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Outdoor Wedding Vs. Church (LONG)

mari0225mari0225
First Comment
in Georgia-Atlanta
So In March we found our venue that FI and I both loved! It was affordable and we were so excited! Unfortunately after paying the nonrefundable $100 we realized if it rains we're in big trouble! On a perfect spring day it would be perfect, except there's no place for the bride and party to get dressed, at the venue...it's at a working ranch! LOL the owner Hank told me I can get dressed in the shed, among the lawn mowers...not exactly what I envisioned. Yesterday we met with a photographer who asked what we do if it rains, "I said well we'll move the ceremony onto the stage in the dance hall where the reception is going to be, that's when she lowed the boom, "Well where do you want pictures to be taken?" I stood there looking at the stage and trying to picture our 130 guests all there watching us take formal pictures and my heart sank, as long as it doesn't rain it would really be our perfect wedding. I guess i've been worrying about this more from all the rain we've been having lately.

They say it will hold 150 people with a dance floor, but that's with no tables anywhere! So really the venue is quite small! I'm not sure how well 130 people will fit with the tables set up, as we're having a barbecue dinner. We will also have to rent chairs for the ceremony, and the arbor and etc. We cannot affords tents so that's out.

Anyways, all that brings me to this, we cannot afford 755 West or Banning Mills (which I love) well we could but I don't want to have to do that, lol i'm incredibly cheap! So there's the church I grew up in, it's a nice little church, we could decorate it pretty. And have the fellowship there, all for around $100, along with use of the tables and chairs they have there.

My grandmother has wanted the church all along, so FI's worried i'm only thinking about it because of her, which i'm not. The photographer was right if we do the ceremony in the dance hall, there will not be any formal pictures unless after the wedding we go somewhere, but then where will we go if it's raining?

FI LOVED the ranch, he says he'd be okay with the church, but I feel like i'm letting him down.
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Re: Outdoor Wedding Vs. Church (LONG)

  • jenn601jenn601
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    What area are you getting married in?
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  • mari0225mari0225
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Douglas County in West Georgia, well the Sunset Ranch is in Villa Rica, GA
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  • HYDROPHILEHYDROPHILE
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I looked at Banning Mills for our wedding as well - lol.  Unfortunately, the site had entirely too many poor reviews, and the events person canceled on me (and said she would follow up to reschedule,) and then never did :(  It was also kind of pricey.

    Have you considered Cave Springs, Georgia?  It's a little farther than Villa Rica, but it has an old B&B and old school they rent out at a phenomenal price.

    http://www.cavespringhistoricalsociety.com/reservations.html

    (If you click around on the site, you'll notice you can book the entire B&B for $360/night.)

    Had I found the Heard Inn or Heard Academy buildings, we would have booked there!

    They also have the "new" Community Center and Courtyard:
    http://www.cavespringgeorgia.com/CS%20COMMUNITY%20CENTER%20INFO.htm


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  • mari0225mari0225
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I also like Bullock Springs, but cannot afford it, if I could we'd get married there it's so pretty!

    Oh okay i'll check it out.

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  • chelseaandtomchelseaandtom
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I would go with wherever you feel the most comfortable. Your FI probably just wants you to be happy above all else. On the one hand, you'll be worrying from now until the day you get married about the weather the day of the wedding if you do it outdoors. However, I'm sure your photographer could do a venue tour and see if they've got any fun, different ideas of where you could take pictures. Plus, hopefully it won't rain at all, but if it did, it may not be for the entire length of wedding and reception.

    If you like the church just as much as the ranch, it will calm your nerves to have a place that won't drive you crazy. Just really think about it, talk with your FI, and I'm sure y'all will make the right decision for your big day!
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  • mari0225mari0225
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Yes that's the part that worries me is the weather, if it doesn't rain it will be perfect but here in GA who knows? So yeah that's my biggest worry. We met with a photographer and she said that it would be really hard to take decent pictures inside and that we'd have the guests there watching us take pictures.

    Yeah FI told me above all else he just wants me to be happy.

    Thanks! We are talking about it, so we shall see.
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  • kimberlykhkimberlykh member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My sister had an outdoor ceremony but went ahead and booked a church, just in case.  The weather cooperated and she didn't need to use the church but it eased her mind to have both.  Could you do this?  You could have the guests park at the ranch and in the event of rain, hire shuttles?  Just an idea.
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  • mari0225mari0225
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    That would be a great idea, except we cannot afford to decorate both the Ranch and the Church, I thought of that too.
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  • My_MattMy_Matt member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Can you afford to rent a tent?
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  • mari0225mari0225
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    No, well we can but I just don't want to spend the money. It would dip into our Honeymoon savings.
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  • chrissyinatlchrissyinatl member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I would be a nervous wreck with an outdoor wedding, but that's just me, personally.  My friend in Dallas, TX just pulled it off a few weeks ago - she had a backup plan (a REALLY small venue) just in case. 

    Tents can get expensive but you might want to put those on hold just in case, and then check the weather a few days before?
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  • mari0225mari0225
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Yeah I'm already a nervous wreck and it's still just under a year away, but it's just such a pretty venue! Although It might be best to just go with the church, FI I think will be happy either way he said the important thing was us getting married.
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  • jmorfordjmorford
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    would it be possible to have the ceremony in the church, and then the reception in the dance hall?
    theres really not much to decorating a church- maybe some flowers, other than that most churches are fine on their own. plus, your guests will only be there for an hour... concentrate your decoration skills on the reception. :)
    you could do formal photos at the church, and they probably have a place for the bridal party to get ready. if it doesn't rain, you can do photos outside as well.

    if you're concerned about fitting all of your guests into your venue for the reception, you may want to find somewhere else or cut your guest list. or move some of the tables after dinner- i know it's not ideal, but you may need to.
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  • mari0225mari0225
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I am going to ask our venue if we can do that. It depends on how much the church will cost, the Dance Hall is $550 regardless of if we have the ceremony there or not.
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  • mari0225mari0225
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Finally we have made a decision we are getting married at the church, and will have the ceremony in the dance hall at the barn. If it's a pretty day I will still get to take pictures outside at the ranch.
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