Converting Residential Property to Commercial (Event Space)

[E.J. McLeavey-Fisher]

Hi all,

Doing some very preliminary exploration of starting an event space/wedding venue in the northern New Jersey area. Is it at all realistic to consider residential properties in this search (large mansion-type spaces, lots of land buffering between neighboring properties), with the hope of converting them to a commercial property that would allow such business to operate? Or are there workarounds for using a space in this way while still being zoned residentially?