Unique & Enchanting with Picturesque Locations
300+ guests
Holds ceremonies and receptions
AWARD WINNER (2X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Located in Hamilton, NJ, Grounds For Sculpture is a unique museum wedding venue. This garden setting is home to almost 300 modern art sculptures, as well as being a dreamy location for your special day. This one-of-a-kind facility is highly versatile, encouraging creative to-be-weds to bring their vision for the milestone to life. Along with ceremonies and receptions, the gallery can also be used for vow renewals and elopements.
With a committed team of creative staff, Grounds For Sculpture sets the scene for an unforgettable event. It opened in 1992, the passion project of artist Seward Johnson. Before opening as a gallery, the property was home to the New Jersey State Fairgrounds and The Johnson Atelier, another art-focused setting. Today, the grounds have hosted pieces from more than 700 artists.
Grounds For Sculpture has 42 acres of carefully manicured grounds to wander, with a selection of spaces available to host your event. This includes a Zagat-rated restaurant, with cuisine your guests will remember for years to come. Ceremonies and receptions are welcomed to the gallery all year round. Before the festivities begin, you and your party can finish the preparations in a stylish on-site get-ready suite. From here, you can make your way to your choice of indoor or outdoor gallery setting. Tents are available to provide shelter for gatherings outside. The team here is happy to help you coordinate your wedding decor and color scheme to the exhibition on show at the time of your milestone. For catering, the gallery works exclusively with Constellation Culinary Group to provide a personalized menu.
+17 years in business
Speaks English, Spanish.
80 team members
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
$5,500
Ceremony:
$2,650
Bar services:
$50 per person
Catering:
Contact for price
Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices. Peak season for this venue is Apr-Jun and Sept-Oct.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Guest Capacity
300+
Settings
Garden
Museum
Park
Restaurant
Tented
Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Bar Rental
Cakes & Desserts
Food & Catering
Rentals & Equipment
Tents
Service Staff
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Reviews
4.5
out of 5.017 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Grounds for Sculpture and Rat's Restaurant is highly recommended by multiple reviewers for weddings. The venue is described as magical and straight out of a fairytale, with a serene and beautiful atmosphere. The event coordinators, including Lindsey and Lauren, are praised for their exceptional service, creativity, and guidance throughout the planning process. The staff's flexibility and helpfulness during the pandemic were also appreciated. The delicious meals, accommodating large guest lists, and seamless execution of the events received positive feedback from guests. Overall, customers had a perfect and unforgettable experience at this venue.- Top reviews
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Caitlin R
5.0
3/03/2023
Hosting our wedding at Grounds for Sculpture and Rats was an absolutely unforgettable experience. Lindsey, our event coordinator, was a dream to work with from start to finish. She went above and beyond, connecting us with amazing vendors, sharing creative ideas that had worked well in other weddings, and expertly guiding us through the tasting process. The entire venue is simply magical, transporting you to a serene and beautiful Shangri-La. When you add in all of the people you love, it becomes a truly special place. We cannot recommend this venue enough, and we are so grateful to the entire team for making our vision come to life, and for serving up such delicious meals that our guests are still talking about. Thank you for making our wedding day absolutely perfect!
Katie M
5.0
6/28/2022
Our ceremony at Grounds for Sculpture was everything we could have dreamed of and more! It was straight out of a fairytale. Lauren was fantastic from start to finish and the entire GFS team had the day running perfectly! They accommodated our large guest list flawlessly and were flexible to our multicultural wedding. We couldn’t have asked for anything more!
Any questions?
Ali F
5.0
9/25/2021
Like many of the other reviewers, we chose Grounds for Sculpture because it's a special place for us. Although event planning during the pandemic was challenging, with changing regulations and safety precautions, the grounds staff were flexible and helpful. Their recommendations for vendors were worth their weight in gold, their guidance for the rehearsal ceremony and on the day of the event was much appreciated, and the day turned out perfect.
Sabrina S
5.0
6/06/2021
We originally toured Grounds for Sculpture and Rat's Restaurant in February 2020 pre-pandemic and then quickly put our wedding plans on hold. Once we decided to do a micro-wedding many months later, we reached out to Grounds for Sculpture and Rat's Restaurant who worked together to make our tiny wedding memorable and perfect. We worked primarily with Lauren from Grounds for Sculpture for the ceremony and Kathy from Rat's Restaurant for the reception. Lauren and Kathy were both excellent to work with and responded to my MANY questions via email about all of the small details. They really showed their commitment to creating the wedding of your dreams. On the day of, Lauren & Kathy and their teams of staff and volunteers were friendly, helpful, and made everything go smoothly without any issues. The customer services was phenomenal, the food was delicious, and everything looked better than I imagined it.
Brian S
2.0
4/29/2021
My wife & I had our micro-wedding ceremony at Grounds for Sculpture followed by the reception at Rat’s Restaurant this past March. Although there were some good points (mainly the wedding ceremony & our wedding party speeches), we were left feeling incredibly dismayed & disappointed with the way our wedding day was prepared & handled by the management staff at Constellation Culinary Group & Rat’s Restaurant.
9 days prior to our wedding day, the Sales Manager whom we've been working with since we booked the venue in Dec. 2020, informed us & our DJ separately on the same day that there’s a no dance mandate. We called her right away since it was the first time we were hearing this. She claimed that she did mention this via email in February (only a month before our wedding). We checked our emails & didn’t find a single trace of this being mentioned.
In the original email when we had first inquired, we were told that there was availability for the ceremony, reception, AND dance floor. The no dance mandate was never mentioned prior to us finding out. To say we were upset and blindsided to learn about the no dance mandate 9 days prior to our wedding day is an understatement. She didn’t even offer an apology. Presumably, the call did not end well & we were told to take the time to think of what we wanted to do moving forward. The Sales Manager not only failed to communicate this crucial detail with us but also offered no solution to the mess she created.
The fact of the matter is not about us not wanting to abide by CDC guidelines & restrictions that were in place in NJ, but the lack of communication on behalf of Constellation. We would have planned our wedding so differently had we had known from the start. We would have treated this as a post-wedding dinner vs reception. We would have booked a smaller space of the restaurant, reduced our guest count, etc. We wouldn’t have booked a DJ nor would we have needed a 5 hour reception. We would have saved thousands. This disaster left a very sour taste in our mouth.
Kathy, the Director of Catering, stepped in and & did her best to alleviate our stress. She did defend the Sales Manager & said that the no dance mandate wasn’t broached in writing by the state as a restriction during the time of our booking. I did my own research & found out that this “no dance mandate” was in place since Summer 2020, which was in writing. She did apologize on behalf of the Sales Manager’s mistakes. The Sales Manager didn’t even offer us an apology & she blatantly avoided us on our wedding day, refusing to make any eye contact.
There were so many issues on our wedding day, but to name a few, the staff was rude to some of our guests, the GFS Event Manager for the ceremony complained loud enough about having to light our candles for the ceremony aisle that our guests heard (they even offered to help her), no one followed a schedule, my wife had to flag someone at 9PM to ask to cut the cake as we were nearing the end time of our “reception.”
Ultimately, we wanted all of our guests, as well as the staff, to feel safe and comfortable in an environment that followed state restrictions but it was just poorly executed. You would think they would follow up with a call or email after our wedding, especially knowing how much stress & anxiety they’ve caused us leading up to it, but we’ve received nothing. It's one thing if we were the only ones that noticed all the issues, but it's another when your guests notices them too.
Kristen T
5.0
12/26/2020
Wow, where do I even start with this review. I am so thankful I was able to have my wedding at Rats Restaurant at Grounds for Sculpture. When you enter Rats you walk into a fairytale-like location. The venue is absolutely beautiful and unlike any wedding venue I have ever seen. The service at Rats is 10/10, every single person working our wedding was wonderful and our guests couldn’t stop telling us how kind all of the workers were. The food and drinks were delicious. Most importantly, the event coordinator, Kathy, will put your wedding planning stress at complete ease. She is so sweet, puts her heart into her work, is easy to contact, and because of this she made our wedding day perfect. Planning a wedding with Rats is guaranteeing a beautiful event for yourself and I couldn’t recommend them more.
Christina B
5.0
8/09/2020
Went to a friend's wedding there yesterday. Firstly, it is completely stunning outside, feels like a fairytail dream world and a European chateau all in one. Secondly, the food was phenomenal. Every single thing, from the cocktail hour bites, to each and every course, to the desserts, was incredible. Some of the best food I have ever eaten. The drinks were great, and the service was impeccable. I am going to come here to eat many times because of how incredible the wedding was. Highly recommend. I cannot speak highly enough of this absolutely amazing restaurant. 10/10
Evelyn D
5.0
3/14/2020
The goal was to find a restaurant venue that would provide an intimate setting for a wedding dinner of approximately 50 people. Along with the setting, good food and reasonable pricing were a requirement. It was not an easy task. Many, many places were visited. Hands down, Rat's Restaurant delivered .. and then some!
The winter wedding cocktail hour began upstairs ( handicap accessible) by the fireplace overlooking the lovely grounds.
Among other things, excellent butler passed hors d'oeuvres and a seasonal signature cocktail greeted guests.
Following cocktails, guests made their way downstairs to the Pavilion, located just beyond the bar area. The ambience of the Pavilion is unique and unmatched. Accented with glowing lanterns, French inspired tableware, and live piano music, the setting provided the perfect atmosphere for a special occasion. We knew the food would be impressive based on the wonderful choices available to us at the very satisfying selection tasting. From first course through dessert, dinner was first class.
A major component of a wonderful experience is the service. From the outset, Rat's Restaurant was outstanding.
A responsive venue contact person is your first clue as to what kind of performance to expect from the venue.
Noelle, our Catering Coordinator is highly professional and knowledgeable. She delivered timely responses, offered suggestions as necessary and was readily available to us. She provided us with the confidence that our event would be a success. On the day of the wedding celebration, the service provided by the excellent staff was notable. From Noelle herself, to the very attentive and friendly Service Captains and helpful Servers, to the convivial Bartender, we were treated exceptionally well.
Put all together, it made for a lovely, memorable day.
Thank you!
Kudos to all!
Lisa C
5.0
12/09/2018
We were looking for a unique wedding venue in NJ and Grounds for Sculpture definitely hit the mark. We loved that you have plenty of options to choose where to hold your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception depending on the sculptures you like/venue size that you’re looking for. The greenery of the grounds came out beautifully in our photos.
Prior to the wedding the GFS event coordinator Lauren was in touch with us whenever we had questions and ironed out many details. On the day of the wedding there were tons of staff and volunteers around to direct our guests to the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception (thanks Marcie and Jenna!). They also had golf carts for anyone who wanted a ride. They were flexible with providing us a bridal suite and room for the groomsmen adjacent to the reception area.
So many of our guests complimented both the cocktail hour and reception food and the beautiful cake that we had made on site. Also, awesome food tasting in Rats kitchen! Constellation provides great catering services and Kathy the director of catering helped as our point of contact for planning the wedding and coordinating with GFS. Mike the restaurant manager helped us to custom order some special drink requests we had and Mario the catering coordinator helped pull together loose ends in the week or two leading up to the wedding! Don’t be discouraged if catering is slow with returning emails - the team will pull it all together in the end!
Allison D
5.0
11/23/2018
We had such an amazing experience having our wedding here! We worked with Kathy, and she did an amazing job answering all my questions throughout the planning process and keeping my anxiety at bay. The day of went absolutely flawlessly- the staff helping us did such a great job taking care of everything, and even though it was a busy day at the grounds they did so amazingly at making sure folks got out of the way for our pictures, and didn’t disrupt our ceremony. The Nine Muses was the perfect ceremony location, and the galleries made amazing cocktail hour/reception sites. The food was, of course, spectacular. Overall we had an amazing, amazing experience and would highly recommend to anyone.
Sarah B
4.0
6/15/2018
The venue is GORGEOUS and the food is amazing. We got so many complements from guests on the setting and how much they loved it. We had some confusion over payment, and our favors didn't make it out before the first few guests starting leaving, but for the most part everything ran very smoothly and we loved our wedding!
Tori D'Antoni G
5.0
9/09/2017
My wife and I got married here 09.08.2017 at the Amphitheater site. On more than one occasion I was told "This is the best wedding and reception I've ever been to!". Excellent venue with beautiful art all around. Lunch and reception held in Rats Restaurant Restaurant and it's Pavilion respectively. Our coordinators, Lindsay & Brian, saw to it that all of our expectations were met to the smallest detail. I'd recommend this setting for anyone looking to create a beautiful occasion.
Heather D
1.0
4/05/2017
I'd really love to have my wedding here but the catering director will not email me back. She must be new because her name is not mentioned in any of the other reviews. My first inquiry (submitted directly from their website) was ignored. A week or so later, I submitted another request for info (which I shouldn't have had to do) and finally I got a response a couple days later. She gave me a lot of useful information and got me excited about this venue; I then replied with a list of questions, nothing out of the ordinary, just asking for more details and some photos, and have yet to hear back. That was sent Saturday morning. It really upsets me to know there are people out there who consider themselves professionals and then do stuff like this. I'm so discouraged from wedding planning now, way to crush a brides dreams and really hurt her feelings. The sad part is my family was really looking forward to the possibility of me having my wedding here, because it was my Grandma's favorite place to visit before she passed. I have also been to the Grounds before and loved it. I imagine it would make the perfect wedding venue. But I'm so turned off already by their "service" so my family will be sad to hear it's out of the question. What's even sadder is in my first inquiry that got no response, I mentioned how much the Grounds had meant to my Grandma; some people just don't care.
a member
5.0
6/26/2016
I got married at grounds for sculpture and had my reception at Rats Restaurant on 06/18/16 and it exceeded my expectations! Such a unique venue and made for a wedding which was anything but 'cookie cutter.' Christopher Carrell, the head of catering and event coordinator is an amazing person who was very helpful along the way...absolutely loved working with him! Was a dream come true wedding!
Sue G
5.0
5/04/2016
We had my daughter's Bridal Shower at Rat's Restaurant and it was so special and wonderful, we are still getting complements a month later about how wonderful the service and food and setting all were. The service was so exceptional- Nate and his crew were so on top of everything and they were all eager to do whatever was needed and everything ran smoothly. They even helped us bring gifts to our cars and brought cushions to our two older guests (age 88 & 93)! My daughter is still on a high from the wonderful day and so many people said they want to come back and what a wonderful place we selected. There really are not enough words to say how happy we all were with the experience, it exceeded all our hopes: great food and amazing warm and professional service. Nate did an exceptional job in making sure everything was superb. My mother-in-law has memory issues and she surprised us on Monday by remembering how beautiful the day was and how much she enjoyed it! And of course I am so appreciative of Chris the Catering Director for his consistent patience, good advice and unending help with the planning to make it a day we will all remember with so much happiness.
Deepti S
5.0
7/11/2015
My fiancee and I worked with the team from Grounds for Sculpture and Rat's Restaurant for over a year to get our big day just right. Lauren and Chris were very friendly, supportive and knowledgeable. They gave us fantastic feedback and were very patient as they helped us organize our ceremony and reception. On our wedding day, the whole staff was well coordinated, helping our events run seamlessly and making our guests feel comfortable. A special thank you to Joanne and Bob (our Event Concierges) and Joanne and Ksenia (our volunteers) who were all so helpful. We highly recommend Grounds for Sculpture as a romantic and elegant venue for a wedding.
Knottie58694695
5.0
12/15/2014
My husband and I got married at the Rat's Restaurant on the Grounds for Sculpture and it was just perfect! The weather was hot and humid so we were happy to have chosen an indoor wedding. The staff including Chris Carrell were amazing. Chris even had my husband on speed dial since we were in constant contact trying to plan the wedding in NJ while living in Los Angeles.
If you are looking for a magical, whimsical, fairy-tale wedding look no further. I cannot tell you how much fun everyone had at our wedding, and just how impressed they were with the food and decor of the restaurant and grounds. I highly recommend Rats and the Grounds for sculpture for any event, even just a visit to see the amazing art, cuisine and elegant peacocks that roam the grounds!
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