7 Top Houston Wedding Venues

As wedding planners, our role is always to uncover the most meaningful ways to share the story of your relationship with your guests. We want to know how you met, why you love spending time together (and how you like to spend it!), and what you are most excited to experience on the day of your celebration. As important as food and flowers and stationery will always be, there’s also an element that helps to set the tone and act as a canvas for your wedding day – your wedding venue. 

We live and work and love in Texas, so it’s only natural for us to want to highlight the venues in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio where so many of the celebrations we have planned have taken place. Today, we’re highlighting the locations we love in our home city. So, meet seven of our favorite Houston wedding venues below.

THE BELL TOWER ON 34TH

When a venue is inspired by Italian villas, you know before ever setting foot on the property that it’s beautiful. But, then you arrive, and it’s more than you imagined. Meet The Bell Tower on 34th!

Why we love it: The venue is solely dedicated to hosting weddings and events, and their team is incredible. They also have a great executive chef onsite who masterfully crafts menus and never fails to meet the needs (and culinary whims!) of our couples. The architecture also offers plenty of inspiration, and the space is designed to host events with up to 1,200 guests; however, the flow of The Bell Tower on 34th is such that intimate weddings are just as easy to plan. 

Julie Wilhite Photography

THE HOUSTONIAN

Located in the Galleria District, The Houstonian offers a complete variety of indoor and outdoor spaces. Plus, we love that it’s located on many acres and boasts a wonderful pool and spa if you’re hoping to create a complete destination experience for your guests. 

Why we love it: The Houstonian has long felt like an oasis in the middle of the city to us. We love recommending this space for couples who are welcoming out of town guests because they will definitely feel relaxed and filled with fun by the time they depart. From a live oak with string lights to gardens, decks, and indoor ballrooms, the event spaces are numbered here. Plus, the culinary experiences do not disappoint! 

Julie Wilhite Photography

HOTEL ZAZA

We have shared how much we love Hotel ZaZa time and time again, so of course we had to include this Houston hotel on our list of favorite venues in the city! 

Why we love it: Hotel ZaZa is a boutique hotel (they have two Houston locations, ZaZa Houston Museum District + Hotel ZaZa Memorial City, as well as one in Austin and Dallas too) , so it has a completely unique feel woven throughout all of its interiors, including the ballroom spaces. We especially love the location in the heart of the Museum District. In the ballroom, you will find sweeping views of the city, which look even more incredible at night when the buildings are aglow. With its inviting backdrop, there are plenty of opportunities to weave in color palettes, style, and more.

Photo Credit: Nancy Aidee Photo

ST. REGIS

When couples mention they would like to host an elegant soiree that’s filled with luxury, we cannot recommend the St. Regis quickly enough! Located in the Uptown district, the space boasts up to 11 ballrooms from which to choose for a variety of events and guest counts.

Why we love it: We have long adored the St. Regis brand because their staff is unparalleled, and we know our couples and their guests will leave the celebration feeling truly pampered. Plus, there is always something to be said for a classic hotel ballroom wedding! The spaces at the St. Regis are filled with timeless style, and the spacious interiors forever keep guests protected from the Texas elements outside. There are plenty of ways to create a truly spectacular wedding here!

Photo Credit: Allen Tsai Photography

THE GROVE

When couples express their interest in celebrating in a space that’s modern with incredible cuisine, we’re always quick to recommend The Grove! Located in downtown Houston, the space is multi-level, modern with industrial flair, and offers views of Discovery Green. 

Why we love it: Houston is such a classic Texas city with plenty of historical charm, so when The Grove debuted with modern style in 2008 we were thrilled! We love working with clients to create a complete culinary experience for their guests, and The Grove’s team has the same view. We also love their passion for green spaces and eco-friendly events, which ties in perfectly with their location overlooking Discovery Green. 

Photo Credit: Edmonson Photography

CRYSTAL BALLROOM  

We love planning events for and with our clients when they want to embrace the history of Houston, and the Crystal Ballroom is one of the most historical venues in the city! Built in 1913 and located in the Rice Hotel, this space is in the heart of the city with a ballroom and adjacent smaller spaces, making it a wonderful choice for celebrations downtown. 

Why we love it: We’ve mentioned it already, but we love the history of the Crystal Ballroom, and we also love the location. The Rice Hotel is near the Theatre District, airport, Minute Maid Park, and the George R. Brown Convention Center, so it’s conveniently located near many landmarks for guests to enjoy. The interior of the space is also gorgeous – crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, a built-in stage is primed for a band, and the full design is original to 1913 when the Crystal Ballroom opened. 

Photo Credit: Agape House Studio

COHEN HOUSE

We are quick to support the colleges and universities who call Houston home, and Rice University is one of them. On their campus, they also have a wonderful venue, the Cohen House, that serves as the faculty’s club. The space includes both interior and exterior spaces, including a garden, and all have a beautiful feel that’s as historic as they are welcoming. 

Why we love it: It’s likely a given, but one of the top reasons why we love this property is for its ties to Rice University! We love the pride of this college, and our couples also love the ease of celebrating their ceremony onsite (if they choose!). Rental of the Cohen House includes multiple spaces, including the living room, terrace, main dining room, and outdoor garden, which provides plenty of inspiration for design and layout. With the ability to host events with up to 300 guests, Cohen House suits the needs of our couples well, while always feeling at once spacious and intimate. 

Photo Credit: Dana Fernandez Photography

Are you planning a wedding in Houston? Which venue draws you in the most? We would love to talk much more about how Houston can be the backdrop for your wedding day!

Check out our Top Austin Wedding Venue too!

Weddings To Celebrate :: Jen and Andy at The Vista on Seward Hill

Ahh I loved working with Jen and Andy! From design to the selection of just about every vendor, we spent a lot of time together, and I miss them already!

Enjoy these pictures from our ever-talented office-mate, Tyler Schmitt of The Mill Photography Studio.

Jen + Andy - let's do it again!! :)

xoxo,

jessica

Cast of vendors:

• Wedding Planner - Jessica Moore of Something To Celebrate

• Venue - Vista on Seward Hill

• Caterer - Word of Mouth

• Cakes - Simon Lee Bakery

• Floral Designer - Last Petal Floral Studio

• Photographer - The Mill Photography Studio

• Videographer - Adam Grumbo Films

• Rentals - Marquee

• Lighting - Austin Event Lighting

Wedding Planning Advice: Send-off Items | Texas Wedding Planners

In American weddings, we have a tradition of distributing a "send off" item to guests at the end of the night that they then use to celebrate the bride and groom as they exit the reception.

Previous generations used rice exclusively for their wedding send-offs.

This tradition

stemmed from Roman times when wheat (as a symbol of fertility) was thrown at the bride and groom. Under Queen Elizabeth I, wheat was replaced with wheat cakes, which were broken into pieces and thrown. These wheat cakes were later replaced by the more affordable substitute of rice.

These days, rice is rarely the send-off item of choice, largely because of an

urban legend

that rice makes birds explode when ingested. Aside from this misconception, there are many other reasons rice is rarely chosen - rice is difficult to clean-up, it's a slipping hazard, and it HURTS when you're pelted with a handful of rice.

Italian tradition is to throw confetti, symbolizing money and good fortune. Scottish tradition is to throw flower petals as a symbol of fertility. Both of these options can be troublesome to clean-up crews and are thus forbidden by many reception venues. What are other options?

Our clients frequently choose

sparklers

, which make a beautiful exit. But sparklers have their own troubles - they are dangerous for obvious reasons (especially when handled by inebriated guests) and are frequently not allowed, especially when there's an active "burn ban" in the area.

Bubbles are another popular option, but create a silent send-off, as it's impossible to cheer and blow bubbles at the same time.

Noise makers, streamers, kazoos, glowsticks - we've seen so many great, creative choices for send-off items!

Recently, I've noticed an increased number of couples choosing to forgo the send-off items all together, leaving the guests to simply cheer and applaud. I must say, I love this trend! It eliminates unnecessary waste, is safe, and is just as fun as the other options. Win!

What did/will you use for your send-off item? Why?

Happy Planning!

jessica

something to think about:: wedding website

Want an easy way to share all the information about your upcoming wedding day? Create a wedding website! Your guests will be thanking you :) 

If you decide to create a wedding website, here are some tips for the perfect site:

1) Easy, memorable URL: If available, try to secure a domain name that has both of your names - this makes it more memorable for your family and a bit more special for you, too. Try combinations like these examples:

 - SuzyAndJoe.com
- SuzyJoeWedding.com

Or you can make sure your wedding website fits on the invitations by using a URL shortener like Google's URL shortener or Bitly.

Click here for some great wedding websites!

2) Information for Venues: You'll want your guests to have as much information as possible so they can easily find the venues and arrive on time. This page can have the following:

• Interactive map that can supply directions. One way is to embed a Google Map.
• Phone number for a contact at the Venue
• Time Ceremony starts
• Any additional special instructions or information

Pro tip: Include a link to download a document with location, phone number and other details for the venue. Some attendees will want to print the map out and have the information at their fingertips on your big day.

3) Hotel Information: List multiple hotels in the area to offer your guests plenty of options at different price ranges. Be sure to include the following information on your hotel page:

• Location
• Contact information for the hotel
• Any special rates or codes a guest should mention to get a special rate

4) Registry information: Many stores offer an online element for their registries. You can link directly to your registry from this page. Popular registries to include are:

• Macy's
• Crate and Barrel
• Bloomingdales
• Williams-Sonoma

Pro Tip: You can even add items that are not part of an official registry. For example, you can add your Amazon.com wish list or a link to a specific item on Etsy!

5) Proposal Story: Everyone loves a great love story, so give the people what they want! This is your chance to talk about how the proposal happened and everyone will naturally want to know all the details.

6) Photo Albums: Photo albums on wedding sites can be compiled into different categories. Here are ideas for how to organize your photos into different albums:

• As A Couple
• Engagement Pictures
• Wedding Pictures
• Honeymoon Pictures

Pro tip: For the wedding and honeymoon pictures, put up a cute placeholder image and add the photos after you're officially a Mr. and Mrs.!

7) RSVP form: Let your guests RSVP straight from the website. An easy way to do this and keep it all organized is to make a form using Google Docs, embed it in the site, and set up the form to notify you when someone has sent an RSVP.

Make this form short and sweet with a comments section so your guests can send a personalized message. Here's an idea for what fields to include in your RSVP form:

• Will you be attending? _ Accept With Pleasure _ Regretfully Decline
• List all Names of Guests Attending/Not Attending
• Email Address
• Vegetarian dish
• Comments

8) Your Special Touch: Whether the site is designed with your wedding colors or you both have a favorite font - be sure to add a sweet digital token of your love to the site to make it yours. Other ideas include:

• Wedding Party List - Show your friends you're grateful for all their support by mentioning them with his and hers lists. You can even list a fun fact about why they were chosen like "Sam introduced us at her Halloween party!"
• Comment Form - This lets people leave general well wishes on your site that will be displayed publicly.

9) Vendors: Want to show some love to that cute Etsy shop that handmade your dress? Here's the chance to promote vendors that you're excited about. You can list this as links to their sites with a short description of why you love them.

10) Wedding Date: Be sure to include this on the homepage and many additional pages, perhaps at the bottom of each page (the footer) or incorporated at the top in the header.

article courtesy of Huffington Post Weddings