If you're getting married in Brooklyn and need a venue, then this article is for you. I'm a Brooklyn wedding DJ who does 50 to 70 weddings a year. I don’t claim that what I’ve put together here is perfect, but I hope it helps. So with my experience and a little help from Google, maybe we can find out together,,, What are the best wedding venues in Brooklyn?
The best wedding venues in Brooklyn are The Green Building, 26 Bridge, 501 Union, Dobbin Street and MyMoon. These are all stylish venues, located in cool neighborhoods with great staff.
The 5 Best Wedding Venues in Brooklyn
The Green Building
The Green Building is a cool venue located in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. It used to be a brass foundry, so it has a warehouse feel. It's brick walls and floor-to-ceiling windowed doors give it a quintessential "Brooklyn" look. And the staff are awesome to work with. I absolutely love this venue.
Capacity: 250 guests for a cocktail party, 160 for a sit-down dinner.
Location: The neighborhood is Gowanus, right in between Carroll Gardens and Park Slope, two very nice residential Brooklyn neighborhoods. But this area is quiet and used to mostly be occupied by warehouses. Besides a few bars nearby for an after-party, it's on a quiet block.
Layout and Vibe: The Green Building has one large room with a spacious outdoor area behind it. There are large doors in the main space that open onto the street and many couples walk through them to enter their ceremony. The ceilings are very high and the cool brick walls are bare, so they are great for many types of lighting, be it string lights, uplighting or monogram. Often tables are set up on each side of the room and the space in between is used for the ceremony and the dance floor, but I have seen other setups.
Outdoor Area: There's a lovely 2,400 square foot outdoor area right behind the main room that can be used for cocktail hour. The Green Building has a full sound system and cocktail hour is when I usually take advantage of it. I've seen a tent out there (great for rain) and an ice cream truck for dessert.
Price: Get in touch with them for a personalized quote
Read my recap of one of the beautiful weddings I DJed at The Green Building.
26 Bridge
A former metal factory, 26 Bridge is a large venue with high ceilings and brick walls. It's a big raw space that you can design how you like. Perfect for a big wedding and dance party.
Capacity: 375 standing and 250 seated
Location: In DUMBO, a cool and trendy former warehouse neighborhood. Very close to Manhattan. On a quiet block located near the water although you can't see it.
Layout and Vibe: It's got a cool Brooklyn warehouse vibe to it. There are two rows of windows in the ceiling so you can get light on your ceremony and cocktail hour. There are large hanging lights, but the walls are bare so perfect for any type of lighting like uplights, monogram, etc...
Outdoor Area: No.
Price: For a 14-hour rental, Friday or Sunday: $8,000, Saturday: $10,000, weekdays available too, check their site.
Read my recap of one of the beautiful weddings I DJed at 26 Bridge.
501 Union
501 Union is the sister venue of The Green Building listed above. While The Green Building is one large raw space (with back patio), 501 has 3 different rooms, perfect for a wedding. Amazing light fixtures in the main room and custom details throughout give this venue a unique and cool vibe. I love DJing weddings here and recommend it constantly.
Capacity: Fully-seated wedding ceremony: 144 in the covered atrium; or up to 250 in main space, depending on furniture. Fully-seated dinner with dance floor: 140-160 depending on furniture & layout choices. Standing-room only or conference events: 299.
Location: Across the street from the Green Building. See above.
Layout and Vibe: There are three rooms at 501 Union, the lounge, the atrium and the main room. The lounge is in the front and connects to both other rooms. It has a bar in it and is perfect for cocktail hour. The atrium is also in front and is usually used for ceremonies. It has floor to ceiling sliding doors that fully open to the street and they have even driven a food truck into this room. The main room is known for its impressive light fixtures and center skylight and often used for the reception. If you have a bigger crowd you can also have your ceremony in there.
In general, 501 is more finished and less gritty than its sister venue, The Green Building. Visually, it is hard to beat, so choose a great photographer if you have your wedding here. As for lights, the walls in the main room have mirrors, sconces and more so uplights would have to be strategically placed and are probably not necessary. Party lights would be fine if that's your vibe.
Outdoor Area: No, although you can open the large floor-to-ceiling front doors to the street.
Price: Get in touch with them for a personalized quote.
Dobbin Street
Dobbin Street is an awesome venue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with an open rooftop area for your ceremony and/or cocktail hour and a large indoor space below for your reception.
Capacity: 275 for seated dinner with dance floor, 400 standing room only, check their website for more options.
Location: Dobbin Street is in Williamsburg, one of the trendiest and in-demand neighborhoods in New York City. Nearby many chic hotels and hard to get into restaurants, Dobbin is in a cool area. The venue is located on a quiet street a couple of blocks from a large park and nearby Greenpoint, another great neighborhood.
Layout and Vibe: The main space of Dobbin Street has a loft-like vibe with stone floors. It's a large room with really high ceilings. There is a raised second-floor area with rooms where you can get ready and your wedding party can hang out.
But I think Dobbin Street is most famous for its finished roof with (Brooklyn) city views. Most times I have DJed there, my couple had their ceremony and cocktail hour up on the roof and afterward, dinner and dancing in the main room below.
Outdoor Area: Rooftop. FYI, the rooftop is only accessible by stairs.
Price; In the busiest months, on Friday & Sunday it is $9,600, and on Saturday, $11,600 check their website for more pricing options.
Read my recap of one of the beautiful weddings I DJed at The Green Building.
MyMoon
MyMoon is a large Spanish tapas restaurant that specializes in weddings. Located in a trendy neighborhood, it is a one-stop-shop that handles almost every aspect of your wedding. I love DJing there and the staff is helpful and nice (ask for Lee, the wedding manager).
Capacity: 166 guests for a seated dinner, 250 for cocktail style affairs.
Location: See Dobbin Street above, because MyMoon is also located in Williamsburg, but it's more in the heart of Williamsburg.
Layout and Vibe: When you walk into MyMoon, you first pass their outdoor area with a few hangout spots and a large space on the right where you could have your ceremony. Inside, there are funky booths, sconces, and curtains that give the room a cool international look. The main room has high ceilings with room for tables and a dance floor. There is a lounge area to the left of the main room.
MyMoon is a great venue, and one of the best things about it is it's very self-contained, so that means less planning for you. Since they're a restaurant, you don't have to hire a separate caterer. And the food there is great! They will act as your day-of coordinator so you don't need a wedding planner and they have a full sound system that is pretty good so your DJ or band will love it too.
Outdoor Area: Yes, in front there is a finished patio with covered and open areas. You can do your ceremony and cocktail hour out there.
Price: Contact them
Conclusion
So those are the best wedding venues in Brooklyn according to me. This is not an ad and none of the venues knew I was going to write this. I chose trendy over traditional, leaving out venues like The Grand Prospect Hall but if that's your thing, no judgment!
I also left out places I've only worked at one time like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (also a great choice). Please let me know what your favorite Brooklyn venue is and email me if you are looking for a DJ for your Brooklyn wedding!