A Classic Wedding Ceremony and Reception

The classic wedding brings together the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. The couple may choose to have their ceremony onsite or nearby and then follows photos, a cocktail hour, and the reception with dinner and dancing.

The main wedding day may be paired with a rehearsal dinner and/ or a post-reception brunch especially if many people are coming in from out of town to make it a weekend.

440 Elm offers a spacious facility with room for up to about 400 in a wedding configuration in our plaza and sanctuary

Our Approach to Classic Weddings

440 Elm has the spaces and team to make a classic wedding a fun and flexible experience.

Flow: Our general flow is to have a ceremony outdoors in our Plaza, a cocktail hour downstairs in our Parlor, and then the main reception upstairs in our Sanctuary. For groups < 150 (especially during the rainy season) it's possible to have the ceremony in the Sanctuary, bring guests downstairs for the cocktail hour, and then back upstairs for the reception. We'll have all of these transitions mapped out on the timeline, so there is a good setup and plan that you can work through with your planner.

Food: We love to create a personalized menu - our origin is as a thematic off-premise caterer so we have some very talented chefs, a well-equipped kitchen, and a long history of recipes at your disposal. The cocktail hour is generally a mix of passed appetizers with displays and/or some stations. For the reception, couples are choosing between a format where people are on the move (cocktail-style or buffet) vs. something where the food is brought to the table (family-style, plated). There are some implications of these choices on the timeline, speeches, and room setup, so we look forward to discussing this with you to make it a seamless experience.

Bar: At a wedding, one of the primary characteristics of good hospitality is getting people a beverage quickly so they can settle into an event. We'll work with you to create a beverage selection that minimizes lines and maximizes people connecting with each other. This may utilize a mix of fast lanes, signature cocktails, tray-passing, mocktails, and bar placement to ensure a great experience.

Wedding Professionals: We understand the importance of having wedding professionals you love and trust and who bring creativity and energy to your big day. We have recommended options and are also open to highly regarded, insured wedding pros (planner, florist, DJ, band, entertainment, officiant, rentals, etc).