Renault Winery Wedding Guide | Egg Harbor City, NJ

Renault Winery is one of my favorite venues in South Jersey to work at. It has a vineyard, a hotel that feels like an Italian villa, two ballrooms that look nothing alike, a pond, a tree line I would build a portrait session around, and a tree built out of old wine barrels that lights up at night. I have been photographing weddings here since 2014, and every time I pull in I find something new.

This guide is what I have learned working the property. Which ballroom fits which kind of wedding, where to get ready, where the ceremonies happen, the spots I go to for portraits, and the one piece of advice I give every Renault couple.

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Renault Winery Wedding Venue Snapshot

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Why Couples Choose Renault Winery

The honest answer is that you get a whole weekend in one place. Your guests can stay at the hotel, get ready, walk to the ceremony, eat, dance, and go back upstairs without anybody getting in a car. There are not many venues in South Jersey where you can say that and mean it.

• It looks like a vineyard because it is one. The rows of vines run right up to where you will be taking portraits.
• Two ballrooms with completely different personalities, so you can pick the one that fits you instead of decorating your way to it.
• Château Renault is right there. It is really nice for a hotel, and it makes the whole day easier.
• The grounds give you good light at almost any time of day. There is always shade somewhere, and always a pretty direction to face.
• Everything is close together. It is a big property, but nothing is a hike.
• The fall is incredible. In October they set the whole place up with pumpkins, barrels and wagon wheels.

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The Champagne Ballroom vs the Vineyard Ballroom

These two rooms are very different, and this is the first decision that shapes your whole day here.

The Champagne Ballroom

High ceilings, big and grand, and more contemporary and modern. At Sydney and Antonio’s wedding the room was draped all the way up to the chandelier in the center, and their first dance under it was so good they hung a wide black and white print of it on their wall. I rarely see a couple choose a reception photograph for wall art, and I love that they did.

We did their family formals inside, in front of the drapes that divide off the main room. It worked great, because the divider did not look like a divider. It looked like a backdrop someone built on purpose.

The Vineyard Ballroom

This one has an old, rich, wooded barn feel. Wood floors, a wood ceiling, round chandeliers, and when I was there last it looked brand new, like it had just been redone. If you want warm and a little rustic, this is your room. Chelsea and Derek had theirs here, Derek’s bandmates were on the dance floor, and it turned into one of those receptions where people end up in the air.

The hall right below the Vineyard Ballroom, where the two staircases come together, is one of my favorite spots on the property for the wedding party.

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See a Renault Winery Wedding in Motion

Here is Sydney and Antonio’s wedding video, from the bridal suite stairs to the end of the night on the lawn.

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Getting Ready at Renault Winery

Château Renault

If you take one thing from this guide, use the hotel. I really like getting ready over at Château Renault. There is more window light, and there are really good places for a first look and a reveal. It feels like an Italian villa inside, with checkered floors, curved railings and a grand staircase, and it is so convenient for everyone.

Chelsea did a first look with her dad in her suite, then we did hers and Derek’s at the bottom of the hotel staircase and shot a little inside before heading out.

The bridal suite at the Champagne Ballroom

The bridal suite at the Champagne Ballroom building is nice too, and it has a staircase coming down out of it that makes a great first look. Sydney came down those stairs to Antonio waiting at the bottom, and we shot the whole thing in black and white. The groom and his guys can get ready at the hotel.

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Ceremony Options at Renault Winery

The lawns out back

The lawns behind the venue are really nice for a ceremony, and there is more than one spot. Chelsea and Derek got married at the end of a long garden aisle lined with hedges, and Sydney and Antonio got married under a wooden arbor on the lawn, which was a little different from where I usually see ceremonies here. Both looked amazing.

Inside the Champagne Ballroom

I have also photographed a ceremony indoors in the Champagne Ballroom, in the spot with all the open windows. It is really pretty. It makes a lot of sense if your reception is in that ballroom anyway, and it is a good rain plan if you are planning on the lawn.

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Best Spots for Photographs at Renault Winery

The tree line along the vineyard

This is one of my favorite spots to shoot at Renault. There is a row of tall pines running along the vineyard, and when the wind and the light line up, it pushes your hair back and everything glows.

The vineyard

Walk right into the rows. In the fall they set the whole place up with pumpkins, barrels and wagon wheels, and the light gets low and warm in the afternoon.

The pond

The pond is where I go for wide frames, the kind that look great big on a wall. There is a footbridge and a big old tree at the edge of the water.

The double staircase

Right below the Vineyard Ballroom, where the two staircases meet. This is where I like to play with the wedding party a little, all together and then the bridesmaids and groomsmen on their own.

The barrel tree at night

Renault has a tree built out of old wine barrels, and when it is lit up at night it is such a pretty view. Step out before the end of the reception for ten minutes. Those black and white frames are some of my favorites from Chelsea and Derek’s gallery.

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Fall and Winter Weddings at Renault Winery

Honestly, it is pretty here most of the year, and you can always find good shade and good light. Golden hour at the end of the day is still the best time for portraits. Fall is my favorite, with the vines turning and the property dressed up for the season.

In the winter Renault runs Vintner Wonderland, with bonfires, heated igloos and an ice rink. That is a prime time for a proposal here. You can go to dinner, get drinks, propose, and go ice skating, all without leaving. I wrote about it in my guide to the best places to propose in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

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What Does a Renault Winery Wedding Cost?

Pricing comes from Renault directly, and it moves with your date, your guest count, which ballroom you pick and what package you choose. Renault says its packages include many of the essentials and still let you choose your own vendors. I am not going to publish somebody else’s numbers or guess at them, because a stale number on a photographer’s website is worse than no number at all.

What I can tell you is where the decision actually is. Pick your ballroom first, because the Champagne Ballroom and the Vineyard Ballroom are different weddings. Then decide how much of the hotel you want to use, because the room block is what turns a wedding day into a wedding weekend here.

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Planning Tips That Make the Day Run Smoothly

• Use Château Renault. Get ready there, put your family there, and do your first look at the bottom of the staircase.
• Pick your ballroom for its personality. Champagne is grand and modern, Vineyard is warm and wooded.
• Keep the Champagne Ballroom’s window spot in mind as your indoor ceremony or rain plan.
• Save ten minutes at the end of the night for the barrel tree.
• Give yourself time in the vineyard and at the tree line before cocktail hour. That is where the portraits are.
• If you are a fall couple, ask when they set up the pumpkins and barrels for the season.
• Put the wedding party photographs at the double staircase under the Vineyard Ballroom.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Renault Winery Weddings

Where is Renault Winery?

Renault Winery is at 72 North Bremen Avenue in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey. Renault puts it about an hour from Philadelphia and about 30 minutes from Atlantic City, in South Jersey wine country.

How many guests can Renault Winery hold for a wedding?

Renault’s wedding page lists three ballrooms for weddings of up to 250 guests. I do not publish a seated number for somebody else’s venue, because the real answer depends on the room and your floor plan, so confirm your count with Renault’s team.

Can you have the ceremony at Renault Winery?

Yes. You can get married outside on the lawns behind the venue, and there is more than one spot back there, or inside the Champagne Ballroom by the big windows. The Champagne Ballroom is also the rain plan.

What is the difference between the Champagne Ballroom and the Vineyard Ballroom?

The Champagne Ballroom has very high ceilings and feels grand, contemporary and modern. The Vineyard Ballroom has a rich, wooded barn feel with wood floors and a wood ceiling. They are completely different, so pick the one that feels like you.

Where should we get ready at Renault Winery?

I really like getting ready at Château Renault, the hotel on the property. There is more window light and there are great spots for a first look. The bridal suite at the Champagne Ballroom is also nice and has a staircase that makes a great reveal.

Is there a hotel at Renault Winery?

Yes. Château Renault is right on the property, and Renault lists 55 rooms and suites. It is really nice for a hotel, and it lets your guests make a weekend of it without driving anywhere.

Where are the best spots for photographs at Renault Winery?

The tree line of pines along the vineyard, the vineyard rows, the pond and its footbridge, the double staircase below the Vineyard Ballroom, the hotel staircase, and the wine barrel tree lit up at night.

What is the best time of year for a Renault Winery wedding?

It is pretty most of the year, and there is always shade and good light somewhere on the property. Fall is my favorite, when the vines turn and they set the grounds up with pumpkins and barrels.

Do you have to leave Renault Winery for photographs?

No. Between the vineyard, the tree line, the pond, the hotel and the staircases, you can shoot the whole day on the property. Everything is conveniently close together.

Can you propose at Renault Winery?

Yes, and it is a great place for it. In the winter, Vintner Wonderland adds bonfires, heated igloos and ice skating, so you can have dinner, propose and go skating in one night. Renault also offers its own proposal package.

Have you photographed weddings at Renault Winery?

Yes, going back to 2014, plus engagement sessions on the grounds. It is one of the venues I get excited about when it shows up on an inquiry.

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