Looking for a small wedding venue in Fort Lauderdale? The Center for Spiritual Living Fort Lauderdale, at 4849 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, hosts the ceremony in its Main Auditorium (275 auditorium-style) and the reception next door in the Multipurpose Room (70 cocktail-style) or Lobby (200 cocktail-style). It’s indoors, inclusive, and has on-site parking for 150 vehicles.
At a glance
- Ceremony: Main Auditorium, 2,944 sq ft, seats up to 275 auditorium-style, with a stage and a professional sound and video booth.
- Reception: Multipurpose Room, 1,026 sq ft, up to 70 cocktail-style, or the Welcome Lobby, 1,418 sq ft, up to 200 cocktail-style.
- Seated dinner: the Main Auditorium can be set for up to 110 guests at thirteen 60″ rounds.
- Officiant: our ministers officiate weddings for couples who are not members.
- Kitchen: a licensed commercial kitchen your caterer can use, at no additional charge with the auditorium or Multipurpose Room.
- Parking: on site for up to 150 vehicles, about 6 minutes from Wilton Manors.
- To book: Jim Wood, Director of Operations, 954-566-2868. Pricing is by inquiry.
A wedding venue built for small, intimate days
Most large wedding venues in Broward are designed around 150 guests or more, a dance floor and a long cocktail hour on the water. If your guest list is 30, 60 or 90 people, those rooms can feel empty and the day can feel like it belongs to the venue instead of to you.
The Center works the other way. You say your vows in a light-filled auditorium with a real stage, walk a few steps to the reception, and nobody has to drive between a ceremony site and a banquet hall. Your guests park once, your photographer works in one building, and your caterer sets up in the kitchen down the hall.
It’s also indoors. In South Florida that means no backup tent for a summer storm, no guests squinting into the sun, and a ceremony that starts on time in July as easily as in February.
Which room fits your guest count?
These numbers come straight from the venue’s event space rental page. Many couples combine two spaces: the auditorium for the ceremony, then the Lobby or Multipurpose Room for the toast and the cake.
| Room | Size | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Auditorium | 2,944 sq ft | 275 auditorium-style; 110 seated dinner | The ceremony itself, or a ceremony and seated dinner in one room |
| Multipurpose Room | 1,026 sq ft | 70 cocktail-style; 50 auditorium-style; 40 conference-style | A small reception, a cocktail hour, or a getting-ready room |
| Welcome Lobby | 1,418 sq ft | 200 cocktail-style | Arrivals, a standing reception, a cake-and-champagne toast |
The Multipurpose Room comes with more furniture than fits at one time, so Jim Wood helps you choose a layout that suits your numbers.
Weddings for every couple
The Center for Spiritual Living is a New Thought spiritual community that welcomes people of every faith and background. That carries over to the couples who rent here. You don’t need to be a member, and your ceremony can be as spiritual or as secular as you want it to be.
LGBTQ and same-sex weddings
The Center sits on Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, about 6 minutes north of Wilton Manors, so it’s close to one of South Florida’s best-known LGBTQ communities. Same-sex couples are welcome here as couples, not as an exception to a policy. You get the same rooms, the same planning help and, if you’d like, the same ministers to lead the ceremony.
Vow renewals
A vow renewal is often smaller than the original wedding: close family, the friends who stood up for you the first time, maybe your kids or grandkids in the front row. The auditorium gives it a sense of occasion, and the Lobby is a natural spot for a dessert reception afterward.
Elopements and micro weddings
Some couples want a ceremony with a handful of people and a lunch afterward. A micro wedding here can use the auditorium for the vows and the Multipurpose Room for a table of 10 or 20, without booking a ballroom built for 300. Ask Jim Wood about the dates and times that work for a short booking.
Ceremony-only bookings
If your reception is already booked at a restaurant or a private home, you can use the Center just for the ceremony. The auditorium’s stage, chairs and sound booth make it easy to host 50 or 250 guests for a 30-minute service, and the 150 parking spaces mean nobody circles the block.
A minister for your ceremony
Our ministers officiate weddings, vow renewals and commitment ceremonies for couples who are not members of the Center. That means your venue and your officiant can come from the same place, with one conversation instead of two separate searches.
You work with the minister on the words of your ceremony, so it reflects your story and your beliefs. Read more about booking a wedding officiant in Fort Lauderdale, including how planning the ceremony works.
Planning tip: Ask for the ceremony and reception spaces in the same inquiry. A late-morning ceremony in the auditorium followed by lunch in the Multipurpose Room is one of the easiest small-wedding plans to run, because guests move a few steps instead of across town.
What’s included with your wedding rental
A Main Auditorium rental includes use of:
- 275 tan banquet chairs, enough for a full ceremony
- Thirteen 60″ round tables seating 8 each, with basic linens
- Rectangular buffet tables (two 18×72″, six 30×96″ and six 18×96″) with basic linens
- Six 24″ round high-top cocktail tables with black linens or spandex, plus six square card tables for the guest book and gifts
- Place settings for 200: salad and dinner plates, full dinnerware, basic linen napkins and water glasses
- Two blue linen couches and two blue linen club chairs
- Access to the kitchen and password-protected complimentary Wi-Fi
The auditorium also has a fully equipped sound and video booth with projection, streaming and a presidential teleprompter. A Center technician can run sound for your processional, play a slideshow, or stream the ceremony for family who can’t travel (ask about equipment and operator fees). See how the Center streams its own services on the livestream page.
The kitchen is a licensed commercial kitchen with two microwave ovens, a commercial coffee maker, a double-door refrigerator and a commercial reach-in refrigerator with 26 tray holders. Questions about caterers, alcohol, décor or timing are answered by the Director of Operations, who walks you through policies when you inquire.
How booking your wedding works
- Call or inquire. Reach Jim Wood at 954-566-2868 or send a note through the contact page with your date, guest count and whether you want a minister.
- Tour the rooms. Walk the auditorium, Lobby and Multipurpose Room and picture the aisle, the reception and where the cake goes.
- Hold your date. Jim confirms availability and explains what’s needed to reserve the spaces.
- Plan the setup. Work out the room layout, furniture, kitchen access and any sound or streaming with Jim Wood before the day.
For a full look at every room, visit the Oakland Park venue rental overview.
Planning from nearby?
Most of our couples come from just down the road. These local guides cover drive times, parking and nearby details for each city: wedding venue near Wilton Manors, event venue rental in Fort Lauderdale, venues near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and event space for Lighthouse Point. For the countywide view, read the Broward County event venue guide.
Planning more than the wedding? The same rooms host rehearsal dinners and banquets, and families also gather here for a celebration of life.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Center for Spiritual Living a good small wedding venue in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. The Center, at 4849 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, pairs a 275-seat Main Auditorium for the ceremony with a Multipurpose Room for up to 70 or a Lobby for up to 200 cocktail-style. Everything is under one roof, with on-site parking for 150 vehicles.
Can we have the ceremony and reception in the same building?
Yes. Most couples hold the ceremony in the Main Auditorium and the reception in the Multipurpose Room or Welcome Lobby a few steps away. The auditorium can also be set for a seated dinner of up to 110 guests at round tables.
Do we have to be members to get married here?
No. The Center rents its spaces for weddings of every kind and every background, and our ministers officiate for couples who are not members. Your ceremony can be spiritual, interfaith or secular.
Is the venue welcoming to LGBTQ and same-sex couples?
Yes. The Center for Spiritual Living is an inclusive community that welcomes every couple. It’s in Oakland Park, about 6 minutes north of Wilton Manors, and same-sex couples book the same rooms and the same ministers as anyone else.
Can a CSL minister officiate our wedding?
Yes. Our ministers officiate weddings, vow renewals and commitment ceremonies for non-members, and you work with the minister on the words of the ceremony. You’ll need a Florida marriage license from the county clerk before the day.
Can we book the Center for a ceremony only, or a vow renewal?
Yes. You can book the Main Auditorium just for the ceremony and hold the reception elsewhere, and vow renewals and elopements are welcome too. Call Jim Wood at 954-566-2868 to check the dates and times you have in mind.
How much does it cost to rent the Center for a wedding?
Pricing is by inquiry and depends on the rooms, date and length of your event. Call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868 for availability and a quote.
Can our caterer use the kitchen?
Yes. The licensed commercial kitchen comes with a Main Auditorium or Multipurpose Room rental at no additional charge, with refrigerators, microwaves and a commercial coffee maker. The Director of Operations will walk you through scheduling and caterer requirements.
Ready to see where you’ll say your vows? Call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868 or schedule a tour of the Center. Bring your date, your guest count and your ideas, and we’ll help you plan a small, beautiful wedding in Oakland Park.