Attn Memphis Brides!

Re: Attn Memphis Brides!

• jnoleaga

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  Hi & Congratulations!

  
  

  If you aren't having a huge wedding and want to be outdoors check out the Dixon and Botanical Gardens.  Both venues allow you to bring in your own caterer, so you can choose the caterer that best fits your budget.  Draper's is excellent, but I'm not sure of their prices.  I hope this helps!

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• BossChic

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks for that website!! I'm originally from Georgia, but have been in the Memphis area for about 3 years now and wanted to have my wedding here, but have not had much luck finding a nice place.  I really like this one.  Wish you and your fiance' much happiness and blessed marriage.

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• rslester

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  We just selected our wedding venue in Memphis. He is from Omaha so we had to keep in mind A LOT of out of town guests. We were wanting a beautiful outdoor space so I have some very recent info for ya! Hope it helps. I know it would have helped me a lot if I had this info. :P
  
  Brooks Museum- rental is $2800 for up to 200 guests. They have a gorgeous courtyard ceremony location and the venue is clean, modern, and beautiful. They also have a pavillion. So you get this rotunda area for dinner, cafe area for cocktails or lounging, and a pavillion for band and dancing! This was our choice They get ya with the catering though. Food ranging from 30-45 per person and alcohol 16-20. If it helps to put it in perspective...we are doing it on a 20,000 budget. The lady said that the food is great quality so even if you stay on the lower end its still good. You save money on decorations cause the place looks great already. The food is great though. Centrally located
  
  Botanical Gardens- our second choice because the venue is less expensive and you can use your own catering. The gardens are beautiful and you have tons of choices for a garden ceremony. They have two halls, one that is a little dingy but bigger and can be decorated to look great, and another one that is smaller but nicer looking. Both have outside areas attached. Small venue is $1500 (holds up to 150) and bigger is $2600 (holds up to alot lol). Centrally located.
  
  Dixon Gardens- while gorgeous and magical, the venue price is overpriced for the small amount of space you get. If you are having a smaller wedding, it would be nice. $5000 for garden ceremony and pavillion. Beautiful space but the price includes nothing except rental and tables. You can use your own catering here which is a plus. Ceremony choices are awkward too. Like one place has a naked lady statue, one has a man and a bull, and one has a modern circle thingy haha. Centrally located.
  
  Zoo- interesting venue for the unique couple. Has lots of choices at different price ranges. I'd suggest visiting this one to see if it fits you.  It looks like a very fun place to be married. Prices are reasonable and you can use your own catering. We loved it at first but just doesnt fit our style.  centrally located.
  
  Le Pavillion is very nice but I would suggest looking at it because the space is unique and may not be your taste. It was a third choice on our list but just didnt fit us personally. Has great history and a nice outdoor courtyard for weddings. It is a bit smaller but they said you can fit a lot of people in there. We loved the middle fountain, the seperated rooms, and the atrium. We didn't like the small space, the views, and if you want a tent outside for a band and dance floor then the ceremony would be under a tent also.  a little farther than the others but still good location
  
  Esplanade- hidden fees galore. Outside of Memphis (its in cordova). Beautiful courtyard and ballroom. Our hold backs on this was that it was way over our budget, we have heard bad reviews on their catering, and the location didn't work with our out of town guests. Great place though if you can work with the pricing. My friend is having hers there.
  
  There are a couple others but we had trouble getting in touch with people there.
  
  Hunt Phelan- under renovation but beautiful space
  National Metal Museum- poor contact but has a great view of the river, downtown, and outdoor only space.
  Peabody- expensive but beautiful view and unique memphis style...check it out
  Mud Island- inexpensive
  
  Sorry this is a lot but this is all the info I wish I had to make my decision quicker. If you have any questions about best time of the year for a memphis outdoor wedding or venue pricings, just let me know! We just decided yesterday on our venue so I have all the information still
  
  

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• diannanik86

  

  November 2011 edited December 2011

  If you (or anyone else) wants a great, but inexpensive venue, go for Opera Memphis.  I think it's one of the best kept secrets in Memphis for wedding venues.  Well, at least I didn't hear ANYTHING about it until I thought of it SUPER randomly.  They have a list of caterers you can use, or pay a fee of $200.  That may actually serve you well if you know someone that is really good.  It can seat around 300+ for a sit down dinner with room for a stage and dance floor.  If you want to have zones (read that idea somewhere on this site) you can have the lobby, as well.  Good luck!

  Dianna W.

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• MerriGettingMarried

  

  December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_tennessee_attn-memphis-brides?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:125Discussion:d01cea7e-b25f-420e-b60f-6575be0cfd7dPost:32f11d1f-d655-4b4c-b088-1fb6c47226a7">Re: Attn Memphis Brides!</a>:
  [QUOTE]Hi & Congratulations! If you aren't having a huge wedding and want to be outdoors check out the Dixon and Botanical Gardens.  Both venues allow you to bring in your own caterer, so you can choose the caterer that best fits your budget.  Draper's is excellent, but I'm not sure of their prices.  I hope this helps!
  Posted by jnoleaga[/QUOTE]
  
  I'm glad to hear Drapers is excellent, I was thinking of using them bc they have a budget menu!

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• tristalwedding

  

  January 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_tennessee_attn-memphis-brides?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:125Discussion:d01cea7e-b25f-420e-b60f-6575be0cfd7dPost:874fee77-1105-44c4-8533-b2ba3f5d305e">Re: Attn Memphis Brides!</a>:
  [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Attn Memphis Brides! : I'm glad to hear Drapers is excellent, I was thinking of using them bc they have a budget menu!
  Posted by MerriGettingMarried[/QUOTE]
  
  <div>
  </div><div>I've heard a lot of mixed things about Drapers.  We aren't using them because they catered something for my fiance's job and they food was horrible.  They also ran out of food before half the people ate at a friend's wedding. </div><div>
  </div><div>We are probably going to be using Me and My Tea Room. They have some of the best prices I have found and their food is incredible!</div>

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• tullyc629

  

  February 2012 edited February 2012

  I am using Draper's for my wedding (already paid the deposit). I thought the food was really good when we went to the tasting and the staff seemed very professional and easy to work with. Food is probably the thing we care about most at our reception so I would be really upset if the food didn't turn out well and I'm really worried now. Tristalwedding: could you give me some more details about the bad experiences with Draper's? Do you know what kind of food was served at the event they catered for your fiance's job? Was your friend's wedding when they ran out of food a buffet style or a seated dinner or passed hors d'oeuvres?
  
  Thanks for your help. Even though I'm kind of stuck with them now, at least this information could help me talk to them about potential issues like these.

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