Venue Spotlight: Ancient Spanish Monastery

In a new series I will call “Venue Spotlight”, I want to highlight some wedding venues in Miami.  You’ll recall that I had a post about hosting your wedding in a mansion.  And today, I want to introduce you to another unique wedding venue in Miami- the Ancient Spanish Monastery.

Located in North Miami Beach, the Ancient Spanish Monastery has become an increasingly popular wedding venue for brides looking for Gothic, old world romance.  The monastery itself was originally built in Segovia, Spain, and through a series of events, ended up being rebuilt in Miami using the original stones.

Things You Want To Know:  This space will work for both your ceremony and your reception.  Your ceremony can take place in the main chapel (up to 150 guests), the chapter house (up to 80 guests) or if you want something truly intimate, the French Altar (up to 10 guests).

Monastery Chapel

Chapel House

French Altar

If you always dreamed of an outdoor ceremony, you can also hold your ceremony in the garden area.

Your reception will likely be held in the Cloisters, which are the covered passageways that surround the courtyard. You could elect to have it in the garden area, but I can tell you that the lay out isn’t exactly conducive to this kind of reception.  Rental of the Cloisters for 3 hours is $2,400 for 200 people.  The garden rental for 3 hours is $1,800.  Additional hours are charged at $300 a pop.  If you want to have your cocktail hour in the garden, that will run an additional $500.  You can rent tables and basic chairs from the venue, but you’ll have to bring in your own caterers and upgraded furniture.  Below are some pictures of past wedding receptions in the Cloisters:

Things You Need to Know: I checked out this venue in person and while it’s obviously very pretty, there were a couple negatives, which I feel an obligation to share with you.  First, you have to walk in through a gift shop to get to the monastery, which is a little strange.  Second, the dance floor is very, very small.  If you’re having a large party, you may need to invest in renting a dance floor.  Third, the hallways of the cloisters are narrow, so the tables have to be lined up in a row, and there isn’t a whole lot of space to move around.  Fourth, the tables also go around a big square so that your guests our bound in by the walls and far, far away from the guests on the other side of the courtyard.  Finally, the music is supposed to be turned down at 11:00 p.m.  Even though I was assured that nobody had been asked to turn down their music in over 10 years, it’s something to consider.

That said, the Ancient Spanish Monastery is a really beautiful wedding venue, and if you’re looking for something different from the traditional ballroom, I would recommend you check the space out yourself.

What do you think of the Ancient Spanish Monastery?