Tell me and/or show us your venue!

Nancy00714 · April 2012

Maybe some of you older July Board girls have already done this but after getting advice from some of you and seeing your siggies I'd love to know about your venues.

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!!

mekiakoo · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? I went looking for our ceremony and reception venues with my parents (FI couldn't make it). We knew we'd like to have it near my parents' house. We did not want a curch and wanted it to be outside. I wanted it to be on a farm. We found the reception venue at a historical hotel and had a difficult time finding a ceremony venue because a lot were already booked (we were 13 months ahead!). Found one that was soo BEAUTIFUL and only 3 miles from the reception. Convenient!

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? It was breathtaking. Full of flowers and trees. Under a permanent tent. I LOVE how the area looks like- lots of good photo opportunities! The price wasn't very thrilling though

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) My mom pushed my dad into getting this venue. FI is very, very laid back and flexibile. I took him to check out both venues like 2 months later and he was satisfied with them, haha.

Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!!

Ceremony

Reception

Nancy00714 · April 2012

The tent is great and will definitely come in handy in July. And the hotel is soooo picturesque!

Very Nice!

brandichamberlain · April 2012

http://gardenroomcatering.com/

mekiakoo · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_tell-me-andor-show-us-your-venue?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:46761865-96e3-4797-89c3-417c166829f0Post:6c842402-9692-4958-9619-9b0f4a07e443">Re: Tell me and/or show us your venue!</a>:
[QUOTE]<a href="http://gardenroomcatering.com/" rel="nofollow">http://gardenroomcatering.com/</a>
Posted by brandichamberlain[/QUOTE]

This is a beautiful place!!!! Are you having both the ceremony and reception there?

Nancy00714 · April 2012

I'm sooooo procrastinating. It's 12:30 here and I need to plan 2 lessons for tomorrow but talking about my wedding is much more important!

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?

I new I didn't want carpets or chandeliers anywhere. I wanted rustic and simple elegance. White walls and wooden floors (literally my exact words). My venue was the 7th one I looked at.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?

To get to my venue we had to take a golf cart into the garden and as we were coming up upon it looking at it from a small bridge, tears came to my eyes! I couldn't believe it. And a sign: the sales rep was wearing the same exact color dress as me (coral, which is funny cause that ended up being the MOHs' dress color and it's not like it's one of my favorite colors or anything). And then I walked in and love at first sight: whitewalls (a bit of wallpaper), wooden floor, exposed beams! I was in heaven.

I just LOVE the stone building and the nature that completely envelopes you there. Even though I'm not an outdoorsy person, I always knew I wanted my ceremony outside.

Bad: It isn't cheap.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

Unfortunately, Fi wasn't there to seen any of the places and he won't see our venue until June. There was really only me to make the decision. I think my mom would have preferred a reception hall, actually, but she didn't try to talk me out of this place.

Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!!

Dining Room

Ceremony/cocktail hour

Entrance

lvissers · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? It ended up being the first venue I looked at. I wanted something on the water and some place with a tropical flair.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? I fell in love with it when we first drove in. The resort has a dramatic entrance of a long drive that is all lush and lined with palm trees that sets the mood. My favorite aspect is all of the photo opps we will have. The resort is spread over 26 acres with ponds, bridges, tropical foliage, then right on the beach. I Ireally think our pictures will look like we are in Hawaii. Negative, It was one of the priciest places we looked at :-( Also it is out of town for my parents and my side of the family that lives in LA (about 2 hours away)

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe
you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)My fiance wasn't with me first time I saw it. After previewing a bunch of places I took him and his family there and everyone loved it. I have to pull some "Daddy please" lines :-)

Hotel:

Ceremony Location:

Cocktail Hour Location - my fav thing about our venue (looks out over mission bay)

Reception:

Pretty places to take pics!

michelle11988 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?
It was the last one we saw after about 20 others that just didn't do it for us. We almost booked with one other place mainly because we were so tired of looking at venues and went to this one. We booked on the spot! We wanted something that had an outdoor area for cocktails and an indoor dining area. Our ceremony is at FI's church that he went to while growing up which is about 20 mins from the reception venue.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?
We drove up and loved the grounds immediately. The best aspect besides the low price was that we are the only event all day at the grounds. It has an outdoor cocktail area and an indoor incase of rain as well as a gorgeous dining room and dance area. Only negative at the beginning was we were living about 2 hours away from it, that should no longer be a problem since next week we are passing papers on a house I can stumble home to after the wedding!

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)
I think we both absolutely loved it and penciled in a date on our first meeting. We went back with both sets of parents but we were almost positive we were booking this place over the other one.

Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!!

It won't let me post pictures for some reason, so here is the link to the venue:

http://grovelandfairways.com/

dramaqueen91087 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?
We went to every venue we could think of in the area. This one was actually where my sisters junior prom was, so we knew they did a good job.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?

I absolutly loved it right away. Its just so pretty, and they include so much. The guy I'm dealing with keeps throwing stuff in. I'm not paying for chair covers, uplights, hes building us a chuppah and a cupcake stand. Everytime we call to ask for advice on something he adds it! They don't advertise and I'm the first of my friends to get married so we are their advertisement. The only negative is the price but even though its higher than we wanted its actually a really good deal.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

FI wants nothing to do with planning. I went first with my mom and FMIL. Then we brought FI and dad back when we signed the contract. Also I've brought one of my BM's. The other BM will see it the night before the shower. Senior Prom for the school I work at is there so we're gonna crash so we can see it in party mode.

cermony space, which turns into reception space

outside

bells24412 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? It was pretty much the lowest in price and we seen all of the venues in our state which isn't very big but this was the cheapest for the price and view.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? I loved it, but then again I have always loved the venue we picked even as a kid. It is situation right on the ocean, so it has pretty views guess that is what attracted me the most.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) My FI & I both agreed upon it together since like i mentioned before the price was right, the space was really nice.

xobride · April 2012

LOVE this question! I've seen everyone's shoes, dresses, invites, etc, but not the venues.

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?

When we first started really thinking about it, we wanted the Gaylord Texan, but honestly thought it would be out of our budget so we looked for other venues near it because we knew we wanted the kids at Great Wolf Lodge while we stayed at the Gaylord for the weekend. Once we got the prices, we were pleasantly surprised and after meeting with the coordinator and getting a lot taken off the prices, we were even happier!

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?

We have been there many times so we already knew we would love it, but we couldn't exactly remember the exact spot, Mission Plaza, but we loved it immediately. It reminds FI of San Antonio, where he grew up, and it has a gorgeous waterfall and river running by it. It's inside the giant atrium so you have the feel of being outside without all the heat and humidity. It's so convenient because it's all in one place. We'll be getting ready there, have the ceremony and reception there, have the post-reception dance party at the Glass Cactus on the same property, be spending two nights there and the kids will be right across the street.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

We both agreed without a second thought

dawnleanna1 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? We started planning our wedding in February so our choices on what was available were limited. We are having our ceremony in a park, overlooking a river. Our reception will be inside at a golf course with coctails on the patio. I had no intention of picking the golf course, but I liked it better in person and FI loved it.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? We decided to go with the golf course because their prices are great. Way cheaper than we expected. I really wanted the entire wedding to be outdoors, but there are windows all around the room and the view is pretty. The only negative part is maybe that they are just starting to do weddings this year so they may not be very experienced. A little worried about that but at least I have a wedding planner so I can relax a bit.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) I really wanted the entire wedding to be outdoors. We compromised. We agreed on an indoor reception but an outdoor wedding. I searched many places for the perfect spot and I think it will be great.

Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!! I don't have any yet! Neither place does alot of weddings so I will have to get my own pics soon.

toomanychoices17 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs?
FI and I went to about 8 different venues in the surrouding area. I originally wanted to get married near the water, but that would have required a pretty big drive and all of his family is local/complained when his cousin had her reception on the ocean. This venue had most of what we were looking for- we needed space for 200 people and wanted an outdoor area for cocktails, while staying under $100pp. I had a hard time finding places that seemed clean and not dated. We narrowed it down to two country clubs (found that they had the best maintenance) and eventually decided on Hop Meadow because we thought it fit more with us. It has a huge wrap-around deck overlooking the golf course and is pristine inside. The other contendor wasn't as pretty, or in as nice of an area, but offered more food for a slightly cheaper price.

What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?
Favorite: it looks beautiful, and it's very clean. And the entrees were great at the tasting. And also that the bathrooms are clean and have granite countertops- too many of the places we went to had beautiful ballrooms, but then their other areas: the cocktail location, patio, bathrooms really didn't match the feel of the ballroom.
Least favorite: the coordinator is being difficult to deal with recently. She came down in price $4 to meet our budget (but took out the champagne toast) and acts like she's doing us a huge favor.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!!
We went together but I decided I guess. We both liked it but he thought we should go for the venue that offered more food. I thought the food would be wasted and wouldn't be as good quality. He's happy with our choice now that we've brought our parents out to see it.

The front of the country club at night.... don't know why they don't display a picture of it during the day.

The grounds:

View of the patio (below the deck), overlooking the golf course

The mantle where we're going to display pictures of the weddings of our family members.

Inside the hall. Not the grandest we saw, but definitely the most "pulled together".

BeachLover2885 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? Our venue has a small restaurant attached to it, and we had eaten there twice before getting engaged. The second time we ate there, FI's friends were with us and one of them was talking to someone who worked there and found out they had weddings and events there. I remember going home and looking at the pics online and liking it. After we got engaged, we put this place on our list. It was actually the second place we saw, and we both really liked it. We saw a few other venues, but this place was on the top of our list. We went for a tasting with both sets of parents and they loved the food. That kind of sealed the deal Also, the owner actually did all of the food for my FI's bar mitzvah almost 15 years ago! Such a small world!

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? I remember walking in and loving the windows and feel of the place. There was something special about it that I couldn't really explain. Some negatives are the size of the bridal suite (much smaller than other venues) and the cocktail space isn't as large as I would like, but those are minor things.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) FI was leaning more towards another venue that his friend had gotten married at, but I (and his friends actually) persuaded him to choose our venue because it was something different. Basically, FI and I picked it out but we got approval from our parents before signing the deal.

BeachLover2885 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? Our venue has a small restaurant attached to it, and we had eaten there twice before getting engaged. The second time we ate there, FI's friends were with us and one of them was talking to someone who worked there and found out they had weddings and events there. I remember going home and looking at the pics online and liking it. After we got engaged, we put this place on our list. It was actually the second place we saw, and we both really liked it. We saw a few other venues, but this place was on the top of our list. We went for a tasting with both sets of parents and they loved the food. That kind of sealed the deal Also, the owner actually did all of the food for my FI's bar mitzvah almost 15 years ago! Such a small world!

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? I remember walking in and loving the windows and feel of the place. There was something special about it that I couldn't really explain. Some negatives are the size of the bridal suite (much smaller than other venues) and the cocktail space isn't as large as I would like, but those are minor things.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) FI was leaning more towards another venue that his friend had gotten married at, but I (and his friends actually) persuaded him to choose our venue because it was something different. Basically, FI and I picked it out but we got approval from our parents before signing the deal.

BeachLover2885 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? Our venue has a small restaurant attached to it, and we had eaten there twice before getting engaged. The second time we ate there, FI's friends were with us and one of them was talking to someone who worked there and found out they had weddings and events there. I remember going home and looking at the pics online and liking it. After we got engaged, we put this place on our list. It was actually the second place we saw, and we both really liked it. We saw a few other venues, but this place was on the top of our list. We went for a tasting with both sets of parents and they loved the food. That kind of sealed the deal Also, the owner actually did all of the food for my FI's bar mitzvah almost 15 years ago! Such a small world!

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? I remember walking in and loving the windows and feel of the place. There was something special about it that I couldn't really explain. Some negatives are the size of the bridal suite (much smaller than other venues) and the cocktail space isn't as large as I would like, but those are minor things.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) FI was leaning more towards another venue that his friend had gotten married at, but I (and his friends actually) persuaded him to choose our venue because it was something different. Basically, FI and I picked it out but we got approval from our parents before signing the deal.

bridetobe71412 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?
I always knew I wanted to get married in PA because I wanted my family priest (who was at my confirmation and my dad's funeral) to officiate. We found a gorgeous church in Center City Philly that allowed us to bring in our own priest, so that was a done deal.

Photos of the church (sorry they are tiny and/or blurry - there aren't a lot of photos of the inside of the church which is scary because I hope they aren't going to prohibit it - there was nothing about that in our contract . . . ):

As far as the venue, I saw pictures of it before I got engaged and was like, that place is GORGEOUS. I kind of had my mom book it as soon as we got engaged, before we even saw it.
Photo of the reception venue:

(that's inside the main house)

We will have a tent on the terrace with full white draping:

This is what the tent looks like inside:

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?
I love it visually, but there are a lot of logistical issues with it that I didn't foresee. For example, it comes with NOTHING, so you have to rent EVERYTHING. It's incredibly expensive and probably more than I should have asked my mother to fork over for a wedding. When I suggested changing the venue about a month or two into planning, she said NO WAY. I still feel bad every time we have to write a check for it, but she wouldn't budge because she loves it, too.

Another negative aspect is that since it's an estate house, a lot of stuff is in separate areas - the cocktail hour is outside on the veranda around the fountain, and also inside the estate house; we'll enter down the staircase, but then everyone will go into the tent for dinner, then they'll come BACK into the house for the dancing/dessert portion and the rest of the festivities. My wedding planner insists that it works just fine and flows well, but it makes me nervous that people are going to find it disjointed. Oh well - too late now.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

Fiance didn't really love it, but it's growing on him. He's of the very traditional mindset of church-then-ballroom wedding, so not having everything all in one room is basically totally crazy to him. But he loves the grounds and of course wants me to be happy so I think he's ok with it now

Also, I told him Dan Orlovsky got married there (the NFL QB) so then he started to LOVE it. lol Here's a picture from their wedding (they had the ceremony there, too):

Some more pictures:

Stairwell where we'll have our entrance

Where we'll have part of cocktail hour on the veranda:

There are so many more here: http://justinmarantz.com/index.cfm?q=cairnwood
And here: www.cairnwood.org

Ok, I'm done.

That was a huge AW post.

Nati05 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?

This was the second one I visited and after visiting a few others, I knew we had to have it. Actually so bad that when we lost our date in 2011 it kind of worked out that my family wasn't able to make it until 2012. We had a second chance at getting the venue we wanted!

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?

Loved it right away! Not sure if it was a sign but the funny thing was that a friend mentioned that I should check out that venue because she was there recently for a friend's wedding and that it was gorgeous. The next day I met with a catering lady (which here the catering companies take care of everything) I said I want a place that has half indoor and outdoor space and our venue was the first one she named!

What I love about it-
the indoor/ outdoor area obvi
the catering choices and what it includes
adorable chapel on site that eliminates having to worry about transportation between venues
the lovely garden look it has

Negative things I don't like-
the price!
it includes less things than other venues/ catering companies
the time limit and what we have to pay if we want extra hours
i don't have a room of my own to get ready there... she says there's a space we could use but it sounds like it's very very basic.. basically just an empty room :-\

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

Well he wasn't with me when I saw it the first time but he liked everything I had to say about it, the description and all the pics. He saw it after we booked and he was glad we did

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Trecase/17694431803?sk=photos

I also have pics in my bio!

littlemoments324 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? I had looked at a few before I was engaged with a friend who was engaged & looking so I kinda knew what I wanted...It was between two places, the one that I only had seen (FI only aw pics) & then the place we picked.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? My favorite aspect of it, was how unique it is. My favorite parts are the stage & the ballroom. I really don't care for the drapes & the carpet...but ahh well..the rest of it is good...

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) I honestly wish we would have picked the one I liked better...It just seemed more intimate & nice....The place we picked is 'grand' I guess...but it'll be beautiful!

Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!!

bridetobe71412 · April 2012

I love all of these pictures! Everyone's places are so different and neat.

Nancy00714 · April 2012

Ditto, Bridetobe! Love looking at at everyone's pics!

singing_lyn · April 2012

How did you pick it out? I thought that it was going to be to expensive, but I'd been to 2 proms there and 2 weddings and always thought that the courtyard was beautiful. It's one of the few venues in our area for weddings.

Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? I had gone through and emailed the few venues in our area asking for prices, then I found our venues site with prices stated right there and saw how reasonable they were and dragged my fiance there to show him. So truthfully it's the only venue we actually went and saw.

How did you feel when you saw it? As I'd been there a few times I don't really remember how I felt the first time I saw it, probably just that it was a beautiful place for a wedding. When we actually went and saw it together and my fiance saw it for the first time and completely agreed with me I was just ecstatic.

Were there any signs? Not really, just there was no competition based off of the beauty of it.

What's your favorite aspect of it? That it's outside, but has a permanent pavillion so we'll have a roof over us if it rains and the grounds are beautiful and there's a big grassy area where the kids can run around and play.

Any negative aspects? The parking area is horrible and needs to be repaved really badly and the pavillion is basically a big blank canvas and we don't have the money to decorate it like it should be.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!! Basically as soon as I picked it I showed my FI their website and then dragged him there that day and he completely agreed with me right away. Pretty much no competition in the area.

Our ceremony will be taking place at our family church where FI proposed.

Where the gold drapes are they've now reinstalled a large organ and the piano is now over on that side too

Our reception website is www.fourstarcatering.com, and here are a few pictures...

Pavillion

Entrance where we can take some pictures

Building exterior where we can take pictures

MeaganR12 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? There's a website here that has pictures and detailed specifications of all venues in the area, we found it there. It was the 217th I had emailed, but the first one that we took the time to tour.

How did you feel when you saw it? Nice. Warm. We both smiled when we turned the corner.

Were there any signs? Not that I know of?

What's your favorite aspect of it? It's naturally beautiful and completely secluded. The building is a barn that was built in the 1800s and then it was made into a barrel room in the 90s. It's one of the most unique spaces we saw. It also had one of the least expensive venue rentals.

Any negative aspects? Food and beverages are SO EXPENSIVE! It also only holds 110. Which originally we thought would be perfect, but it's harder to get down to that number than what we originally expected.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

Both of us absolutely LOVED it. However, I was concerned with the cost while my FI thought it would be fine. I was right. But it is what it is, I still love it.

Skyjewell23 · April 2012

A Fall and Winter bride. View from the 70 guest balcony of bride and private Lake Parthenia

Chapel

Reception

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?

-I found it online. So I made an appointment for FI and me to see it. After about 10 minutes I knew it was perfect! We had looked at 2 before this.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?
-I loved everything about it. I just felt like this is where we need to start our lives together. Everything about the moment felt perfect.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

-We both loved it!

cmhutchison22 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? We didn't go looking for our venue. We have been on a couple of vacation weekends to the island where we are having our wedding. As soon as FI asked me if I wanted to get married this year we both automatically said Jekyll Island.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? It is beautiful. We wanted a beach wedding from the very beginning and my mother was not having it. So me not living at home was sort of our sign that we wanted this venue. I love that it is on the beach and completely secluded. Not many people go to Jekyll Island. It is a quiet island compared to St. Simons Island. I think the only negative, but I have not confirmeed it yet, is I have heard there is an alligator in the pond at the picnic area where we are having our reception.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) Like I said before, we both agreed on it instantly.

The beach where our ceremony will be. I took this a little closer to the water though.

Looking from the water back to the hotel behind the dunes. Ceremony would be in this area.

Boardwalk going to the beach from the hotel. This is where I would start my walk down the asile.

Amanda1443994 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? My mom actually suggested our venue, St. Clement's Castle, because she knew I wanted something formal yet different--not the 'typical' venue hall. It was the first one we looked at, though I did look at about 4 others in CT and NY before deciding on it.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? I absolutely LOVED it when I saw it. Our venue sits on a cliff overlooking the CT river. My favorite aspect would be that its not a typical wedding hall. It has a courtyard, garden, and outdoor veranda where cocktail hour will be. Inside, we have use of the old stone library where guests can go during cocktail hour and/or the reception, and the reception area has 3 GORGEOUS Waterford Crystal chandeliers. It had pretty much everything I wanted. The only negative is that I have a big Italian family and am used to NY style weddings where a ton of Italian food is served. The chefs at our venue are not Italian and I can see a big difference in the food, but it is still delicious.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) My mom suggested it but my FI and I decided together. No coaxing involved (:

moonshine876 · April 2012

Maybe some of you older July Board girls have already done this but after getting advice from some of you and seeing your siggies I'd love to know about your venues.

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?

I knew I wanted something a little different (we're not hotel/ballroom/country club people) and both Fiance and I wanted to be outside. I was looking at barn's but my Mom was horrified. I picked a place where the entire event could be outside with gardens and grounds and ponds etc.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?
I planned in 7 months so I saw it in January and even then it was gorgeous. I love everything about it especially the weeping willow tree.
The price is pretty high on it's own and it includes almost nothing. We have to bring in all of the vendors, caterers, chairs, linens etc. so it really adds up.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)
I picked with my Mom but I showed him pics online and it was his favorite before I ever saw it in person. He won't have been there till the day of the wedding so it's all a suprise for him!

Post a/some pic(s) if you'd like!!

butterflyjumper1 · April 2012

What a fun thread!!! Everyone has such unique and fun venues!!!

Ours is slightly more traditional, but with some modern twists.
Ceremony: My church, which coincidentally is also where my parents were married. I also knew I wanted to get married here.

reception: JW Marriott
JW Marriott Indianapolis

its absolutely stunning and modern while still being a traditional ballroom wedding. It is totally our style and we are so excited about it!
Indianapolis Event Space

timsflower81 · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? - I had been searching online for that perfect place for our intimate wedding. We were first looking to do a destination wedding in Niagara Falls but then I came upon this beautiful Bed and Breakfast right here where we live and pretty much fell in love with it.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? FI and I went to meet with the owners and they were amazing..... the bed and breakfast is beautiful and a central location in the city we love. Favorite thing about it is the amazing staircase... I just imagined myself stepping out of our beautiful honeymoon suite and walking down these stairs to meet my groom in the garden... I cannot wait!

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) - Only FI and I went to see it and we both immediately fell in love with it. It was EXACTLY what we were looking for but even more beautiful. Each room is decorated beautifully... We have rented the entire place, so our families will each have a room to stay in.. including us. The living rooms and kitchen are incredible..

Our ceremony will be in the garden at the bed and breakfast - if we have rain it'll be in front of this fireplace...

We are having dinner at a local restaurant in one of their private dining rooms.....

Madisonpenny · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw? Fi and I went and saw about 20 different venues. The venue we ended up with was the last one we saw but it was out of my budget. I had entered a wedding contest on the radio and it included a venue as well as a number of other things. I ended up winning.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects? Although when we saw it it was winter with about 5 feet of snow on the ground we had seen tons of pictures from past weddings and fell in love with the venue. It was exactly what we wanted.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.) We both loved it. We're both 'country" people at heart but live in the city so the venue being out in 'farmland' was completely "us".

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

brandeeteer · April 2012

How did you pick it out? Had you always known that would be the one? was it 217th one you saw?
Since we're on a super tight budget we decided to go to a private locale. We're having it at MOH's home which is out in the country. She has two ponds on the property and it's actually gorgeous - I so need to take picks.

How did you feel when you saw it? Were there any signs? What's your favorite aspect of it? Any negative aspects?

My favorite aspect is the ponds. The negative is that it is literally in the middle of nowhere.

Did you and your FI both agree on it or did one of you coax the other one? or maybe you picked it out by yourself (or with your Mom, MOH, etc.)

We both agreed - the price was right!

Tell me and/or show us your venue!

Re: Tell me and/or show us your venue!

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