One-of-a-kind weddings
All the bride and groom have to do is show up.
With multi-faceted event spaces offering a dazzling customized experience at every turn, engaged couples are jetting to The Aviator Event Center to secure their preferred wedding date.
Following the holiday engagement season, the wedding planning team at The Aviator Event Center & Pub is already securing 2026 and 2027 dates for eager brides and grooms.
Along with Co-owner Khadar Soussou, Lead Event Sales Manager Jen Seidel-Williams and her team of event planners have been busy crafting themes, creating timelines and checking off checklists. Jen was the first team member at The Aviator and recently celebrated four years with the company.
“Since we overlook Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, we are a distinctive and stylish backdrop for one-of-a-kind weddings,” she says, “We have lots of experience with customizing them to the bride and groom’s signature style and personality. We take care of everything from photography to flowers, bakery, lighting, photo booth, linens to suit any color palette and a totally customized wedding menu.”
Khadar says they offer the same level of upscale amenities you’d find in a downtown Cleveland venue, but at affordable prices.
“Busy couples make the most of our all-inclusivity,” he says. “We make it easy. They’ll only work with the same dedicated onsite wedding planner throughout the process and the day of the wedding. Pretty much all the couple has to do is show up.”
What’s Your Wedding Personality?
The Aviator offers a variety of elegant event spaces. The main ballroom, the 6,000-square-foot Flight Event Space, can handle up to 400 people. Its grand style features a white marble dance floor beneath a custom crystal Italian chandelier. Other event spaces include Gabriella’s Space, with stone walls and a charming atmosphere that accommodates up to 120 people. Sophia’s Room is more intimate and a perfect spot for wedding parties to chill out and get ready before the main event.
Khadar reports that smaller weddings and micro-weddings on non-traditional days are a growing trend.
“Couples looking for more intimate events at an affordable price point enjoy these weddings for up to 100 guests that take place on Thursdays and Sundays,” he says. “Much like our other weddings, everything is customizable to the couple’s unique taste.”
While American weddings may be getting smaller, he says they host a lot of ethnic-inspired weddings—Indian, Mediterranean, Eastern European and Arabic for example—which seem to be getting bigger.
“We go the extra mile in including all the traditional touches and customs that go along with an authentic ethnic wedding,” he says.
Celebrate Up Top
One of the coolest venues within The Aviator is Altitude, its rooftop bar. Perfect to move the afterparty there, or host cocktail hour before the reception, it gives your guests the chance to catch a front- row seat as planes touch down and take off next door.
“And with our expansive courtyards overlooking the runways, we’re also currently planning lots of outdoor ceremonies and receptions for up to 300 guests,” says Khadar.
Wintertime Comfort Food
Chef Matt Koza knows his way around a comfort food menu. One of his favorite dishes is the Short Rib Poutine, a decadent mix of Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds, veal demi, pickled red onions and scallions.
And Khadar notes the 747 Happy Hours have become a big hit, too.
“We’ve put together a select menu of favorites such as Beer Cheese Soup, Meatballs and French Dip Baguette, for $7.47, along with a host of drink specials,” he says. “Hundreds of people make us their happy hour destination Monday through Friday, from 2-6 p.m., and Sunday, 4 p.m. to close.”
Weekly specials, such as Wednesday Whiskey and Wing Night, are quite popular. And they’ve just brought back Prime Rib Thursdays, featuring a hand-carved 14-ounce prime rib with seasonal sides at market pricing.
Khadar also explains you can rent his company’s Flight Bites Food Truck for unforgettable private catering events.
“Also under the Aviator brand, we offer Flight Event Rentals, with any items needed for events at great pricing—tables, chairs, linens, etc., including set up and take down,” he says. “We’ve started booking graduation parties already.”
Igloos on the Runways are available for rent through the end of March. For reservations or to schedule a tour of the available wedding venues, call 216-770-5300 or visit AviatorCLE.com.
The Aviator Event Center & Pub
20920 Brookpark Road, Cleveland
Besting the Brunch Culture
This blissful intersection where savory meets sweet is celebrated in high style at The Aviator.
“We’ve put together an over-the-top spread that would appeal to any brunch aficionado,” says Aviator Co-owner Khadar Soussou. “We sell out every week, so people know to make reservations well in advance.”
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays, enjoy the carving station with roasted beef sirloin and ham, the seafood station with oysters, shrimp, scallops and mussels, as well as made-to-order omelets and build-your-own waffle and French toast bar.
The restaurant also offers a delightful array of coffee drinks and varieties of bloody marys and mimosas. The cost is $48 for adults, $25 for kids 4-12 and free for children 3 and under.
Sunday Brunch at The Aviator is served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. And to avoid disappointment, advance reservations are strongly recommended.
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