An Upstairs Atlanta wedding gives you a raw, white brick canvas and lets you fill it with whatever your day is supposed to look like. I got to photograph Michelle & Skyler’s wedding here, and watching their tropical, color drenched vision take over this industrial space was a reminder of why I love this venue so much. If you’re considering it for your own day, here’s what you need to know, plus a real look at how one couple made it their own.
About Upstairs Atlanta
Upstairs Atlanta sits in the Grant Park neighborhood, built in 1895 as part of the Atlanta Stockade and originally used as a blacksmith building. The concrete columns running through the space were once three central forges, and that industrial history is still visible in the exposed brick walls, custom steel doors, and soaring ceilings. It’s been fully renovated into a contemporary event venue, but the bones are still historic, which gives the space a lived in character that a lot of newer venues can’t match.
The main hall offers 2,300 square feet with tall ceilings and plenty of windows for natural light. Upstairs Atlanta can host up to 200 seated guests or 250 for a cocktail style reception, so it works whether you’re planning something intimate or a full scale party.
My advice for this venue: Upstairs Atlanta is genuinely a blank slate, which is a gift if you have a strong vision like Michelle & Skyler did. Their tropical florals and bold color palette looked incredible against all that white and brick precisely because the space doesn’t compete with your design choices. If you know your colors and details early, lean into them. The venue will let them shine.
Ceremony Locations at Upstairs Atlanta
You have both indoor and outdoor ceremony options here. The main hall works beautifully for an indoor ceremony, especially if you want to avoid Georgia heat or unpredictable weather, and there’s a covered patio and brick courtyard for outdoor vows with a more industrial, open air feel. Michelle & Skyler married inside, and their florist and planner built a gorgeous arch backdrop of deep pinks, reds, and greens against the white walls that made the whole space feel transformed.
Reception Venues at Upstairs Atlanta
The same main hall that hosts your ceremony can flip into your reception space, which is exactly what happened at Michelle & Skyler’s wedding. Their planner turned the room around while guests headed outside to the patio and courtyard for cocktail hour. Upstairs Atlanta includes farm tables, chairs, high boy tables, and an 18 foot concrete bar with draft taps as part of the rental, so a lot of the reception infrastructure is already built in. Michelle & Skyler used that flexibility to build out a full sweetheart table setup with a custom neon sign and personalized details at every place setting.
Photography Opportunities at Upstairs Atlanta
The white walls and abundant natural light throughout the main hall make this one of my favorite spaces to shoot in. It’s neutral enough that whatever colors or florals you bring in become the focal point of every photo, which is exactly what happened with Michelle & Skyler’s tropical palette. The exterior of the building also gives you great texture for portraits and first looks. I found a quiet spot outside for their first look since I hadn’t photographed here before and wanted a neutral backdrop away from where the ceremony and reception were being set up. The covered patio and courtyard are also great for cocktail hour candids and give guests a place to step outside and get some air during the party.
FAQs About Upstairs Atlanta Weddings
How many guests can Upstairs Atlanta hold?
Up to 200 seated guests or 250 for a cocktail style event.
Does Upstairs Atlanta have indoor and outdoor space?
Yes. The main hall is indoors, and there’s a covered patio plus a brick courtyard for outdoor moments, so you have flexibility no matter the weather.
Is there a getting ready suite at Upstairs Atlanta?
There are two private getting ready suites, an upper level suite and a lower level suite, each with its own exterior access.
Is Upstairs Atlanta BYOB?
Yes, couples can bring their own alcohol, and the venue’s bar setup includes space for kegs, which past couples have loved for offering their favorite drinks and draft beer options.
Is parking available at Upstairs Atlanta?
Yes, the venue has 75 parking spaces available for guests.
A Real Life Upstairs Atlanta Wedding: Michelle & Skyler
Michelle & Skyler’s Upstairs Atlanta wedding was full of color, personality, and one of the best parties I’ve photographed. They chose to skip a wedding party entirely and instead kept the people who mattered most close throughout the morning. Michelle got ready with her best friend and mom in one of the getting ready suites, and Skyler’s dark turquoise suit paired with a tiny pineapple boutonniere set the tone for the day early.
We found a quiet spot outside the building for their first look, since I wanted somewhere neutral while their planner and florist finished transforming the ceremony space inside. After their first look, they headed back in to see the tropical florals in full bloom: deep pinks, reds, turquoise, and monstera leaves everywhere, with a gold arch as the ceremony backdrop. Against Upstairs Atlanta’s white walls, the colors looked even more striking than they would anywhere else.
Their ceremony had plenty of emotional moments and more than one handkerchief in use. Once it wrapped, their planner flipped the space for the reception while guests explored the patio and courtyard during cocktail hour, complete with a charcuterie spread big enough for everyone. Inside, custom neon signage lit up the sweetheart table, and rock candy sat at every place setting.
One of my favorite moments of the whole day happened on the dance floor. Michelle was dancing with her dad when her dress train got caught, and Skyler ran out mid song to sweep it up without missing a beat. It said everything about how they take care of each other. The reception turned into a full on party after that, complete with a costume change for both of them and dancing that didn’t quit until the very end.
Congratulations again, Michelle & Skyler. Your Upstairs Atlanta wedding was an absolute blast to be part of.
Planning an Upstairs Atlanta wedding? Get in touch, I’d love to talk about documenting it.
Atlanta Wedding Vendors
- Planner & Florist: Sweet Grass Weddings
- Venue: Upstairs Atlanta
- Caterer: Boards and Platters, The Mad Greek, and Tacos &Tequila
- Bakery: Publix, Fresh Market, and Dulce Vegan
- Entertainment: FaeDead
- Beauty: Courtney Musick Beauty
- Wedding Dress: Kenneth Winston
- Suit: Studio Suits
- Rings: Brilliant Earth
- Officiant: Dani Heard
