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Weddings

About

Congress Hall is one of the top wedding venues located along the shores of Cape May, New Jersey. The venue is described as the complete wedding experience, offering expansive lawns, intimate dining spaces, luxurious cocktail lounges, on-site restaurants, a day spa, a nightclub, spacious gathering areas and a beautiful Grand Ballroom. This exclusive wedding venue is timeless, classic and tastefully decorated with Victorian charm. For over 100 years, Congress Hall has served couples and their families by providing the wedding day of their dreams.

Facilities and Capacity
The resort is able to accommodate weddings of all shapes and sizes. Nature lovers can be married on the Grand Lawn surrounded by views of the Cape May coast. You’ll be able to begin your journey as a married couple alongside the ocean. For large gatherings indoors, Congress Hall provides the Grand Ballroom. The spacious facility is able to host up to 250 guests in a space with continuing themes of Victorian charm.

Services Offered
As a complete wedding experience, couples can trust that their wedding will be hassle-free. The staff at Congress Hall offer attentive service, event planning and luxurious accommodations. While you relax in a beachfront room, the staff will handle the coordination of your event from beginning to end. Their catering team and event decor will be ready upon your arrival. All you have to do is be married and enjoy your wedding day. Your reception will be complete with Congress Hall’s audio and lighting capabilities, perfect for any DJ, band or staging team to use. Finish off your day of celebration with the resort’s cake, specially made for your event.

Cuisine
The catering team provides a complete range of options that any couple can enjoy. Dining options include both hot and cold hors-d'oeuvres to be passed by a team of servers. Dinners can be presented in plated form or family style with specialty stations as an additional bonus.

Accommodation
Guest rooms at the resort provide every guest with a relaxed environment to decompress. Many provide picturesque views of the sandy beaches and crashing waves. Newly renovated suites are also available and provide ample amount of space to prep for your big day.

Other Facilities
As a place of relaxation, the resort offers other amenities to help you prep for your wedding day. The Sea Spa allows you to unwind before and after your wedding day and offers a full range of beauty treatments. The fitness center, bike rentals and beachside services will also be available for you and your guests to enjoy.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$2,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$2,500

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

No

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
Parking
Set Up
Tables

Describe your venue:

Banquet Hall
Historic Building
Hotel

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party

What event services do you offer?

Accommodations
Event Planner

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Valet
Wheelchair Access

Reviews of Congress Hall

Maria
Maria Sent on 12/24/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Cape May Charm

Catherine helped us have the wedding of our dreams on September 23rd! We did not hire a separate day-of coordinator, which I do not regret - Catherine helped coordinate our rehearsal, set up any decor or things we brought the day of the wedding, as well as packing it all up at the end of the night and making sure all of our items were returned to us. Unfortunately a tropical storm with high winds hit the day of our wedding, and Congress Hall seamlessly pivoted to institute a plan - they even closed the Boiler Room to allow us to have our cocktail hour there while they turned over the Ballroom from the ceremony to the reception. They allowed my bridesmaids and I get ready in the Harrison Room, which was perfect for our larger size party. Our guests could also not stop raving about the food. One correction I do have though is the website says the ballroom fits up to 250 which is not true - with a dance floor, under 200 fits more comfortably (we were worried we'd have close to 220 and this was going to be a difficult squeeze). Overall we were thrilled with our special day turned out, and so happy we could share the charm of Congress Hall and Cape May with our family and friends. We can't wait to return to celebrate our 1 year anniversary and for years to come.
S
Sarah Sent on 01/20/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Rehearsal Dinner/Welcome Drinks Location!

The Harrison Room at Congress Hall was the perfect venue for our rehearsal dinner and welcome drinks the Night before our Wedding on September 15, 2022! It was the best place to kick off an amazing weekend in Cape May! All guests enjoyed experiencing a piece of Cape May history and loved the beauty and history of Congress Hall. Madeline was extremely helpful and flexible with planning and coordinating the entire evening, even providing wristbands for the welcome drinks to make the evening go seamlessly. Following an intimate, delicious Mediterranean buffet rehearsal dinner, we had all our friends and family enjoy welcome drinks outside at the Veranda Bar. The evening was perfect in every way. We were especially lucky with gorgeous weather. We highly recommend booking the Harrison Room to kick off a wedding weekend in Cape May!
Patricia
Patricia Sent on 01/10/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Perfection!!

Congress Hall was my dream wedding destination! The beauty of the building itself, the decor, the history! My expectations were far exceeded! Erin is absolutely amazing to work with! She made our day absolutely perfect! We had our rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception and morning after breakfast all at Congress Hall. The food was DELICIOUS!!! Our guests are still commenting on how delicious the food was! The service was incredible! We transitioned from the Grand Ballroom to the Harrison Room and back and it went flawlessly. The staff was professional and accommodating. Many of our guests stayed at both Congress Hall and The Star Inn and expressed how wonderful their rooms were. We had a room with an Ocean View that was pure magic! Erin took care of everything! We showed up on Friday for the rehearsal and didn't have to worry about a thing the whole weekend! It was the most perfect weekend!! Thank you to Erin, Jenn, and the Congress Hall staff for making my dream wedding wishes come true!!
Casey
Casey Sent on 12/07/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Special Seaside Venue!

From the day we were engaged, we knew Congress Hall was our wedding venue. Both my husband and I spent our summers vacationing in Cape May with many memories surrounding the seaside resort and now we have one for the books! Our wedding day was everything we dreamed of and more thanks to our wedding coordinator Jeri Anne. She was highly professional, organized and patient... at times, we had some fairly atypical requests that were always accommodated! There were a few hiccups the day of but nothing that hindered our overall experience.
We were appreciative of the preferred vendor list that they provided upon booking and ended up using several of the vendors on the list. Our guests were impressed by all that Congress Hall had to offer, especially the food and the gorgeous grounds-- they are still commenting on what a lovely event it was!
Stephanie
Stephanie Sent on 10/21/2018
5 out of 5 rating

a gorgeously, unique venue

5 Stars all the way around!! My husband and I got married in November at Congress Hall, and we could not have asked for a better venue to host our wedding day! From the booking with Krystina, to the planning with Jeri Anne, and then the actual wedding day with the whole CH Team, Congress Hall was absolutely accommodating and just spectacular! Jeri Anne was the absolute best to work with! She made sure everything was perfect. I did not have to worry about a thing; every detail was executed to my expectation. The service was impeccable and flawless! Our guests raved about the venue and are still raving about it today. Congress Hall is a gorgeously, unique venue in a quaint historical town. Thank you so much for a perfect, magical day that we will always remember!
N
Nicole Sent on 11/30/2017
5 out of 5 rating
You can not go wrong with Congress Hall. They are the best of the best!!!! Jenn was fantastic (Give that woman a raise she had to deal with my crazy family). Well worth the money, I have been told so many times we had the best wedding ever, and that the service was amazing. They gave great vendor recommendations. Food was ON POINT!!!
L
Lindsay Sent on 08/05/2017
5 out of 5 rating
Our wedding at Congress Hall was absolutely flawless and I loved every detail. Hands down the best wedding venue in Southern NJ (and beyond in my opinion). The aesthetics paired with history of Congress Hall are wonderful, the food was delicious and our guests raved about how impressed they were with our wedding and how much fun they had. A special thanks to Jeri Anne, our wedding coordinator who is beyond amazing! I loved my correspondence leading up to the wedding with Jeri Anne who was so organized and enthusiastic. She helped to make things so easy and was so accommodating especially as I planned from out of town. On the weekend of the wedding, she impressed us even more with her eye for detail, proactivity and kindness. She truly is a gem who we felt lucky to work with! We can't wait to come back for our anniversary!
L
Laura Sent on 07/06/2017
5 out of 5 rating
Such a beautiful place inside and out. The staff was amazing and so helpful. It was raining in the morning so we decided to move cocktail underneath the overhang where the rocking chairs even though it had stopped raining (did not want everyone having to walk on wet grass) and I have to say I actually like it better because we were not in direct sun (we got married in June). Amazing place - you can't go wrong with Congress Hall!
K
Kristin Sent on 11/22/2016
5 out of 5 rating
I cannot even begin to explain how amazing our wedding at Congress Hall was! The best part about it was how easy everything was. Our wedding coordinator Jeri Anne was the absolute best. She was so amazing about helping by reaching out to vendors, answering my questions, and setting everything up. There were actually times where I was wondering if i was missing something or if there was something I forgot because I felt like things seemed way too easy. Congress Hall was better then I could have ever imagined and they make it such a stress free experience. They literally provide you with a packet of everything you need to pick out, charts for seating and even give you lists of great vendors. We also had our rehearsal dinner at the rusty nail which is owned by congress hall so we did not have to pay a site fee as a result. Being from North Jersey and comparing the prices of the venues there to the price of congress hall (during peak season) was very reasonable and you really pay for what you get. The food was amazing and you get to pick from some really great options! The cocktail hour out on the veranda is so great and even though it rained on our wedding day we were still able to have it outside. All my guests rave about how beautiful the room was and we were able to fit all 190 of our guests in there comfortably. The tiffany blue walls looked so beautiful in all the pictures and even the pictures we got throughout congress hall and outside are amazing. They also provide the cake which was delicious and very pretty! I highly recommend the cannoli cake many guests told me it was the best wedding cake they had :) I really cannot recommend getting married at congress hall enough and make sure you request Jeri Anne she is beyond helpful and responsive!
M
Alyson Sent on 09/30/2015
5 out of 5 rating
Congress Hall was absolutely AMAZING and all of our guests can not stop gushing to us about how much they loved our wedding. First off, our coordinator Jenn O'Neill was fabulous! She (and Krystina Kennedy) always answered my numerous e-mails promptly and if they couldn't answer a question, they found someone who could. I can not thank them enough for making our wedding run absolutely without a hitch. Congress Hall is of course gorgeous, and we loved that we could have everything from our Rehearsal Dinner to Sunday Brunch all in the same place. The food was superb and if anyone went home hungry it was their own fault, because there was enough provided with even their base package to feed an army. We ended up having less people than their minimum, so Jenn and Krystina worked out some additions to our package to make up the difference, which made us feel like they weren't just in it for the money and they wanted us to have the best experience possible. Even though it was expensive, if I had to do it all over again I would still choose Congress Hall because they gave me the wedding day of my dreams!
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Awards

49
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner

Map

Congress Hall frequently asked questions

Congress Hall includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • China
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens
  • Parking
  • Set Up
  • Tables
The space offered by Congress Hall for wedding events is known for:
  • Banquet Hall
  • Historic Building
  • Hotel
Congress Hall offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Covered Outdoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Congress Hall offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
Congress Hall offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Accommodations
  • Event Planner
Congress Hall is recommended by 95% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.7 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.8 in quality of service, 4.8 in average response time, 4.8 in professionalism, 4.7 in flexibility and 4.6 in value.
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