The Cottage Wedding Venue

Located in the heart of historic downtown Gilbert, The Cottage Wedding Venue is a warm and intimate space, ideal for that special day. Our experience with owners Dina and Sal is deeply rooted and it all began with them catering our wedding! We’ve had the pleasure of being the preferred photographer for Dina since the venue opened and have watched it transform into an amazing space for our brides and grooms. The team here works together with one goal in mind and each event I have the pleasure of capturing has come off seamlessly.

Once the guests arrive at The Cottage Wedding Venue, the one thing on their itinerary will be to enjoy themselves. No additional traveling or driving is required at this all-inclusive site. The bride and groom can prepare beforehand in separate suites and start the festivities with the wedding party. Oftentimes, couples opt to do a first look prior to the guests’ arrival—this can be with each other, the bride with her father, or even with the bride and her bridesmaids. We can use this opportunity to shoot wedding party formals so the couple can spend even more time with their guests after the ceremony.

Wedding Photography

One of our favorite and arguably most impressive aspects of The Cottage Wedding Venue is versatility when it comes to photography. One of the major benefits of having a professional wedding photographer familiar with the venue is their ability to see beauty and opportunity in places that aren’t obvious. Many of our couples favorite captured moments are, believe it or not, taken in the parking lot or in the adjacent dirt lot. That might sound strange but the couples shots with the lush green backdrop on the side of The Cottage speak for themselves. The Cottage’s yard, with its charming gazebo, is perfect for the larger family and wedding party photos. The front of the house has a beautiful tree we use as a backdrop for full body shots of our couples—either couples walking together or holding hands. The setting sun offers the chance for some breathtaking silhouettes of our couples in front of the house. Another location perfect for bright sunny days is located just across the parking lot, where a large tree creates another beautiful backdrop—and provides much appreciated shade for our couples from the harsh sun.

Wedding Ceremony Site

Ceremonies are held at the outdoor stage, which sports a rustic wooden backdrop flanked by two elegant black iron light posts—breathtaking in its own right, this area can be decorated to tell each couple’s unique story. One of our brides handmade over 1,000 paper cranes that she strung up for the ceremony to represent being engaged in China. Other couples opt for beautifully draped curtains in their wedding colors, flowers, or even a wall of succulents. Dina’s team will help bring any idea you have to life. As a backup, if there is even the slightest sign of rain, ceremonies can also be held indoors.

Cocktail hour and dinner

Cocktail hour can be hosted inside or outside, depending on the couple’s preference. The yard to the side of the ceremony site is blanketed in grass and set up for yard games to keep guests entertained while we use the time to take formals or sunset shots. When it’s hot, the ballroom keeps your guests comfortably cool. Both areas are beautifully apportioned with long rustic white wooden tables, your choice of benches or chairs, and a unique table scape that will keep your guests in awe through dinnertime. Guests will be even more impressed with the delicious food cooked in-house by Z Catering, the original company started by Dina. Z Catering provided an incredible dinner at our own wedding and we have guests asking us about the food to this day! My absolute favorite bites are the bacon wrapped dates!

Dance floor

Two dance floor options—one inside the ballroom and the other outdoors in the yard—provides yet another way for our couples to customize their wedding day. The glow of the Edison string lights in the yard create an inviting atmosphere as the sun goes down and the dancing shoes are laced up.

Stress free wedding planning

Don’t get fooled by its charm; The Cottage is astoundingly versatile. The choices it offers amongst its different stations allow a programmatic setup that separates the spaces between different events of the evening. This allows for maximum contact with friends and family instead of requiring the time and logistical challenges associated with travel between multiple locations throughout your wedding day. Dina, Sal and their team guide our couples through every step of the planning process from table linens to program timeline and everything in between. They give each couple a one-on-one experience to make their dream wedding a reality. Their all-in-one wedding packages allow our couples to plan and envision their day while eliminating the stress that can come with planning. Open houses for site tours are held every Wednesday afternoon from 4 PM to 7 PM with a large vendor open house hosted three times a year.