- How To Introduce Your Guests Ahead of Time
- Best Venures for Wedding Welcome Party Nashville
- Fab Nashville Caterers for Your Wedding Welcome Party
- Welcome Bag Goodies Made by Nashville Small Businesses
- BONUS! Extra Nashville Wedding Planning Resources
Introduce Your Guests Ahead of Time
Wedding welcome parties have become a mainstay of full weekend weddings! Chances are your wedding welcome party in Nashville will more than likely be the first time all of your guests are meeting in person! Exciting right? Can you picture everyone you know, in the same room, mixing and mingling ahead of your wedding? It’s an awesome feeling. But it can also be daunting. After all, you won’t want to spend your night walking around and personally introducing everyone. You’ve made it this far, it’s time to celebrate and skip the boring, awkward intros!
Digitally introducing your guests to one another ahead of your wedding weekend is a great way to break the ice. It’s also a fab way to show your guests how much you care about creating a fantastic experience for them. The best part? It takes less time than finding your way to the bar! Through your Guestie event you can introduce your guests to each other. Here, in addition to introducing your guests, they can get a glimpse of who else will be in attendance and start conversations with each other on your message board. That way, when your wedding welcome party arrives, your guests will arrive ready to have a fab night with a room full of faces they already know! The vibe will be high and the energy will be at max volume, kicking your wedding weekend into high gear!
Venues in Nashville to Host Your Wedding Welcome Party
First things first.. If you are planning a wedding welcome party in Nashville, you’ll need an amazing venue that will fit your vision and your guests! We took an in-depth look at some of the most amazing venues that Nashville has to offer. From wedding venues to live music halls and inspiring creative spaces, here are 10 you are guaranteed to love!
1) AB Hillsboro Village
A live music venue launched by local Nashville residents and husband and wife team Marcie and Derek Van Mol, AB Hillsboro Village is not just a venue, it’s an experience. Inside their walls, they’ve hosted everything from high-profile events to private events. It’s a welcoming venue that prioritizes inclusivity. But above all, attention to detail! AB exudes Southern Charm with its custom exterior and its welcoming spirit. If you’re thinking about hosting your wedding welcome party in Nashville at AB Hillsboro Village, you can find them online, here
Total Capacity: 250 guests standing, or 100 seated guests
On-Site Amenities: Full bar & kitchen, 100 private parking spaces, versatile layout with customizable configuration.
Location: 2111 Belcourt Ave Unit 101 Nashville, TN 37212
2) The Bell Tower
The Bell Tower truly lives up to its name! This 140-year-old church-turned-event venue is one of a kind. Inside you’ll find a cool and crisp modern aesthetic with exposed beams, heaps of natural light, and even an upper mezzanine level. The space is modern and charming. But it also has a hint of “if these walls could talk” with its old-world structure. If you’ve decided to roll your Nashville wedding welcome party into your rehearsal dinner, you are in luck because The Bell Tower has heaps of space to accommodate all of your guests.
Total Capacity: 700 guests for a standing cocktail reception, or up to 400 seated guests.
On-Site Amenities: In-house catering & on-site kitchen, access to 2 getting ready lounges, Whiskey tasting room, covered outdoor patio.
Location: 400 4th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37201
3) Cannery Hall
Looking for that brick building facade that embodies Nashville architecture? You’ll find it at Cannery Hall! In fact, the building dates back to 1883, with its history as a venue beginning in 1981. Cannery Hall is a go-to destination for local and emerging artists, but they also have a total of 4 private venue spaces available for rental. Private events at Cannery Hall are typically booked in “Amaranth”, we’ve included the total capacity for that space below!
Total Capacity: 380 guests for a standing event, or up to 160 guests seated.
On-Site Amenities: Fully customizable event space, 3 stages for live music that you can enjoy when your wedding welcome party wraps!
Location: 1 Cannery Row, Nashville, TN 37203
4) Clementine Hall
Since 1889 Clementine Hall has been a fab event venue where family and friends alike have come together. Clementine Hall celebrates love and fabulous cocktails! But a few things have changed since then. Namely, a restoration that has made the space a boutique event venue. They are not a blank slate venue but they don’t have the restrictions of an all-inclusive venue either! Clementine loves to help their guests conveniently create the event of their dreams, without all the restrictions. With two floors, both spaces inside the venue can host your wedding welcome party in Nashville.
Total Capacity: 300 guests for a standing cocktail event, up to 175 guests for a seated dinner
On-Site Amenities: Two indoor event spaces, private garden courtyard, private dressing room, catering kitchen, AV system, free parking
Location: 4710 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209
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5) Diskin Cider
Want to host your wedding welcome party in Nashville at a true cidery? Diskin Cider crafts cider in-house solely using freshly pressed apples. How amazing would it be to serve up locally brewed cider to your guests who have just arrived from out of town? The architecture inside the cidery is wooden planks and a ceiling full of hanging pendant lights. It’s an immersive experience that was created to purposefully emulate the barn tradition of having a freshly brewed cider with a friend, under the stars! Their aim is to make you feel at home and they’ve dedicated a portion of their cidery, The Tasting Room, to hosting private events.
Total Capacity: 500 guests for a standing cocktail reception, or up to 200 guests for a seated experience.
On-Site Amenities: Customizable event space, in-house food and beverage.
Location: 1235 Martin Street Nashville, TN 37203
6) Estelle
Built in 1807, Estelle is a Victorian home turned event venue with an intimate welcoming space. Estelle includes a drawing room, portico, carriage house, and an exquisite garden. The owners and creators of Nashville wedding venues Cordelle and Saint Elle are the same team behind the conception of Estelle. Architectural preservation and hospitality is at the forefront of all they do and their process is to make all feel welcome and celebrated! If you need a cozy space for your wedding welcome party in Nashville, that requires little to no decor (the space is gorgeous!) Estelle is a fabulous choice.
Total Capacity: Up to 100 guests
On-Site Amenities: Food and beverage service, open layout
Location: 814 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206
7) Ruby
A boutique-style event space, Ruby is hauntingly beautiful with its cherry wood-stained interior and soft lighting. Needless to say, it’s a vibe! In total, Ruby is comprised of four unique spaces. The Hall, Treehouse Courtyard, Park Courtyard, and Ruby Room & Entry. Depending on the size of the wedding welcome party you are hosting in Nahsvile, you may need access to all of the spaces on the property, and the team at Ruby is more than happy to show you how to allocate the space for your guests! To take a quick look inside Ruby, you can find them at this link.
Total Capacity: Up to 200 guests for a standing cocktail reception, or up to 135 guests for a seated dinner experience
On-Site Amenities: AV system, allocated space on property for food trucks, BYOB, pet-friendly.
Location: 2411 Blakemore Ave., Nashville 37212
8) The Valentine
Looking for the best rooftop space to host your wedding welcome party in Nashville? The Valentine is an upscale Honky Tonk Bar with rooftop space and options for hosting your private event on their rooftop, main floor, second floor (dubbed Dollywood), or third floor! Located in the heart of lower historic Broadway, The Valentine also serves up stick-to-your-ribs burgers, wings, and fried pickles. It’s a rocking fun place to host a party full of energetic vibes!
Total Capacity: Contact The Valentine at this link for more information.
On-Site Amenities: Four floors of party space, bar service, blank space layouts, views of Broadway.
Location: 312 Broadway Nashville, TN 37201
9) The Space at 100 Taylor
Looking for a super modern space that will inspire creativity while hosting your wedding welcome party in Nashville? The Space at 100 Taylor is a hybrid event and studio space! From weddings and private events to co-working and photoshoots, they host it all! The space itself is gorgeous, with wood flooring, a wood-planked ceiling, and brick walls throughout, it definitely has the Nashville vibe down! The best part? One of their core values is that their space exists as an “accessible, useful, and progressive space for our community”. Love! You can find The Space at 100 Taylor online, here.
Total Capacity: Up to 200 guests for a standing cocktail reception, or up to 125 seated guests
On-Site Amenities: Catering kitchen, wet bar, seating, open vendor policy (hire anyone you like!), AV system.
Location: 100 Taylor Street, Suite A9, Nashville, TN
Want your wedding to be the best party you’ve ever hosted?
Click here for a full list of features & create your account today!
10) Southall Farm & Inn
Nestled away in the lush rolling hills of Franklin Tennessee lies Southall Farm & Inn. A luxe 325-acre retreat, with greenhouses, crops, orchards, gardens, and dining and spa experiences that honor nature. Southall is an immersive resort experience where moments are meant to be savored and shared. The experience of arriving at Southall Farm begins down the winding roads that open up to greet you to its bounty of land. As a working farm with the luxuries of a five-star resort, Southall Farm is a truly rare wedding and event venue, making it an amazing choice to host your wedding welcome party before kicking off in Nashville!
Total Capacity: There are a total of 8 venue & event spaces at Southall Farm and Inn, each with varying total capacity, for full details, you can find them at this link.
On-Site Amenities: Overnight accommodations, spa, farm, catering, indoor/outdoor space.
Location: 2200 Osage Loop, Franklin, TN 37064
The Best Nashville Caterers for Your Wedding Welcome Party
Now that you’ve browsed through the venues, you are going to need a top-notch caterer who can take your welcome party to the next level! Before you hire your caterer, make sure your venue does not have a food & beverage minimum; meaning you’ll have to work with your venue to cater your event. The next bit of info you’ll want to have handy when you reach out to your caterer is whether or not your venue has an on-site kitchen.
Chances are, your Nashville caterer will be familiar with many of the venues in the area, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared! The last thing you’ll need to think about is what you want to feed your guests! Will it be the best local BBQ, a fab farm fresh plated dinner, deelish “help yourself to more” tacos, or do you have something else in mind? Either way, we’ve got you covered because you’ll find all that and more below, in the list of 10 Nashville caterers to host your wedding welcome party!
1) Actual Food Nashville
A full-service catering company that offers all levels of food and beverage service for your wedding welcome party in Nashville! Their menu can be fully customized to your tastes. From black tie gala’s to backyard barbeques Actual Food Nashville has served it all! For more on Actual Food Nashville’s catering services for your wedding welcome party, you can find them at this link!
2) Bacon & Caviar Gourmet
With a name like that, we just knew it was going to be good! Bacon & Caviar serves breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, late-night bites, and pretty much every other service in between. The Bacon portion of their name refers to their BBQ & home-cooked catering menu, while “Caviar” refers to their upscale southern selections. For a more in-depth look at what each of these menus entails, you can find Bacon & Caviar online, here.
3) Cart n’ Tacos
Have you ever met somebody who doesn’t like tacos? We didn’t think so! Cart n’ Tacos is a mobile taco truck that serves local events with a selection of three different taco types! You’ll get to choose from Ranchera Carne Asada, Tacos Al Pastor (marinated pork), fish, or veggie tacos. With your three selections made, your tacos will also be served with fresh onions, chopped cilantro, quartered limes, chips, salsa, rice, and beans. Plus some cheese and guacamole, for good measure! You can learn more about Cart n’ Tacos at this link.
4) Dream Events & Catering
Dream Events & Catering is a full-service event company that provides everything from cuisine and entertainment to planning and design! They’ve worked for gatherings of 2 and gatherings of 10,000. Their catering services include breakfast, lunch, & dinner which can be plated, served buffet style, or served at stations. Additionally, they also offer hors d’oeuvres and desserts. They will not only cater but also staff your wedding welcome party in Nashville as well! To work with Dream Events & Catering, you can find out more at this link.
Want your wedding to be the best party you’ve ever hosted?
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5) Edley’s Bar-B-Que
Want to really welcome your guests to Nashville for your wedding? Is there a better way than with fresh local BBQ? Edley’s believes in good food and great times and with a menu that includes items “off the smoker” and Nashville hot chicken, we’re inclined to agree with them! By the way, you’ll also find from-scratch sides like cornbread, coleslaw, mac n cheese, and banana pudding. To have Edley’s cater your Nashville wedding welcome party, you can find them here!
6) G Catering
The name of the game at G Catering is gracious service and creative cuisine! In addition to catering, they also offer bar services. G Catering serves up plated, buffet-style, or family-style dinners in addition to culinary stations for an enhanced guest experience. They offer sample menus for your wedding welcome party in Nashville, but they want you to know that you are not at all restricted to what’s on the menu! You are open to designing a menu that works best for you and your guests. For more on G Catering, you can find them online here.
7) Pig & Pie Catering
Breakfast, appetizers, dips, trays, entrees, and sides, Pig & Pie caters smoked barbecue with the taste of Tennessee! Are you familiar with the name? That might be because of their work with pro sports teams and celebrities. Pig & Pie is literally an award-winning caterer that has been “smokin” Tennessee for 20 years and counting! They pride themselves on affordable service with impeccable presentation; and professional, courteous service. For more information on having Pig & Pie smoke up some good old Tennesse BBQ at your wedding welcome party in Nashville, you can find them online at this link.
8) Smokin Thighs
This one is for the chicken lovers in the crowd! Smokin Thighs specializes in mouth-watering wings, thighs, and leg quarters that are applewood smoked and grilled, never fried! Their catering menu comes with the meat of your choice (plus toppings!), two sides, and your choice of their famed BBQ sauces. Need a side of sweet tea or banana pudding? They have that too! For more information on Smokin Thighs catering, you can find them here.
9) Chef Penelope’s Catering
Need an elevated take on gourmet cuisine for your wedding welcome party in Nashville? Chef Penelope’s Catering has 10 menus for you to choose from to build your dining experience. You’ll find appetizers, vegetables, starches, salads, seafood, chicken, and beef. And yes if you’re counting that’s not 10 because their menu offers up fusion selections as well! To make Chef Penelope’s Catering dining part of your experience, you can find them online here.
Want your wedding to be the best party you’ve ever hosted?
Click here for a full list of features & create your account today!
10) Crave
Delicious food that is beautifully designed? Sing us up! Crave serves beautifully plated meals and stunning stations. Their menus are fully customizable and cover everything from appetizers to entrees, desserts, and beverages! Their approach is to combine fresh flavors from the West Coast with the heartwarming plates of the Deep South. They highly encourage creativity during the menu planning process to create a memorable experience for your wedding welcome party in Nashville. You can see their online menus, or get in touch with Crave, at this link.
Where to Source the Best Local Gifts for Your Welcome Bags, from Nashville Small Businesses!
There’s one last thing you’ll need to make your Nashville wedding welcome party come to life, a great welcome gift bag for your guests! Especially, the guests from out of town. Your guests are a huge part of your wedding experience and this is your way of saying thank you for being here, we love you. But, we are not really big on one-time use, ends up in the trash or being left behind gifts. We know that your guests want something special and you want to be the one to give it to them. So we took a look at local makers. That’s right, products handcrafted with love right in Nashville by small business owners! There are all kinds of goodies from local shops including treats, bath & body products, postcards, and more, in the list below.
1) ABLE
We love a fab sustainable option! So these canvas totes from ABLE caught our eye as a great option for the actual wedding welcome bag to fill with goodies for your guests!
2) Colts Bolts
Colt’s Chocolates has been part of the Nashville food scene since 1984. Handcrafted in Nashville, they are famously known for their Colts Bolts; Milk or dark chocolate, custom blended with peanut butter, and freshly roasted whole almonds! A yummy addition to your guest’s welcome bag.
3) Goo Goo Clusters
Dubbed the official Nashville candy, Goo Goo clusters are crafted in-house just south of Broadway! If you won’t be in Nashville until just before your wedding welcome party, you can shop a variety of Goo Goo Clusters online. What’s not to love about peanut, caramel, marshmallow nougat, and milk chocolate? Your guests won’t be able to put them down, so go for the 3 packs!
4) Thistle Farms
Thistle Farms is a non-profit located in Nashville that is dedicated to community, activism, and volunteerism. In addition to their work in the community, they have a beautiful collection of essential oils, bath & body products, and candles. To shop their collection and add some of their decadent products to your guest’s goody bags, you can find them online here.
Want your wedding to be the best party you’ve ever hosted?
Click here for a full list of features & create your account today!
5) Loveless Cafe Biscuit Mix
You can send your guests home with a slice of the famed Loveless Cafe in the form of their famous biscuit mix! In fact, the cafe is known for its famous biscuits among other Southern-style items on its menu. You can grab their biscuit mix by popping into their store, or you can order it from them online. Side note: the biscuit mix weighs 2 lbs, so be mindful of any guests who have traveled by plane to attend your wedding welcome party in Nashville!
6) TruBee Honey
Beekeepers and sellers of raw honey and beeswax products, TruBee is located in Eagleville Tennessee. TruBee is a husband and wife team and they love serving up whipped honey and Bourbon barrel-aged honey. You can shop them online or pop into their local shop!
7) Shop a Little Sunshine
Nashville is a city with a pulse and a sound all its own! It’s a place where the lights shine bright and the next big star could be performing in a local honky tonk. It’s a vibe. If you’re searching for fun stickers, postcards, pins, and car fresheners from a local artist who embodies all the vibrancy of Nashville, you’ll find them at Shop a Little Sunshine’s Etsy shop!
8) Evo Originals
EVO’s line of products includes marinades, salsas, and their craft series of deelish BBQ sauces! Bold innovative flavors made in small batches right in Tennessee. Their flagship product is their original famous salsa, but their Greek marinade is an old family recipe. You can shop EVO originals online, right here.
9) Little Seed Farm
Natural products that are nourishing to the skin and dermatologist-approved! We know how hot it gets in Nashville, if you’re having a summer wedding welcome party, your guests will love having the goods from Little Seed Farm in their welcome bag. If you want to hear more about Little Seed’s mission or shop their products you can find them online, right here.
10) Nashville Toffee Company
We had to round out this list with one more Nashville-made sweet treat! Nashville Toffee Company is another local small-batch maker and their products are fabulously delicious. If you’re wondering, yes, they have toffee popcorn! Another amazing little goodie right from the heart of Nashville to pack inside your guests’ welcome bags.
Are you searching for even more Nashville wedding planning tips, tricks, and inspiration? Check out some of our Nashville-centric topics below!
- Everything You Need to Know About Hosting a Wedding Welcome Party
- How to Throw a Bomb Nashville Bachelorette Party
- 25 Places to Host Your Rehearsal Dinner in Nashville
- 20 Jewelers & Engagement Ring Shops in Nashville
- 15 Nashville Bridal Shops for a Unique Wedding Day Look
- Your Guide to Taking a Mini Honeymoon in Nashville
- A Guide to Planning a Wedding in Nashville
