If at any point in the wedding planning process you’ve said, “I just want our wedding to feel more like a backyard dinner party than a whole big thing…” You’re in the right place.
I'm Cambria, a SoCal wedding photographer who's all about weddings that actually feel like the people getting married. And if your idea of a really good wedding involves long dinner tables, incredible food, a few glasses of wine, and getting to spend more than 30 seconds talking to your guests, I have a feeling you're gonna LOVE this.
Who a Dinner Party Wedding is Right For
If you JUST heard about dinner party weddings and didn’t even know that was an option… Welcome. I’m so ready to bring you over to the relaxed, laid-back, simple side of weddings.
Listen, I love a good big wedding with hundreds of guests and a dance party that doesn’t quit. LOVE it. What I don’t love about it?? It’s when people do it just ‘cause they feel like they have to. That’s aaabsolutely not our vibe on this corner of the internet.
So, if your focus is more on good food, good drinks, and good time spent with a few handfuls of your favorite people… A dinner party wedding might just be in your future. Because your only two options don’t have to be a 534-person wedding and an elopement with no one else around.
The best part about a dinner party wedding? You can make it as chill or as much of a PARTY as you want. Maybe you spend two hours eating and drinking wine with your favorite people, then everyone ends up on the dance floor. Or maybe you skip dancing altogether and spend the night around the fire with another glass of wine. Both sound like a pretty dang good time to me.
Dinner Party Wedding Ideas You Just HAVE to See
For the people who are already thinking, “Oh, this is completely my vibe…” here’s a planning guide. You’re welcome!!
Dinner Party Wedding Venue Ideas in SoCal
We’re gonna start with location, because it sets the wholeee vibe.
Southern California has quite a few places for weddings like this. There’s Redbird, HOME, and one of my literal favorite places ever: Bodega.
The real wedding you’re seeing dreamy photos from all over this post was at Bodega, and it was just a reminder of how cozy, intimate, and WARM this space always feels.
Bodega Los Alamos is one of my favorite places for a dinner party wedding because the whole property feels like somewhere you'd want to hang out for hours. You've got the outdoor garden, oak trees, and space for everyone to eat, drink, and actually spend time together. And when the sun starts coming through the trees? Yeah, you already know I'm grabbing my camera.
Wanna see what a wedding there can really look like? Take a peek at another dinner party-style wedding I captured at Bodega in Los Alamos!!
Timeline Ideas for a Dinner Party Wedding
Here’s the beauty: you don’t have to follow a traditional timeline. And there are SO many options you can do here.
A morning ceremony, a few hours to chill out, then going to your dinner party with your people? Yup.
A small, intimate ceremony AT the venue you choose, immediately followed by dinner? You can do it.
A ceremony weeks in advance with just the two of you, then a celebration like this a little bit after?? I see it allll the time.
The world?? It’s quite literally your oyster.
My biggest advice is to figure out when you want dinner to start, then work backward with your planner. Think about how long the ceremony will take, whether you want a cocktail hour, when the food is actually going to be ready, and when we'll have the best light for portraits.
And PLEASE give yourself a little breathing room. Kaye and Alex took a few minutes together after their ceremony while everyone else enjoyed wine and appetizers, and it was one of my favorite decisions they made.
Dinner Party Wedding Design Ideas
Since weddings like this get to be so simple and so personal, I love little intentional details that elevate the space rather than take it over. Sometimes statement florals take up too much of the restaurant tables and keep your guess from being able to say actual words to each other, so I find that things like small, wild centerpieces, taper candles, neutral linens (maybe with some patterns), and earth tones complement dinner party weddings really well.
Include a Few Small Experiences
Fire pits, lawn games, and even a good playlist can go a long way at a dinner party wedding. They’re all ways to make people stay and hang out without having a full-blown dance floor (if you don’t want that).
Keep the Guest List (Fairly) Small
You don't need to invite 12 people for a dinner party wedding to work. I've photographed celebrations with around 50 guests that still felt incredibly personal because of how the tables were arranged and how much time everyone actually got to spend together.
It's less about hitting some magical guest count and more about creating a setup where your people can hang out, eat together, and actually enjoy the night.
Make the Dinner the Main Event
If you're planning a dinner party wedding, I'm gonna need you to actually make dinner part of the experience. I mean, it's literally in the name. 😂
Think long tables where everyone can actually talk, family-style dishes being passed around, really good wine, and a menu that feels like something you'd be genuinely excited to eat. Maybe that's a private chef making a multi-course dinner, maybe it's barbecue like Kaye and Alex had, or maybe it's your favorite restaurant taking care of the whole thing.
My biggest tip? Don't rush through dinner just to get to the next wedding tradition. Give people time to eat, talk, laugh, and enjoy being together. Those are some of my favorite moments to photograph anyway.
Kaye and Alex’s Peaceful, Intimate Dinner Party Wedding at Bodega
Every time I think about Kaye and Alex’s wedding, I feel all warm and fuzzy.
It was literally the SWEETEST day. These two were so adorable and peaceful together, but still knew how to have the best time!!
There were so many little details I loved from this one: Kaye’s 1930s wedding dress (because she sources vintage clothing!!), a first look on the porch of the 1880 Union Hotel that was just a walk away, a little hideaway to breathe for a sec for the couple immediately after the ceremony while their guests got some wine and appetizers… Can I just live in that moment in time forever??
That’s one of those little timeline decisions I wish more couples would make. They took a few minutes to just be together while their guests enjoyed wine and appetizers. No rushing straight into the next thing, no immediately being pulled in 14 different directions. Just a minute to be married. Highly recommend.
Bodega was the perfect spot for their kinda day. They said their vows here in front of their people, had the YUMMIEST barbecue from Priedite, and then had their dinner and dance party with sunlight that was working like it was a paid actor. Take me back!!!
If you want a day just like this one, call these vendors. Please. They were incredible:
Cake: Frances Baking Co.
Florals: Ella & Louie Flowers
PA/Dance floor: Santa Ynez Valley Elite Events
This is exactly why I love photographing weddings this way. You get the editorial portraits, the film photos, and all those little moments happening between the planned stuff, but you also get to actually enjoy the day. Which, call me crazy, feels pretty important. 😂 If you're curious about what it's like having me there with a camera (or three), you can get to know me a little better here.
Cambria Shelley | SoCal Wedding Photographer
If your dream wedding involves a long dinner table, really good food, a few glasses of wine, and getting to spend the night with your favorite people instead of following a million wedding traditions, I think we're gonna get along REALLY well.
I'm Cambria, a SoCal wedding photographer who loves a good dinner party almost as much as I love photographing one. Film, digital, candid moments, a little editorial goodness… All of it, please.
