Wedding Blog

We started our search for a venue over a year ago, and it was by far the one wedding decision that required the most leg-work and careful research. We didn’t visit some well known locations like the Priory, Hyeholde or Armstrong Farms, but we did look at a variety of venues running a whole range of prices. Most of the observations below are a year old, so take them with the usual amount of salt.

The Union Project — This venue is the best bargain on the list. It is a community center located in a former Baptist Church on the corner of Stanton and Negley in the Highland Park neighborhood. The rental fees were incredibly reasonable (I think about $100 per hour), and it is one of the few places that gives the option to bring in outside catering, though they do contract with the Quiet Storm. The QS has good food and is one of the cheaper catering companies in the city. However, I have the feeling that it might provide only vegetarian food.

Anyhow, the rental fee includes chairs and the sanctuary is large enough to hold at least 200 people seated at tables if you want to hold the ceremony and reception all in one place.

While I think this venue is a gem for the price, it has undergone renovations and changed management in the last year. Still, check it out if you are looking to save some cash or even cater your own bash yourself.

The National Aviary — We really liked this venue, but it was a little too small for us. Neither the garden tent, nor the atrium can hold more than 150 people. The rental fee includes access to all of the exhibits, which means that some guests might get pooped on by the birds in one of the forest habitats. Still, it is a unique, not-boring venue for brides and grooms looking to spend a moderate amount.

It requires the use of its own in house catering, but this option was cheaper than almost any museum space we could find and the staffing fees were modest.

The Carnegie Science Center — This is a true nerd venue. If you book the science theater as your ceremony venue you will get two free science demonstrations. This means you can say ‘I do’ to artificial lightning or molten metal. Receptions are held in the first floor lobby and guests can play with the exhibits during cocktail hour.

We really liked this venue, but we found the lobby to be a bit bland and hard to personalize. The museum contracts with only one catering service which you will be required to use if you want to serve food. I’ve talked to another bride who had her wedding at the Science Center; she had a food station set up and raved about the quality. However, the food and alcohol costs, plus the extra linen and staffing fees, pushed this venue to be the most expensive that we considered. Despite this, it is worth a look, especially because you’ll get a free copy of the Pennsylvania edition of the Knot magazine from the wedding coordinator when you arrive.

The Center for the Arts — It’s the big yellow mansion on the corner of Shady and Fifth Avenue. It is home to an art museum and is located conveniently next to some of the prettiest parts of Mellon Park. Guests can wander around the art exhibits or party in the patio tent. The tent only holds about 150 people, less with a dance floor, but seating can spill out into the museum proper.

This location had the most rules and the most extra fees. No red wine is allowed and noise can’t go above 81db. You’ll pay an extra security deposit, a fee to shut off the parking meters for guests, and a fee if you want to use any caterer not on the museum’s approved list. Even then, any outside caterer must have liability insurance and be approved by the event coordinator. She can be a little hard to get a hold of, but your best chance to get an email reply is to be very specific when you ask questions. Yes/no questions get the best response rate.

Center for the Arts - Carriage House — This is a smaller, much less expensive venue than the main Center for the Arts building and it has a different coordinator. However, it does have the same access to Mellon Park as its big sister. I don’t recommend it for weddings with more than 100 guests, and the banquet room has a tile drop ceiling that makes the space seem a little claustrophobic. It does have a nice patio for dancing and there don’t seem to be the same fees or extra rules that the main building has.

It doesn’t appear to have its own website, but it is located behind the Center for the Arts. It is staffed by some nice volunteers who are more than happy to give tours and answer questions.

To be continued…