About Memphis
Memphis is a city along the Mississippi River in southwestern Shelby County, Tennessee. The second largest city in Tennessee by population, Memphis is a cultural highlight of the USA, known as the home of blues, soul, and rock & roll. There are tons of things to do in and around the city, including Elvis Presley’s Graceland home, the Blues Hall of Fame, many fantastic distilleries, and plenty more! If you’re looking for family fun, Memphis also has historical spots, museums, theaters, and all sorts of attractions.
If you want good tunes, good barbecue, and good fun, you should consider Memphis as the place to host your wedding reception. Its unbeatable music and food scene, paired with its incredible attractions and moderate weather make it easily one of the best places to host a wedding (or reception) along the Mississippi. And with hundreds of cool, eclectic receptions venues and more than enough services to help you host one, it’s an amazing city to lock down your love and celebrate life, to boot.
Wedding Reception Options In Memphis, TN
Memphis is full of options to help you throw your ideal wedding reception. In Memphis, you’ll find all the vendors you need to plan and host the perfect reception event!
- Caterers
Memphis is world-renowned for two things: its music and its food. If you want a caterer, you can find options of all tastes, from tex-mex to traditional wedding foods to, of course, some famous Memphis barbecue.
- Decor
Memphis has always managed to be on the cutting edge without abandoning its roots, and the decor choices here reflect that. You can find a decorator who can give your wedding a cool modern edge, without losing the sense of elegance that a wedding reception deserves.
- Live Music
Memphis has produced some of the best music in American history, as is naturally home to many live bands that can serve as an excellent backdrop (or primary focal point) for your reception.
- DJs
If a live band doesn’t fit your vision for a reception, there’s also plenty of first-rate DJ’s available in Memphis, as well.
- Florists
Memphis is lush with florists! You can get flowers shipped from around the world or local beauties grown right in the state.
- Videographers
Don’t miss a moment of joy with the help of one of Memphis’ several local wedding videographers. Equipped with the latest cameras, drones, and editing software, these talented folks can make your entire reception a story to be rewatched and remembered.
Wedding Reception Planners in Memphis, Tennessee
- Ashley Lang Events
Ashley Lang Events is a full-service wedding planner based in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to their high-rated boutique wedding planning and design service, Ashley Lang also offers one-hour consultations if you just need help finalizing the details, as well as premium wedding and reception invitation designs. They promise to handle everything, no ‘ifs, ands, or buts’ about it.
- Southern Event Planners
This Memphis-based event outfit isn’t your typical party planner. Southern Event Planners are Memphis-based wedding and party planners who manage and coordinate all aspects of their clients’ events. Self-described as “fire breathing detail dragons” they’ll help you with whatever you need throughout the planning process. They offer full-service wedding planning, day-of coordination, budgeting, vendor contract assistance, and even help with the design.
- Teddyb And Co. Wedding Planning
For those who have most of the wedding details already figured out, but who need a little extra oomph to get you where you want to be, Teddyb and Co. is a partial wedding and event planner fit to serve all your needs. Offering day-of coordination (starting one month before the big day) Teddyb is the perfect choice for a little extra event planning assistance if you’re on a budget. With a five-star rating on the Knot, their team will take the stress of planning the details off your shoulders right when you need it the most.
Pros and Cons of Having A Wedding Reception in Memphis
Pros:
- Great food
Memphis is home to over 100 mouth-watering barbecue joints, as you would expect, but the offerings also include vegan food, Mexican food, Italian food, and fine dining.
- Great music
Whether you’re interested in the golden oldies or the bleeding edge, Elvis Presley’s famous home, Graceland, is rich with music history and live music.
- Fun activities
Memphis has theaters, distilleries, casinos, outdoor adventure, and more to add fun to any sort of shindig.
Cons:
- The weather
Tennessee is a southern state on a river -- that means that the summers are hot and humid, and the winters are short, cold, and wet.
- Crime
Memphis’s reputation precedes it a little on this front, and the city has a pretty hard edge to it if you explore outside the tourist areas.
- Crowds and packed hotels
Memphis’ biggest month for tourism is May which has the Beale Street Music Festival, the World Championship BBQ cooking contest, and many other festivals, so it can be hard to get a booking.
Famous Wedding Reception Locations in Memphis, Tennessee
Find a wedding reception venue nearby one of these outstanding Memphis attractions!
- Beale Street
Known as the “home of the blues, Beale Street holds music, bars, restaurants, shops, and a deep history. Here, you’ll find year-round concerts and festivals, matched with a vibrant 24/7 nightlife. Adorned with clubs, attractions, and even some museums, Beale Street is the perfect place to go to ensure that your wedding party never stops!
- Memphis Zoo
Pandas, polar bears, and elephants, oh my! Located near an open-air pavilion in the Broad Avenue arts district, the Memphis zoo is a beautiful attraction for nature lovers and families alike. It’s a great spot for photo-ops too!
- Sun Studio
Sun Studio is known as “The Birthplace of Rock & Roll,” and for a good reason. Legends of the genre like B. B. King and Elvis Presley first recorded their music there. The site now offers guided tours of the original studio building, where you can see where the magic happened first-hand.
