Laura Carrione and Christopher Antoniello were strolling through Montclair on a December day. As they neared Porta, an Italian restaurant and bar, the eatery’s prominent marquee came into view. It read: “Will You Marry Me?”—Chris’ surprise proposal for Laura, who happily accepted. Afterward, the Porta staff invited the pair in for a toast and complimentary meal.
They didn’t know it just yet, but Laura and Chris were stepping into their wedding venue. Exactly one year later, on December 13, 2025, the couple tied the knot at Porta Montclair.
They had discussed wanting to find a nontraditional venue and considered renting a museum or library, but that route proved to be too DIY for their liking. In the end, Porta was the perfect pick for the couple who was focused on food and fun.
Following their ceremony at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Bloomfield, their cocktail hour took place on Porta Montclair’s first floor. Small plates of fried ravioli, grilled vegetable skewers, stuffed mushrooms, arancini and more were passed around to their 110 guests as they mingled, enjoyed the open bar and stopped by the signature drink station by Pourtraits, where photos of guests were printed onto the foam of espresso martinis.
The reception was upstairs in the “disco-tech room,” complete with string lights, exposed wooden beams and large pizza ovens. Chris and Laura’s first dance and parent dances took place under the shimmering disco balls with DJ Spirito queuing up the beats. Everybody had assigned seats at long picnic tables for a sit-down dinner of salad, pizza, pasta, chicken cutlets, broccoli rabe and meatballs.
Laura & Chris at Porta Montclair
Porta was already decorated for the holidays, so the couple continued the Christmas theme with candles, red and white flowers, and mini stocking favors with edible coal inside. In an adjacent garden room, there was a 360 photo booth by Shade Video, which also supplied videographers. Dessert featured beignets, an ice cream bar, and chocolate fountain by Conrad’s Concessions, and the Cannoli Guy passing out the Italian pastry on the dance floor. As their photographer, Francesca Leite of Francesca Marie Photography, wrote on Instagram, “their reception was giving cozy Italian Christmas dinner party vibes.”
Guest feedback proves that their Porta Montclair wedding was a hit. “We have a friend who was definitely a little hesitant for us at first, a little questioning of the whole experience,” says Laura. “But the morning after our reception, I got a text from her that said, ‘20 out of 10 wedding.’ That was the whole text. So, I was like, ‘OK, we did it.’”
Laura adds that her dad “enjoyed it more than his own wedding,” which was a 450-person reception in 1987 at the Bethwood (now The Grand) in Totowa. Many guests raved about Porta’s food. “At Christmas Eve a week or so after our wedding, there was a playful family fight about whose meatballs were better, my cousin’s or Porta’s,” Laura says.
Other couples are also finding that restaurants offer that nontraditional venue sweet spot. They don’t have to forgo all formalities and traditions, but restaurants offer a more relaxed and intimate setting for a wedding.
“For a while,” says Laura, “anytime…we happened to walk past Porta’s marquee, that sign was lit up highlighting another wedding. So, if this is becoming a trend, I think it’s for good reason.”
While venue hunting, nothing felt quite right for Justin Grohowski and Elaine Gould. “We kind of had a revelation one day,” says Justin. “We were like, why don’t we just do something that’s more us?” A visit to Cross & Orange, a New American restaurant and bar in Asbury Park, was a step in the right direction. After a few more visits, they knew for sure this was the place. With string lights, cozy booths and a large bar, the spot felt romantic yet comfortable. “As we were there visiting, our vision kind of unlocked in our head of what we wanted,” says Justin. Cross & Orange’s quirky decor, like an old seaman’s helmet mounted on the wall, gave the place character—a nautical meets vintage vibe that was appealing.
Their October 12, 2024, wedding day started with fun first-look photos on the Asbury Park beach and boardwalk with the town’s iconic murals as the backdrop. “All these people enjoying the fall day on the boardwalk were just complimenting us and congratulating us,” says Justin. The couple snuck in a few pics with their dog, Max, too.
In a park right next to Cross & Orange, they secured a permit for their lovely outdoor ceremony. Justin and Elaine loved that this space felt casual and intimate. After exchanging emotional vows, it was time for their 130 guests to experience their cocktail-hour-all-night reception. “We wanted to highlight what we thought the best part of weddings are for everyone else, which is the cocktail hour,” says Justin. “There was no sit-down dinner. We didn’t want to take away from the party and the fun.”
Justin & Elaine at Cross & Orange
A grazing table was replenished throughout the night, and passed hors d’oeuvres like grilled cheese with tomato soup shooters were a hit. Guests grabbed entrées served in Chinese food containers, which included orecchiette, sausage and broccoli. “I liked that it wasn’t just your fish, steak and chicken,” says Justin. Breakfast sandwiches were served toward the end of the night.
Cross & Orange lends itself to an indoor-outdoor experience that allowed for guest interaction. “We had people using the whole venue—the outside seating on the side, the bar area, the main dance area,” says Justin. In front of the venue on Cookman Avenue, Edie Mae Photo Booth had a cozy, vintage camper set up, too. “My mom said she was able to talk to more people than she could at another wedding because there was a lot more encouragement to mingle around,” says Justin.
Overall, Elaine says, “if I had a big ballroom wedding, I don’t think I would’ve been comfortable. We wanted something more casual but that still felt like a wedding.” And that’s just what they got.
“We wanted the food and drinks to be good. We wanted a nice little intimate place outside to get married, and we wanted a place where people could mingle and have a good time. [Cross & Orange] checked all the boxes,” says Justin.
When planning her wedding, Shannon Horan had one focus—highlighting her hometown of Morristown. While her family is local, her husband, Kellan Elsbury, is from Indiana. (Shannon and Kellan live in Colorado.)
They had chosen Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen, a restaurant set in a 1917 landmark in Morristown, as their original venue. When that space closed in early 2025, they had to pivot. Planner Stacey Sainato of Peony Events suggested 1776 Morristown, a modern American restaurant and bar.
And that’s the place they went with for their September 19, 2025, wedding. “It exceeded all my expectations. I was hesitant at first, more so because of the look—it’s in this big dark gray office building. But they really transformed the space. It was so beautiful.”
Shannon & Kellan at 1776 Morristown
Following their ceremony at Assumption Church in Morristown and photos on the Green and in front of the shuttered Jockey Hollow, it was party time at 1776. Shannon and Kellan’s 210 guests hung out around the huge bar and snacked on passed hors d’oeuvres before the first dances and speeches on the outdoor patio where the band, UNLTD from Cafe Wha Entertainment, was set up on a stage underneath a rented tent.
A cocktail-style reception meant multiple stations, including a sushi station. There was no assigned seating. “Everyone was able to go try what they wanted and then find their own seats,” says Shannon.
Beyond adding bud vases to the tables and lights and greenery to the tent, the restaurant didn’t need decorating. Instead of a welcome sign, Shannon and Kellan displayed a graphic on the TVs.
The couple was so pleased with the food, drinks and music. “I think with having it at a restaurant, especially 1776, you get a little better quality in terms of food and drink. And then the band really showed up, so you can’t go wrong when you got good food and drinks and music.”
Their after party was in the Topgolf Swing Suite, which is part of 1776. Everyone migrated to the lounge-style golf bays for games and more food and drinks. Guests stayed at the Hyatt Regency Morristown right next door.
Shannon’s sister also considered 1776, but she didn’t want to copy her big day. Instead, she chose Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown—but her rehearsal dinner will be at 1776.
Reflecting on her wedding, Shannon says, “We’re in the age bracket where there’s a wedding a month, so everyone’s a rinse and repeat kind of a thing. So, I think this broke it up.”
A text from one of her guests says it all: “Wedding was literally so chic. Food and band were unreal. I’m obsessed with a restaurant wedding.”
What a Restaurant Wedding Typically Costs in NJ
Restaurant weddings in NJ can range in price depending on guest count, day of week and how much the venue bundles in. Here, three couples explain the financial side of planning a restaurant wedding.
Laura Carrione & Christopher Antoniello (Porta Montclair) • 110 Guests
“We spent about 35K all in at Porta. That included their Saturday night fee. It was inclusive of their most expansive menu package, their deluxe open bar package, florals, other decor like the marquee, more disco balls, the DJ and tip. I know people who spent double if not triple that for their receptions alone, and they didn’t have too many more people than we were able to accommodate. That price tag left us money for some external vendors—[the espresso martini station, the 360 photo booth, Conrad’s Concessions and the Cannoli Guy]. It also left us money for our ceremony [at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Bloomfield]. We hired musicians for that, and we bought flowers for the altar. Other vendors included a limo service, hair by KC Glamour and makeup by Unbridaled Beauty.”
Justin Grohowski & Elaine Gould (Cross & Orange, Asbury Park) • 130 Guests
“I think some of the places we looked at started at 40 grand. This one started at 20K, so we definitely saved money doing it this way. But I had to hire a separate bakery. I think that was $1,200. So even if I did all the add-ons, that still wouldn’t make 20K turn into 40K. I remember us kind of saying to ourselves like maybe we saved 10K. I remember that number coming into my mind just based on what I thought it would end up being.”
Shannon Horan & Kellan Elsbury (1776 Morristown) • 210 Guests
“We saved in certain areas but spent more in others. I think the venue price because of the food and alcohol is probably higher than you would get at a different venue. But in my head, I’m girl mathing it-—we saved on the decorations and the flowers and the transportation.”
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