When it comes to unique wedding venues, it’s hard to beat New York City. This illustrious metropolis is coated in culturally-rich sites, historic homes, and edgy event spaces, offering many opportunities to have a one-of-a-kind celebration.
To help you narrow down the options among the cornucopia of wedding venues in NYC, here’s our roundup of the ten most distinctive and memorable to check out for your city wedding.
1. American Museum of Natural History
A truly iconic and unforgettable place to hold your event, you and your guests will have the ability to experience museum’s treasures up close and personal, from the grandeur of the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life to the elegance of the Roosevelt Rotunda. Your guests are sure to be entertained throughout the night at this historic and iconic venue like no other in the world.
As part of your venue rental, guests will be able to have private access to the museum space that creates a truly unique way to experience the museum at night.
Capacity: Up to 800 seated
Bonus: The museum is committed to sustainability, and has earned a coveted 3 stars from the Green Restaurant Association for its’ energy saving, waste reduction, and recycling practices.
2. Center for Brooklyn History
The Center for Brooklyn History’s main outpost at 128 Pierrepont St is an iconic wedding venue. The library, which was built in 1881 in the Queen Anne style, features a spacious grand hall and the stunning Othmer Library—perfect for your ceremony. Surrounded by warm wooden detailing and whispers of Brooklyn’s storied history, your wedding here is sure to be an event to remember.
The venue provides you with exclusive access to one of the best caterers in NYC, Purslane, to create a distinct and unique menu to fit your tastes. They are also New York’s first zero-waste, carbon neutral catering company.
Capacity: 120 seated
Bonus: You can arrange a guided or self-guided tour of the Library’s galleries or exhibitions for you and your guests throughout the wedding.
3. Tribeca Rooftop
One of the most unique wedding venues in Lower Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood, Tribeca Rooftop is perched on top of a 1920s printing press building, offering 14,000 square feet of rooftop terraces overlooking the glittering NYC skyline. It’s also a blank canvas, so couples can transform this alfresco space into whatever type of wedding wonderland they desire. From whimsical, romantic, or bohemian to vintage, rustic, or alternative, this venue is sure to please.
Worried about inclement weather? Rest assured your reception can flow inside a room featuring a 1,100-square-foot cherry wood dance floor, 12-foot high ceilings, and a pinspot lighting system.
Additionally, exquisite service is a top priority at Tribeca Rooftop, as it provides wedding parties with a private entrance, dedicated elevator attendants, and valet service.
Capacity: 325
Bonus: The in-house caterer provides delicious seasonal menus, and Duane Park Patisserie crafts fresh desserts.
4. Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Those wanting a bucolic vibe in the heart of the city will love Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This NYC wedding venue is composed of 52 acres of cherry trees, an assortment of roses, a Shakespeare and rock garden, and much more. Spring and summer weddings can be hosted in the gardens that surround the two main event spaces, the Palm House and the Lillian and Amy Goldman Atrium.
For daytime receptions, the Palm House is the ideal choice. Its glass walls let natural light wash over the elegant interior while providing gorgeous views of the Lily Pool Terrace. In the evenings, a reception in the Lillian and Amy Goldman Atrium is stunning, as it opens to the Cherry Esplanade and features a living roof of native grasses and wildflowers.
The Patina Restaurant Group provides incredible American-style cooking that can be served as a buffet, plated meal, station, or family-style meal. It can also serve an assortment of hors d’oeuvres for cocktail hour and set up an open bar. Plus, barware, flatware, linens, china, and glassware are provided.
Capacity: 300
Bonus: The venue offers a bridal suite, valet parking, and wheelchair access.
5. Brooklyn Grange Sunset Park
Located on a 3.2 rooftop acre farm in Brooklyn, this truly distinct wedding venue is the perfect spot for eco-minded couples who want the beauty of an upstate farm wedding combined with the convenience of a city wedding. The space itself is a working farm ran by Brooklyn Grange, a Brooklyn-based business committed to promoting sustainable urban living.
As you arrive at this modern rooftop oasis, you’ll be struck by the wide-open spaces lined with lush vegetation, blooming flowers, and meandering footpaths – a stark contrast to the towering skyline of Manhattan just across the East River. You and your guests can spend cocktail hour exploring the leafy grounds, watch the sunset over photogenic city vistas, and dance the night away beneath a canopy of stars. It’s an unforgettably chic and grounded celebration experience.
Don’t take my word for it though, you can visit the farm at one of their community events to see it in action.
Capacity: 150
Bonus: Their beverage program creates beautiful and botanical cocktails and mocktails using ingredients directly from the farm.
6. Merchant’s House Museum
Couples with an appreciation for history will adore the 19th-century, late-Federal and Greek Revival Merchant’s House, a historic landmark and museum. This renowned space dazzles with 3,000 pieces of furniture, decorative art, clothing, photographs, books, household items, and personal items that were owned by the Tredwells, the merchant-class family who resided in the House from 1835 – 1933.
The house also includes matching six-globe gas chandeliers, furniture created by acclaimed furniture maker Duncan Phyfe, and various dresses owned by the Tredwell family. Event spaces that can be used for your wedding include a Greek Revival double parlor and an outdoor “Secret” Garden that’s an oasis of overgrown greenery.
Capacity: 40
Bonus: If you and your guests are interested in a touch of eeriness, request one of the museum’s Candlelight Ghost Tours.
7. Wave Hill Public Gardens
Located in the Bronx and overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades, Wave Hill Public Gardens provide 28 acres of horticultural gardens to pledge your love upon. The Wave Hill house was built in 1843 in the style of an English country residence and has been home to icons such as Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt.
Most ceremonies take place beneath the pergola on the Great Lawn, and cocktail hour is usually enjoyed on the Lower Lawn or the Kate French Terrace next to the house. Meanwhile, receptions are typically hosted within the home’s Armor Hall or the larger Mark Twain Room. Both rooms can accommodate a dance floor.
This is an amazing choice for couples wanting to stay close to the city, while also feeling like they’ve been transported to the English countryside.
Capacity: 125
Bonus: The venue’s Aquatic Garden provides an incredible backdrop for photos.
8. Wythe Hotel
A boutique hotel situated in Williamsburg, Wythe Hotel is effortlessly cool with the original brickwork walls and vaulted pine ceilings of the factory the structure used to be. Adding to the cool-factor is the simple, modern aesthetic, stellar city views, cutting-edge art, and a garden that serves as an urban oasis.
A highlight of the space is the four glass-enclosed loft suites that make you feel like you’re floating above the city. These can also be used for small receptions or serve as the mesmerizing location for your first night as a married couple. Plus, they feature the same high ceilings as the rest of the hotel and seamlessly blend cozy vibes with a chic aesthetic.
Capacity: 120
Bonus: The food and beverage offerings are as clean as they are delicious, as the in-house Reynard Restaurant provides seasonal, locally-sourced American dishes paired with minimally-processed wines and spirits.
9. Central Park Boathouse
For over 150 years, classic, romantic moments have been enjoyed in rowboats on the lake that borders this famous boathouse in Central Park. The Loeb Boathouse itself has been the setting for everything from heartwarming on-screen scenes (ever heard of When Harry Met Sally or Sex and the City?) to real-life fairytales.
Adding to the whimsy of this famed site are the birds and 26 species of butterflies that decorate the warm air in the spring and summer — not to mention the eclectic assortment of trees lining the edges of the tranquil water.
Most ceremonies and receptions are located in the grand interior of the boathouse that makes a radiant impression with vaulted-beam ceilings and ornamental light fixtures. Additionally, the walls of windows provide stellar views of the lake and English Garden.
Capacity: 230
Bonus: After saying “I do,” you can take a ride in an authentic Venetian gondola with a gondolier who just might serenade you.
10. Frankie’s 457 Sputino
This acclaimed Italian restaurant in Carroll Gardens is a favorite among locals, celebrities, and foodies everywhere. Hosting a wedding here is an intimate and romantic dinner party where the food is far from an afterthought. Their Stable is a converted blacksmith’s stable in the garden of their primary restaurant, Frankie’s Sputino.
Their private event menus allows you to choose among a variety of options, including a family style menu, a classic 4 course meal, brunch, cocktail reception, and bar packages. The options feature many of their classics, and allows for some seasonal choices. The bar packages are top-notch, local, and can be upgraded to include your favorites.
Capacity: 75
Bonus: The neighborhood is host to a number of lively bars that can host a dance party after the reception.
