Grounds for Sculpture is a magical wedding venue in Hamilton, New Jersey. The sprawling estate full of towering sculptures makes the most incredible backdrop for every part of a wedding day. Catherine and Josh’s wedding had the perfect mix of connection and celebration in this unforgettable setting.
Grounds for Sculpture is a dream wedding venue. As a New Jersey wedding photographer, I was so excited to document Catherine and Josh’s wedding there. I can’t wait to go back! This venue is a massive sculpture garden featuring different artists. You could spend an entire day here and still not see everything.
Catherine and Josh chose Grounds for Sculpture as their wedding venue because of how beautiful it is. They loved the nontraditional elements, too. Aside from the ethereal art, Grounds for Sculpture has some quirky features and conveniences that make it fun for a wedding. I love the free-roaming peacocks who call the grounds home.
Rat’s Restaurant is also located within the grounds. It’s the reception space for weddings. Catherine and Josh especially liked the seating style and layout. It’s easy for guests to move between the indoors and outdoors to mingle. The food is always banger at Rat’s!
Since this wedding venue is so big, it has capacity for large weddings of up to 300 guests. The cost for a 100-person wedding at Grounds for Sculpture starts around $14500. That includes ceremony, reception, and bar service.
This wedding venue is located in Hamilton, New Jersey. It’s about an hour northeast of Philadelphia and an hour and a half south of New York City. Depending on where your guests are coming from, they could stay in the area or head home after the reception.
Catherine and Josh are so fun and easy to be around. Their wedding reflected the incredible friendship at the core of their relationship. They spent the day giving each other high fives and using nicknames. In some ways, their wedding day felt like an extension of the life they enjoy so much together.
“Going into wedding planning,” Catherine told me, “we both began with wanting something that felt intimate and warm. We settled on a modern, minimalist design that allowed the natural beauty of the venue to shine.”
This approach paid off in a big way! Grounds for Sculpture is such an experience. The simple bouquets of baby’s breath and the fantastic floral chuppah were all the space needed to make it feel “wedding.”
We did Catherine and Josh’s first look on the Monet Bridge. That entire space was created to mimic Monet’s garden in France. It’s one of the most stunning spots on the grounds. The first look was really sweet. Josh was jittery with excitement. Once they saw each other, they felt at ease and so happy to be getting married
The ceremony was held surrounded by Carlos Dorrien’s “Nine Muses” sculpture. We had cloudy and rainy weather all day, but during their ceremony, a stunning sunset emerged. Catherine and Josh’s dads married them, and they teared up. It was adorable!
After the ceremony, everyone headed to Rat’s Restaurant for the reception. Having this restaurant right at Grounds for Sculpture really ups the magic of this wedding venue. Before the wedding, Catherine and Josh said, “The untraditional set up of the restaurant and the full course sit down dinner are really meant to give people a chance to talk, be together, and connect. We want people to feel comfortable, relaxed, and cozy.” You can tell how at ease all the guests were on that gorgeous fall evening.
Catherine and Josh were also very clear that they wanted a party after dinner. Josh is in the music industry. He manages artists like John Oates and Aly and AJ. Needless to say, he was very selective in picking the band for their wedding. He even had his friend Theo Kandel jump in to sing with the band.
Once all the formal dances and speeches were done, it was a true party! Catherine and Josh did a cute outfit change. They got reintroduced into the reception with a champagne tower. From there, they went right into the hora. The reception energy was amazing!
Would you like to see other artistic New Jersey wedding venues? Check out these blog posts!
Are you looking for a New Jersey wedding photographer? I’d love to document your celebration with joyful, eclectic photos! Reach out to me.
Thank you to the vendors who made this New Jersey wedding unforgettable.
Photographer: Luna and Lark Photography
Venue: Grounds for Sculpture and Rat’s Restaurant
Coordinator/Planner: The Wedding Connection
Florist: Le Jardin de Nkusu
Catering: Constellation
Band: Skyline Drive Orchestra
Gown: RK Bridal
Rings: The Clear Cut
Invitations: Blacker and Kooby
Suits: Robbie & Co.
As a wedding and elopement photographer based in New Jersey, I specialize in capturing enchanting moments that tell the unique love stories of my clients. I am dedicated to providing LGBTQIA+ friendly services and take pride in embracing and celebrating the diversity of all couples.