The Best NYC Restaurant Wedding Venues

The Best NYC Restaurant Wedding Venues

Some of my favorite weddings don't really feel like weddings in the traditional sense.

They feel like an incredible dinner party. Your closest people around one table, really good food, cocktails, candles burning down as the night goes on, and everyone actually having time to be together.

New York is probably one of the best places in the world to have that kind of wedding.

From intimate West Village townhouses to Brooklyn restaurants with gardens and views of Manhattan, there are so many NYC restaurant wedding venues that already have atmosphere built into them. You don't necessarily need to transform the room. You can find somewhere you genuinely love, bring your people together, and let the city do the rest.

If you're planning an intimate wedding or restaurant wedding in New York City, these are a few spaces I'd have on my list.

Rule of Thirds | Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Rule of Thirds is one of the first places I'd look for a Brooklyn restaurant wedding.

The space has an industrial feel with exposed brick, concrete floors, big windows and tons of natural light, but it still feels warm. There are several private dining spaces, a larger dedicated event space and an outdoor courtyard, with options for everything from a very small dinner to a much larger wedding.

What I like most is that it doesn't feel like a traditional wedding venue. It feels like you're throwing a really good party in Brooklyn.

From a photography perspective, the light, architecture and mix of indoor and outdoor spaces would work beautifully for both digital and 35mm film.

Sunday in Brooklyn | Williamsburg

Sunday in Brooklyn is another great option if you want your wedding to feel relaxed but still really considered.

The Williamsburg restaurant offers everything from intimate private dining to rooftop cocktails and full restaurant buyouts. It's a great fit for couples who care about food and want their wedding to feel more like a big dinner with everyone they love.

Aurora | Williamsburg

If the idea of a candlelit garden dinner in Brooklyn sounds good to you, Aurora is worth looking at.

The restaurant has a covered garden where you can bring everyone together for the ceremony before moving into cocktails, dinner and the rest of the evening.

There's greenery, warm light and that slightly tucked-away feeling that can be hard to find in the middle of New York.

This would be a beautiful choice for a smaller wedding with long tables, good wine and plenty of time spent with your guests.

Celestine | DUMBO, Brooklyn

Celestine has one of those settings that immediately feels like New York.

It's tucked underneath the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO with huge windows looking toward the bridges and downtown Manhattan.

For couples planning a destination wedding in NYC, I especially like this option because your guests get the skyline, the bridges and the energy of Brooklyn without needing a traditional ballroom.

And once you're outside, DUMBO gives you endless possibilities for a few photographs around the neighborhood before heading back to dinner.

The River Café | Brooklyn

The River Café is classic New York.

Sitting directly on the Brooklyn waterfront beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, the restaurant looks across the water toward the Manhattan skyline and has been hosting weddings and private events for years