 990 Spring Garden Street, suite 103, Callowhill.
Maximalist Studios
Norristown
Maximalist Studios | Photo by Dearly Beloved Weddings
The culmination of the many past lives of Eddie Ross, a culinary-school grad turned design, decorating and food editor, and partner Jaithan Kochar, Maximalist elevates every aspect of an event with thoughtful detail. Guests are first ferried to the second-floor venue via a freight elevator meticulously styled to match the specs of your soiree. Cocktail hour is in the salon, where they’ll cozy up in lounge areas created with pieces from longtime antiquer Ross’s personal collection. The real magic, though, happens in the white-walled main space, where Ross can take something sentimental—like, say your grandmother’s china—and incorporate it into a head table layered with texture, color, and his own inventory, then work with rental companies to extend the look to the rest of the room. Take a tour of the space—and get a peek at Ross’s design work—here. 501 West Washington Street, number 3, Norristown.
The Lucy
Center City
The ballroom at The Lucy. | Photo by Emily Wren
Cescaphe’s newest venue—their first in Center City—opened right on Broad Street in Winter 2018. Name after Cescaphe owner Joe Volpe’s late mother, the Art Deco-inspired space—which can hold up to 325 guests for a seated dinner with dancing—has marble accents, a mezzanine overlooking the ballroom and right out onto Broad street, and plenty of room for Cescaphe’s signature opulent cocktail hour. It also connects directly to the Cambria hotel, making the trip to and from their hotel rooms supremely easy for guests. Click here to see a full wedding in the space, and here to learn more details. 231 South Broad Street, Center City.
The Mann Center
Fairmount
A wedding exit at The Mann Center
Philly’s favorite outdoor performance center is now open for private events. Host your ceremony on the main stage, with cocktail hour in the climate-controlled Donor Terrace and a seated dinner for up to 200 in one of the tented outdoor spaces. The newest event space addition is Acclaim, a 2,000-square-foot tented space that can accommodate 100 seated and 150 standing and boasts beautiful skyline views, but there are six unique spaces total. Pick your favorite here. 5201 Parkside Ave., Fairmount Park.
The Deacon
Graduate Hospital
The main space at The Deacon. | Photograph by Heidi’s Bridge
Revitalized under the watch of Everett Abitbol, Billy Vessal, and Yowie boutique owner Shannon Maldonado, this former church boasts vaulted ceilings, original stained-glass windows, and eight fully tricked-out bedrooms for your wedding party to crash in when the night ends. Learn more about this new, hip Airbnb-style hotel and event space here. 1600 Christian Street, Grad Hospital.
Fitler Club
Center City
A rendering of the Fitler Club ballroom
The swanky Fitler Club opened to members in early 2019, but there’s a work-around to getting inside: Book your wedding there. The club’s 4,600-square-foot ballroom features a reclaimed hardwood floors, a brick accent wall, and in-house catering by a Marc Vetri-lead culinary team. Stay overnight in the on-site hotel and you can become bonafide members for the duration of your stay, with access to amenities like a climbing wall, personal training, and a private movie theater. More details—and renderings—available here. 24 South 24th Street, Center City.
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