Weddings are stepping out of traditional venues and ballrooms and into neighborhood bars and restaurants. Wolfe & Porter, for example, a Raleigh, N.C.-based bar that’s known for music, drinks, and community vibes, officially began hosting weddings this past summer, though they did have some small receptions in the past. For a venue centered on bringing people together, hosting weddings is a natural extension of what they do. It’s all a part of a growing trend of couples choosing bars and restaurants for their big day.
“Those early requests [for receptions and private events] made us realize the endless possibilities and capabilities of our space,” said Aubrey Hall, events manager at Wolfe & Porter. “Couples love the idea of a unique, stylish space that doesn’t feel formal, fussy, or over-the-top. So, we leaned into it and developed an events program that made us a wedding venue.”
Weddings at bars and restaurants—especially at bars or pubs—appears to be a growing trend amongst couples who are looking to save money by utilizing a non-traditional space. In fact, in 2022, a study from Caterer.com found that a large number of people in the U.K were opting for pub weddings. And in the United States, almost half of couples say they’re being strategic about their wedding venue choice as a way to save money, per a survey by Insurance Canopy.
According to Hall, bars come with an atmosphere built in so, instead of renting a blank ballroom and spending thousands to transform it, couples walk into a space that already feels intimate, intentional, and authentic…