Restaurant Reception?

We did not do this, but I have attended a wedding that did. It was a small destination wedding; I am guessing 20 to 25 people. We all went directly from the ceremony to the restaurant, where they had a cocktail hour set up for all the guests while the couple did photos. We were just in the bar area and had cocktails and finger foods. Then, once the couple arrived, we moved into a private dining room for dinner. Everyone attended, and it was a great time!

The one I attended in October 2022 wasn’t at a restaurant specifically, but it was the same style as the one Cece went to. They had a cocktail hour for guests in one area, and then after that it was only a meal (no dancing). It was around 25 people and I was not bothered by it at all! In fact, I really liked the chill atmosphere and it allowed us lots of time to talk with friends we had not seen in awhile and get to know new ones!

I appreciate the responses to this question as this is what my fiance and I are planning. Our guest list will be much smaller with just our siblings and children. Sounds like it will work out well.

I've been to two. They were lovely! It still felt very wedding like. One was six of us and one was around 30 people.

My parents got married in a chapel and then had a reception in a restaurant. They hosted about 20 close friends and family members. The pictures all looked very chic.

Good luck!

We are going to be having a micro wedding and are exploring venues like inns and bed and breakfasts that have restaurants or catering onsite. They usually have the cozy spaces needed for a party as small as ours - we are looking at about 20 people. We aren't doing dancing and I'm not bothered by it at all. I think people will enjoy having an intimate, relaxing dinner.

When you're looking for venues for this type of event, I suggest looking on intimateweddings.com. That website is a big help since it's focused specifically on the smaller wedding. Most places I've found have also been willing to host a ceremony onsite too, which eliminates the need for extra travel