The Grove at City Market is a unique wedding venue in downtown Raleigh, nestled in the historic City Market district with cobblestone streets and market lights.

Market Hall is its larger sister venue, also located in historic City Market, but The Grove caters to smaller weddings. They can seat just over 100 people, but can go a bit larger for cocktail style events.

The venue is sort of 3 individual spaces in a horseshoe shape: there’s a bar area connecting two rooms, with the bar itself wrapping around the kitchen between those two rooms. The larger room is likely where you’d have your dinner, and you could have your dance floor there if your guest list is on the smaller side. The smaller room provides an indoor ceremony option, and could also be a lounge area or a dedicated dance floor. You can even curtain off sections of the horseshoe to create more individualized spaces.

My favorite part is the courtyard though. The Grove at City Market juts up against its namesake district with a brick and gravel courtyard looking out onto the cobblestone streets. The Grove’s courtyard is well shaded by the large trees, but you can also tent it. This would be my first choice for ceremony location, and it’s also perfect for getting some fresh air during a reception. They have comfortable outdoor furniture, a fire pit, and the pretty market lights that decorate the rest of City Market.