Wedding Receptions and Ceremonies - Wedding Venues in Houston

A unique venue for unique occasions

"When my husband first proposed and we began wedding planning, I knew that Avantgarden was going to be the perfect venue for us. I am an artist and my husband is a musician, we have eclectic tastes and both of us have been patrons of this bar/venue for years. It is a beautiful old two-story building in the Montrose area of Houston with lots of wonderful history, an antiquated and bohemian ambiance, a lovely front garden porch, and an amazing back open patio. It is picturesque to say the least.

We got married at AvantGarden on March 11th, and it was more beautiful than I could ever imagine. Mariana is truly someone whom you can trust, and she will make sure your wedding goes smoothly and wonderfully. The week of the wedding I had to move my church ceremony to Avant due to the rain. I was so nervous and anxious but Mariana was able to work with my last minute changes and assured me it would be just fine, and it truly was. Mariana's staff was so kind and hospitable to me and my (130) guests, they catered to the potential bad weather, my tables and centerpieces were set up beautifully, & everyone LOVED the taco truck!! It really poured at the end of the night and Mariana made sure all the decorations we brought were packed up and stored safely for us to take home. It was really nice to not have to think of that at the end of the night. Overall, I truly felt blessed that our wedding was able to be celebrated on this day at this venue as it was perfect, blessed and we really have Mariana & her staff to thank. Thank you so much! We had a blast!!!!??

Avant Garden could not have given us a more beautiful wedding. From the very beginning, I felt very comfortable working with Mariana and having her help us create a magical day. Everything from the decorations to her advice on what would work best, to simply the communication was beyond what I expected. Leading up to our wedding day, Mariana kept me updated during Harvey and assured me that everything was fine, and was very helpful if I changed my mind on little details along the way. The day of our wedding she was so calm and sweet, I felt really lucky to have chosen Avant Garden for our wedding. It is a venue that my husband and I both have a connection to, we met there many times before we started dating and this is a very special place for us. We were so happy to have been able to share our magical day here with Mariana.

"We chose a fun, themed "vintage sideshow circus" wedding which was going to take lots of customization with the planning and decor to make it happen, and Mariana, the owner, was extremely accommodating and offered many suggestions for the rentals, catering, and valet services to help us out. She had wine and beer special ordered for us by request. She and her staff were well prepared for our event, which was costumed ( and they even all dressed up to fit the theme, which they didn't have to do, but it made it all the better! )"

When my fiancé and I got engaged we immediately thought of Avant Garden as the spot at which we wanted to be married. We cannot express how grateful we are to Mariana and the staff at Avant Garden for making our wedding day a breeze. Despite a mild bout of rain, everything went ridiculously smooth, our wedding couldn't have been any better! It was a night we will truly remember and cherish forever! You really went above and beyond making the venue so beautiful and perfect for us. Thank you for all your hard work, we are super happy!!! Throughout our planning phases Mariana was of invaluable help--mainly due to her magical ability to calm and reassure us. Each time we worried over details or organizing issues Mariana assured us that all would be fine and that she'd see to it that our wedding would be beautiful. She truly came through on this promise. Our wedding was a hit! Of course the venue was beautiful and took minimal decorating effort on our part; furthermore the space is unique and has a special place in our hearts. There's a reason Avant Garden has such a great reputation as a venue, and that Mariana receives such complimentary reviews for her skills.

"We had approximately 160 guests, and Avantgarden accommodated this well. The valet service that we used was invaluable, though, as there is limited parking, but this made it very easy for our guests to come and go. The seating was less formal and we did more of a cocktail reception since we had so many guests. Half of the back patio was turned into a circus arena with lights, circus tent awning, cotton candy and popcorn! After the vows our guests enjoyed an aerial acrobatics show and other various sideshow performances, while music was DJ'd inside for a late night dance party, and we ended the performances with a burlesque show upstairs. I think I heard the phrase "coolest wedding EVER" at least a dozen times, and many guests were commenting on how amazing the venue (Avantgarden) was."

"It was THE wedding to remember and it would not have been nearly as amazing as it was at any other venue or without the assistance of Mariana and her staff. I know that there have been several weddings/receptions at Avantgarden and I know that by far ours has been the most unique, but to future prospects for various events just know that no matter the theme, the sky is the limit, Mariana will help make it happen if you can imagine it!"

We recently had our wedding at this location and I wanted to review this venue while all the details are still fresh in my mind. Mariana, the venue owner is fair and honest. She works hard for your event making sure it flows as perfectly as possible. My wife and I had very little financial help, paying for our own wedding. Mariana allows payments over the entire span of the booking which made our lives so much easier. I found the most important part of this process was to be working with someone who communicated well and who truly loved their work and was not all about dollar bills. The DJ played all songs from our list and people danced their butts off. The flower arrangements were breathtaking! We hired Mariana to do all of our decorating. Our guests kept raving about the coolness of the details! The AvantGarden staff were amazing, courteous and constantly attentive, specially Mariana’s daughters! This venue sells itself. It’s a neat old historic mansion in the heart of Houston with a unique bohemian flair. The parking lot is small but as per Mariana’s recommendation we hired the valet services, and everything went smoothly. If you want an easy and beautiful wedding call AvantGarden! We’re happy we had ours here! Marcel and Noney

"My wedding venue was the AvantGarden on Westheimer and it could not have turned out more perfect. This place is beautiful with plants/flowers surrounding the patio-where our ceremony took place. I wanted something low-key and an evening wedding. The place was lit with lanterns and the plants really gave it an earthy feel. Mariana (the owner) was such a big help in cooridinating everything and making sure everything ran smoothly. It fit about 140 people and all of my guests adored this place. It is a two-story historic house with antique furniture inside of the house-- also including 2 bars inside, one on 1st floor and one on 2nd floor. IT was awesome because guests could come inside to cool off and lounge or they could go outside on the back patio to sit/eat and mingle and dance. One word to describe this venue is PERFECT!" Ms Sandoval

“My husband and I knew we didn’t want a “cookie cutter” wedding ceremony and reception. We were looking for something different and found it at AvantGarden! Mariana and her staff made our wedding night PERFECT! From conception to finale, they were there every step of the way! My husband and I couldn’t of asked for a more magical evening! Thanks AvantGarden!” Brad and Harmony Hudgens

My entire wedding planning experience was amazing thanks to AvantGarden. With the owner Mariana, I felt like I had a personal wedding planner and director without the price tag of one. The venue was reasonably priced and completely all inclusive...I literally only had to order the cake to be delivered to them and drop a couple personal items off to her the day before that we wanted included, she did EVERYTHING else!! The venue was beautiful! We also hired the on site taco truck for our dinner which was the hit of the night. The food was amazing! Everyone said the bartenders had heavy hands as well ;) Mariana was very attentive to all of our needs and the night ran perfectly! Such a fabulous, beautiful, and unique venue...you will not regret choosing AvantGarden!!!

"The venue was gorgeous, everything went smoothly, the taco truck was a hit, and Mariana and Horacio were an absolute pleasure to work with. Thanks for all your patience and generosity. We hope to see you again soon" Ms Quinatana

"The patio was beautiful during the ceremony and absolutely magical at night, and we received many compliments on choosing AvantGarden" K Grammy

"I recently attended a friend's wedding at Avant Garden so my review is based on the enormously grand time I had. Will a wedding / reception work there? Yes it will.
It was a rather large crowd but with the multi level, front & back areas we were all spread out and didn't step on each others toes. The staff was kept busy (especially the bartenders) and they proved to be pros. Running around and making sure the food kept coming and supplying endless glasses of champagne, mixed drinks, sodas, water, etc. The groom did the catering himself (yes, he is crazy that way) and we dined on an assortment of appetizers: jerk chicken, empanadas, salmon mousse, hummus, corn on the cob, tamales and I am sure some other stuff I missed. It was one hellacious party as most of us met back in the 80's and would go out clubbing (Rocksy, Numbers, Emo's). The only difference from then till now are a few gray hairs and wrinkles. The wedding / 80's reunion was a huge success due to the fun crowd and awesome staff at Avant Garden." AE

My husband and I used Avant Garden for our wedding reception, and it was PERFECT. The place is simply gorgeous and has such character without being pretentious or cheesy. The best part of the experience, however, was with Mariana, the owner. She was so sweet and caring from day 1 until our last guest finally left. She made recommendations for caterers, parking, djs, and decorators and we took her advice on every one. When the weather took a turn for the worst at the last moment, she contacted me and offered to go and get additional propane tanks for the outside heaters, and even purchased two more to keep our guests nice and warm. Having our reception at Avant Garden made our day so incredibly special, and it will be a day that we remember for the rest of our lives. Mr. Nickalos

"It has been a little over a year and friends along with family still remind us how fun our weeding was. We couldn't have asked for anything more. This is astonishing considering we didn't do much planning. We are both students and work full time. One evening, with the desired wedding date a few months ahead, we found ourselves at Avant Garden indulging its enchantment and its delicious sangria. We thought it be great if we could have our wedding reception there. The next day we found that Avant Garden was indeed a wedding venue. We contacted Mariana and the rest is history. She knew exactly what we wanted and connected us with all the right folks. She made it all possible with just a handful of months. For great memories, I would highly recommend Avant Garden. The staffs are experts at what they do and the garden is truly magical! -Very Satisfied Mr. & Mrs."

"Mariana and her team at AvantGarden take great pride in their work to make events work exceptionally well. There is a lot of pre-planning time and patience to ensure that everything is discussed upfront prior to the event. It's a lot of fun working with Mariana on the day, and I have nothing but things to say about her, and her ability to create a wonderful environment for a wedding. She is also very resourceful for the additional services you may need. Highly recommended if you want something very cool and different from those large more traditional and dare I say, more pretentious events."

"Mariana and her staff were absolutely amazing. They handled everything end to end even in the pouring rain! My now husband and I looked at several venues and we knew Avant Garden was the one for us as soon as we saw it. If you want something original with a personal touch, that doesn't break the bank, certainly have it at Avant Garden! You and your guests will love it."

"Mariana is wonderful to work with and our daughter and son-in laws weddng turned out beautiful. Great venue and wonderful patio."

"I couldn't think of a better place to hold my wedding. Mariana took care of everything: venue, decorations, she suggested an officiant and food options so planning was low stress. The decorations were beautiful and we had a great party afterwards.

"Mariana and her staff were so great and accommodating with all of our requests for the wedding. She used our decorations beautifully and even added some of her own as well for that extra special touch. Throughout the night she kept checking on us and making sure we had everything we needed. I couldn't have asked for a better venue for our wedding."

"If I could give 10 stars, I would. Mariana was calm, cool, and collected at my most stressful time. My wedding was on a rainy day (half of Houston was flooded) and Mariana made it great. Mariana was soaking wet but my day was a success. What more could you ask for? She is a professional and you can trust her with everything. I would recommend Avant Garden to anyone. It can be traditional or unique. Classy and elegant or earthy and organic. It's everything I dreamed of and more".