12 Small Wedding Venues in Arkansas for Big Memories

Say “I do” in front of those closest to you.
Rachel Kashdan - The Knot Contributor.
by
Rachel Kashdan
Rachel Kashdan - The Knot Contributor.
Rachel Kashdan
The Knot Contributor
  • Rachel is a freelance writer and contributor to The Knot.
  • Prior to working as a freelance writer, Rachel was a staff writer at Boston magazine covering home design and weddings.
  • Rachel has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University.
Updated Apr 17, 2024

From the unexpected to the understated, there are so many beyond-gorgeous small wedding venues in Arkansas to choose from for your big day. Plus, with your petite guest list, your venue will offer character and comfort that can't always be found in a larger space. When planning your Arkansas wedding, you'll likely find the highest concentration of intimate options in the northwest part of the state, but many small venues can be found in the central part of the state too—like an urban event space in Little Rock or a garden venue in Hot Springs. Have we piqued your curiosity? Read on for 12 of the Natural State's most amazing venues for small weddings.

Loft 1023 in Little Rock, Arkansas

Loft 1023, a historical urban event venue, has the perfect option for a small wedding venue in downtown Little Rock: the Copper Room. The smallest of the venue's four spaces clocks in at 1,200 square feet and features charming details like a copper ceiling with crystal chandeliers that give the room a warm, glowy feel. The room also has a wall of built-in bench seating, which makes for a great lounge area beside a small dance floor.

  • Guest Capacity: The Copper Room: Up to 100 guests

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas

While the art museum and event venue is certainly a sprawling architectural marvel, the modern structure is also full of hidden gem spaces for smaller weddings. For instance, there's the Modern Art Gallery, which can fit up to 150 and features high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a Chihuly chandelier. Crystal Bridges is set on 120 acres of nature nestled within the Ozarks, so you can bet there are outdoor options for your wedding too, like the Frank Lloyd Wright Lawn, which can accommodate parties as small as 50 guests. There's also the North Forest Shelter and the Tulip Tree Shelter, which are both eye-catching covered structures set in nature and host up to 30 and 50 guests respectively.

  • Guest Capacity: Outdoor spaces: Options ranging from 30-400 guests; Indoor spaces: Options ranging from 75-500 guests

Peel Museum & Botanical Garden in Bentonville, Arkansas

For an intimate garden-inspired event, look no further than the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden near downtown Bentonville. The 1875-built mansion is the ideal setting for a small-yet-stellar soiree thanks to Italianate architecture and gardens inspired by the Victorian Era. Here there are several spaces that can host your small celebration. One winning combo: a ceremony out on the North Lawn surrounded by gardens followed by cocktail hour on the North Terrace, then a reception just inside the neighboring Conservatory which can seat 55 guests on chic black-and-white tile floors.

  • Guest Capacity: The Conservatory: Up to 55; The Carriage House: Up to 100; Tented: Up to 275

Jamestown Ranch in Greenbrier, Arkansas

Jamestown Ranch is a rustic-chic venue that's made for your bucolic small wedding. While the venue can entertain parties of up to 150, they also offer a microwedding package for up to 50 guests, as well as an elopement package for up to 20. Plan an outdoor ceremony on the property's lavender fields, then head inside the showstopping white barn for dinner and dancing. The venue also has a three-bedroom cottage for getting ready and hosting overnight guests, as well as a loft hangout.

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  • Guest Capacity: Up to 150 guests

The Wedding Barn and Event Center at Carter Reaper Farm in Pangburn, Arkansas

While the 95-acre venue's red barn can host up to 350, The Wedding Barn and Event Center is just as magical of a setting for a small celebration. The Stables, a rustic-chic event space for weddings of up to 100, features indoor and outdoor areas for your ceremony and reception, as well as getting ready space for the couple. For even smaller weddings though, you can tie the knot at The Chapel on Love Mountain, an adorable open-air chapel that accommodates up to 15 people and is open seven days a week. Plus, if you're the spontaneous type, you can even book the chapel day-of.

  • Guest Capacity: The Chapel: Up to 15 guests; The Stables: Up to 100 guests; The Barn: Up to 350 guests

Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

At this northwest Arkansas venue you can host a classic hotel wedding even with a small guest count. In addition to the Basin Park Hotel's larger ballroom, there's also the Atrium, a cozy space with stone walls and a large skylight where you can hold up to 40 guests, and the Ozark Room, a cheerful yellow-walled room for up to 96 loved ones. In addition to standard wedding pricing, if you're looking to keep things super intimate, the hotel also offers a ceremony-only elopement package for up to 10 guests with cake and champagne.

  • Guest Capacity: The Atrium Room: Up to 40 guests; The Ozark Room: Up to 96 guests; Barefoot Ballroom: Up to 250 guests

Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas

This botanical garden on the edge of Lake Hamilton hosts some of the most stunning weddings in the state–and small ones too. The Gardens are perhaps best known as the site of Anthony Chapel, a glass structure with 57-foot ceilings and surrounded by woodlands. While the Chapel often holds larger wedding ceremonies, it can also be rented for one-hour ceremonies with up to 50 guests Sundays through Thursdays. Another option for a small wedding ceremony at Garvan Woodland Gardens is the Evans Celebration Garden, which features a two-level grass terrace, a waterfall and gorgeous greenery, followed by a reception at the adjacent Millsap Bride's Hall.

  • Guest Capacity: Evans Celebration Garden: Up to 48 guests; Millsap Bride's Hall: Up to 50 guests; Anthony Chapel: Ceremonies of up to 160 guests

Country Manor in Rogers, Arkansas

At Country Manor you get a venue with a homey feel set on five gorgeous acres in Northwest Arkansas. The event spaces certainly take advantage of the setting too. For instance, the Chapel, a wooden structure that fits up to 100, is a peaceful outdoor spot to have a ceremony. Then the covered outdoor Gathering Barn can host your reception, or for a more intimate feel for your small wedding, head inside the main house, where you can entertain up to 70 in a relaxed space with tall ceilings and abundant natural light.

  • Guest Capacity: Up to 100 guests

War Eagle Mill in Rogers, Arkansas

As the only remaining working grist mill in Arkansas, War Eagle Mill offers a small wedding venue with history and beauty in spades. The red mill, built in 1832, sits on War Eagle Creek, so you can say "I do" outside on the waterfront and soak in the serenity of your setting. The reception room, meanwhile, is a cozy room on the upper floor of the building with hardwood flooring and original woodwork. There, you can dine on finger foods made with War Eagle's own breads and spreads.

  • Guest Capacity: Up to 75 guests

Gateley Hill Gardens in Dardanelle, Arkansas

When it comes to small wedding venues in central Arkansas, Gateley Hill Gardens is a simply stunning option. The wedding venue, flower farm and floral studio is set on 20 acres of grounds and gardens in the Arkansas River Valley near the foot of Mount Nebo. In addition to the white stucco chapel where you can hold your ceremony, the intimate wedding venue offers a deck area for cocktail hour, a 1400-square-foot reception hall and a getting-ready suite with a private bathroom. Gateley Hill Gardens has several all-inclusive packages that include planning, florals, food and more, as well as a more stripped-down minimony package for up to 30 guests.

  • Guest Capacity: Up to 70 guests

St. Catherine's at Bell Gable in Fayetteville, Arkansas

St. Catherine's at Bell Gable in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Photo: Courtesy of St. Catherine's at Bell Gable

If you're planning a small wedding with a fairytale vibe, then check out St. Catherine's at Bell Gable, which hosts weddings for up to 50 people. The centerpiece of the setting is the petite stone chapel decorated with lush vines and outfitted with stained glass and antique doors from an English church. Have your ceremony there before enjoying cake and a champagne toast out on the grounds or inside the barn. After the celebrations, wave goodbye to your guests from the back seat of a 1902 Mercedes limo, which the venue allows couples to rent out.

  • Guest Capacity: The Chapel: Up to 38 guests indoors, Up to 50 guests outdoors; the Barn: Up to 50 guests

The Carriage House on the Ridge in Greenbrier, Arkansas

The Carriage House on the Ridge in Greenbrier, Arkansas
Photo: Courtesy of The Carriage House on the Ridge

For a quiet, peaceful setting with a homey feel that's just five minutes from Conway, look to The Carriage House on the Ridge. The modern, backyard-inspired venue features a covered ceremony area outside the Carriage House that looks out over gently sloping grounds. In addition to the scenic ceremony backdrop, the venue's indoor space is a contemporary blank canvas boasting a ton of natural light thanks to a glass garage door that can also be left open for an indoor-outdoor feel.

  • Guest Capacity: Up to 50 guests

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