No offense to Callanwolde or the Botanical Garden, but if money was no object and I could recommend literally any venue in the city to host a wedding, I would still pick Wahoo! Grill. (This isn't a paid-for review, by the way. We got married here in May, and these are my honest thoughts.)

First, the elephant in the room, or at least it was for me. The name of the place makes it sound like nothing special. Like it's maybe a beachside sports bar with fried fish and beer specials or something. Maybe you're not liking the idea of telling your parents that you're getting married at a place called "Wahoo! Grill", or how it'll look on the invitation, or whatever. Let me be clear with you. The name is a MASSIVE undersell for what this place really is. Do yourself a favor, be open-minded and give it a fair shot, because what's inside this normal-looking restaurant is not at all what you'd expect from the outside.

As soon as you walk through the entrance, you see their outdoor space, and it is incredible. Upscale rustic design and an impossibly lush garden surrounding you on all sides. Tour it in the warm season if you can, because everything is in bloom and you can see the garden at its peak. (We toured in winter, so a lot of the garden's beauty was hypothetical. Luckily we took their word on what it would be in summer.)

We were a little worried about the size, thinking it would be too small for our 110ish-count, but it was all good. The space is laid out nicely with an open area on one end for the ceremony, a tented area on the other end for dancing, and a tighter circle in the middle that gives it overall kind of an hourglass shape. We also purchased the restaurant buyout for a little extra breathing room. As far as weather plans, they have a thin shroud hanging over the ceremony space that handles light rain but recommend having a tent plan for heavy rain.

The food here is beyond excellent. All of our guests were raving about it, particularly the ahi tuna and the steak. Just as excellent as the food itself is their serving setup. These guys have the buffet down to a science, restocking it quickly and by demand so nothing is sitting out too long.

Honestly, though, what really won us over wasn't any of this as much as it was Pam and her team. They have taken their venue and restaurant and made it into a PERFECT WEDDING MACHINE. Pam herself is all at once the business owner, the venue manager, and your personal wedding director. She toured us herself, taking notes on us even before we decided to go with them, and made us feel taken care of from start to finish. Sydni was our point-person as we put our plans together, and her emails and questions were incredibly helpful. At one point we called her simply to say our budget was getting tight and ask if there were any ways to cut costs, and she combed through our entire banquet order and found as many cuts as she could within the day. And Caitlin was our hero during the event itself, seeming to be everywhere at once making sure everything was smooth. And it was. A lot of our family and friends said it was the most stress-free wedding they'd ever been to.

At the end of the day, what they're offering here is honestly worth far more than they're charging. But Pam says that's on purpose, and that she'd rather give people a great wedding experience than play the wedding upcharge game just because. I think her energy goes a long way toward making Wahoo! what it is, and I highly recommend you experience it for yourself.

If you’re looking for a venue that’s got it all (natural beauty, organization, and affordability), this is IT!!!!!

I got married at Wahoo in early 2024 and I’m so, so glad I did. From the moment we toured to the time we left the venue after our wedding, Pam and her team did an incredible job taking care of us while planning and beyond. They were extremely attentive, understanding, and ORGANIZED. I can’t tell you how amazing it was to know there’d be no question I forgot to ask, no missing little detail, nothing – this team is a well-oiled machine when it comes to weddings and will ensure yours runs as smoothly as possible. I really didn’t have to do much planning on my own which was a godsend. Pam’s team asks you the right questions at the right time to keep you on track!

As for the event itself, it was bliss. We got married in late February and worried it would be chilly, but it was so, so cozy with heaters and blankets that Wahoo passed out. The venue was still as beautiful as ever, with gorgeous flowers and lighting to create an unforgettable ambiance. So many guests complimented its beauty, and so many people that saw my photos asked, "WHERE IS THIS MAGICAL PLACE?!?"

The food was incredibly delicious. You really can’t go wrong having a wedding at a restaurant that knows what they’re doing when it comes to feeding guests. There was such a diverse selection of choices and everything was timely, tasty, and had guests coming up for thirds. This was super important to me; I remember the food when I go to weddings and wanted mine to be amazing!

Lastly, Wahoo’s pricing is transparent, inclusive, and reasonable. You know exactly what you’re signing up for, with the ability to upgrade as you wish. I was so disheartened when beginning to plan because everything was so freaking expensive and it felt like you got NOTHING out of it. Seriously so grateful there are gem venues like this.

THANK YOU WAHOO!

Pam and her team at wahoo were total pros at every turn. We couldn’t have dreamt of a better day. The courtyard was magical and the dance floor was electric