Small weddings are the best. We may be a bit biased but everyone knows everyone and they are usually vibing and chatting with one another. As a guest, you’re not sitting in a room full of a bunch of people you don’t know, which can feel awkward and isolating at a huge wedding. Also, as a couple, you’re not sitting in a room full of people you don’t know (and may have been forced to invite), and you also had to pay for them to be there.
But in all seriousness, we got into this business because we love small and intimate events and the rest of the world is finally figuring that out too. We love to see couples who are looking for something that is a little bit more lowkey and styled to their needs and wants, and not so much catered to their families. The day should be about you and your needs, and many might think we’re crazy for saying this, but spending the day with your newly wed spouse.
At small weddings the vibes are good and everyone’s hearts are focused on what is important in life, sharing your intimate moments and making beautiful memories with those who are most important to you both.
If you have tried to plan a small wedding, you probably have realized that finding a wedding venue in Ohio, for a smaller gathering is a little more difficult than you might have thought. It’s really easy to find a venue that seats 150 guests, but what if you only have 50-75 people. What if you have less? With smaller weddings trending over the past five years, many places have started to initiate micro-wedding packages, but the rooms are still too large, too spacious and have amenities that you may not want or need.
That’s where we come in. We have gathered a list of some of our favorite small wedding venues in the Cleveland, Ohio area (and beyond). We specialize in working with locations that are a good fit for your event or styling the logistics to make the space work for what your needs are. Although there are many great locations in Cleveland and beyond, this list of venues that host smaller events is a great start to your venue searching. Use this list as a starting point to scale back from the over the top wedding to host a stress-free, intimate wedding day.
Collision Bend: What’s more Cleveland than The Flats? At first, we weren’t completely sold on Collision Bend but we have done a 180 on this one. Collision Bend is in The Flats, which is great if you are planning a night out afterwards. This place has it all: Great views, its waterfront, and has a patio, a parking lot next door, and walking distance to the hotel, if you need lodging or a place to get ready. If you are looking for a fun atmosphere with a more casual setting, we highly recommend taking a look into Collision Bend for your wedding day needs. This unique space has clean lines and tons of natural light. The photo opportunities in The Flats are great too so you don’t have to do to far from your reception or intimate dinner to capture your portraits.
1330 on the River: This might be one of Cleveland’s best kept wedding secrets, but we’ve been told news is going around about this place and it’s starting to book fast.
Basically next door to Collision Bend, 1330 has a private room that overlooks the Cuyahoga River. This room is a little more intimate and smaller than most. It also has a walking path directly into the room which creates a great experience for your guests and provides great photo opportunities. This room is great for rehearsals or an intimate dinner without all the traditional wedding elements. We recommend for a lowkey experience or a more upscale ceremony in a secondary location, then back to 1330 for an intimate gathering and dinner.
Hedge Gallery at 78th St. Studios: We love Hedge Gallery and cannot get enough. They are on a few of our lists but this place rocks and we want you to love it as much as we do. This location is great for off season or Winter weddings as there are tons of photo opportunities inside. The gallery itself is great for a ceremony paired with an intimate dinner or a fun cocktail hour. The art helps create great conversation and creates a secondary experience for your guests. Some of the gallery walls are movable to create an intimate space that makes sense for your wedding day dreams.
If Hedge Gallery isn’t for you, they have multiple spaces on site to create a unique and memorable wedding day.
The CoLab: Head over to Lakewood area is The CoLab. The reasons we love The CoLab? Let me count the ways. It’s basically two venues in one. With one side that has more speakeasy vibes and the other side is more light and airy, you won’t even notice that you are in a small venue. Everything you need is packed right into this intimate wedding venue. We also love that it’s right in downtown Lakewood so that you can pop out to a few local bars afterwards with some friends or head back to an area hotel to celebrate. We also love that this venue has a cozy bridal room to get ready as well which is an added bonus when it comes to smaller venues. With the two venue options or combining them, allows you enough space to have your ceremony and intimate dinner all the in same spot without feeling like you are trying to pack everything into one place.
The Grove at The Madison: Heading back to the Eastside of town is the well-known
Madison. You may have seen their large scale events or weddings on their site or in any of the area bridal magazines. The team over at The Madison recently opened a new room called The Grove that caters to much smaller and intimate events. This intimate garden themed room is perfect for a small ceremony then a room flip to cocktail hour/ dinner setting. Also, because they host larger weddings, you have access to some fun on site items like their champagne cart.
In addition, they have a few other options to downsized groups that allow for a more intimate and unique wedding day.
Olney Gallery: This hidden gem isn’t on the radar of most couples but it’s a great small
wedding space. This venue is full of beautiful early 20th century woodwork and architecture. Originally this was built to house the first art museum in Cleveland but it wasn’t opened in time and it was beat out by the Cleveland Metropolitan Museum.
This spacious room boasts beautiful woodwork and a customizable layout that makes the space feel private and special. We love the open feel of the room and the lofted space that could be used for a private moment between the bride and groom or a space to get ready. Located in Tremont it’s also close to the freeway for easy accessibility for your guests and potential photography opportunities at Lincoln Park, right down the road.
Blue Heron Brewery and Events Center- Heron Room: You may know Blue Heron for it’s amazing brews or huge ballroom space, but did you know they have a separate micro-wedding space? This location has some huge bonuses. They take care of all the catering and bar details to make planning a breeze. They also have a separate outdoor ceremony space that overlook the park areas. These areas make for some absolutely beautiful photo areas and a backdrop to your wedding ceremony that your guests will be talking about for years to come.
We highly recommend Blue Heron if you are looking for options that are a bit more ‘all-inclusive’ than a DIY venue. We suggest letting the professionals do what they do best so you can show up, look fabulous, and enjoy the day.
Steele Mansion: This historic mansion, located about 45 minutes East of Cleveland, is in Painesville OH. It’s truly unique and is definitely a show stopper. This beautifully kept mansion is great for smaller to mid-sized weddings.
We love this location for two major reasons. One of which is that the mansion is almost like a museum. Guests can walk freely around the mansion to view antiques, art, and historical artifacts. This is a great experience for your guests and gives them a heightened experience without having to hire additional vendors or plan anything extra. Secondly, the mansion boasts 16 guests rooms so you can stay and get ready on property, and so can your guests. These luxury style rooms are decorated to the period the mansion was built without sacrificing comfort. This is a great option for your guests to enjoy the party without having to drive home at the end of the night or find alternate accommodations.
The front of the mansion is beautiful and there are many locations on site for your wedding day photography. One thing people don’t think about when planning their venue, is how far they are from amenities like additional activities or stores. If you forget something or have guests coming in from out of town, they may need activities to keep them busy until wedding time. This venue is close to major shopping and Lake Erie. There are also some great restaurants near by if you are planning on hosting a rehearsal or welcome dinner for out of town guests.
Wildwood Cultural Center: This historic home is now a venue available for rent through the City of Mentor, which is close to about 45 minutes East of Cleveland. If you are looking for a woodsy wedding, or a rustic setting that isn’t a barn, this may be the venue you are looking for. This former Garfield Family Home has beautiful gardens and hiking trails that make it a wonderful location for photos and a unique style venue. The outdoor gazebo and patios are great for an outdoor wedding with a garden feel without your guests trampling through the grass in their best dress.
We also love this venue because the park where It’s located is very spacious so if you are planning on offering yard games during your reception time, there is enough outdoor space to do so.
Warehouse on the Canal: This newly renovated building can accommodate large and small
weddings alike. With multiple room options, you can downsize your wedding or space things out to use the entire venue. We additionally love the industrial but homey vibes, the mural in the bar and bridal suite spaces that add extra charm to your wedding day vibes.
There are so many great additions to this venue as well. The owners have spent a large amount of time thinking through the bridal spaces (which a great photo ops by the way) and filled the spaces with unique antique furniture (which could be removed if you don’t care for that vibe).
The town where the Warehouse on the Canal is located is especially cute. They owners have an Airbnb that you can book as a Newlywed Suite so you don’t have to travel to far after your wedding day experience. It’s tastefully decorated and has all the comforts you need the morning after your wedding day to recoup.
The Von Isley Estate: Looking for a mansion style wedding on a budget? Look no further than the Von Isley Estate. This beautiful estate home isn’t near Cleveland, but located in Niles, OH and is perfect for small gatherings. Niles is a cool and upcoming town and hosts one of the biggest pinball collections. This is notable that if your soon-to-be hubby / partner is like my Hubby, the guys will be looking for something to do before the wedding and this is better than the bar (for obvious reasons) or Golf (as people get burnt before they take all their wedding pics).
Reasons we love this space? The Von Isley has an outdoor ceremony space that allows you to have all the amenities you’re looking for in one place. We love the parlor rooms that allow for small, intimate gatherings. We also love that there is an option for the Bride and Groom to stay on property following the event so that you have all the comforts of your wedding day in one location.
This space does host larger weddings but the space is separated from the mansion and doesn’t impede on your small vibes. In addition, the space is decked out with period furniture and décor which creates a more cozy and elevated experience than a “room” or “hall” type venue.
Cleveland Urban Winery: If you are looking for a hip and funky space you need to consider Cleveland Urban Winery. Big flashy murals in their industrial vibe space mixed with fun furniture and décor. This space doesn’t say fun, its screams it. Not everyone has the same vision for their wedding day and if you are looking for something different, where your guests can let their hair down, this might be exactly what you’re looking for.
This space hosts an amazing bar and awesome, fun wine selection that we know your guests will enjoy. If you are looking for a less formal space, flexibility, fun times, and a little creativity we highly recommend CLE Urban Winery.
Marble Room: We couldn’t have this list without the Marble Room. If you are looking for an old money feel and want to give your guests an elevated experience, this is it. The Marble Room, located in downtown Cleveland has a few options for your intimate wedding day, one of which is our favorite: The Vault. The lower level is spacious enough for a small ceremony, cocktail hour in the (actual) Vault, then an upscale dinner for your family and closest friend. We highly recommend this location for an intimate and lowkey day.
The team at Marble Room ensure that every detail is covered for a truly upscale experience.
Epic spaces are truly are passion. We believe that the space you choose should reflect each couple, respectively. The space you choose tells a story, creates an atmosphere, and we be the setting for one of the most memorable days of your life (no pressure). We want to ensure that all couples get to express themselves and their personality on their wedding day.
Don’t see a venue here that you like? No worries. We assist couples all over the state of Ohio in finding a venue that fits their needs for their small wedding or elopement. In addition, we handle all the logistics of the venue to make the process of booking and execution of your day seamless so all you need to do is show up, look beautiful, get married, have fun. Doesn’t that sound great? We think so too.
Still want to shop around? Click here to see some of our other packages.
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