Amazing Venue Transformations!!

Have you ever been to a wedding where you thought “wow, what an amazing transformation!”  After searching the wedding world, I have found some incredible wedding venue transformations!  Starting off with our very own Wicklow Ballroom a few years back that was completely unrecognizable!

Enjoy!

These first two pictures are of our Wicklow Ballroom that was completely draped with fabric!

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Photo Provided by Melissa Musgrove Photography

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Photo Provided by Burnt Exposure
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Photo Provided by Elizabeth Messina

Happy Planning!

Five Tips for Finding Your Perfect Wedding Venue

Congratulations on your engagement!  One of the first things you will do to begin your wedding planning is decide on a location.  Each venue varies in important information including pricing, rules and requirements making it difficult to keep it all straight.  Although this can seem overwhelming, there is no need to worry!  With a few tips you can easily find the perfect venue!

Photo provided by Wed Bits

1. Refine Your Search- I have found that most brides begin their search online.  If you start in a search engine, like Google, be specific in your key words.  For example, use the words “Outdoor Wedding Venue in Atlanta Georgia”.

  • Make sure to look at the location, nearby hotels, proximity to airport, etc to help in deciding on location.
  • Sometimes the best places to start are wedding sites that allow you to look at all wedding venues in a particular area.  We recommend wedding sites like Wedding Wire or Atlanta Bridal that allow you to compare venues and their locations all in one site.

2.Do Your Homework- Before calling a venue try to do as much homework and research on the venue as possible so you know which questions to ask.  Many times everything you need to know is on the website.  For example, Glendalough Manor includes all the pricing, menus and even a tool for estimating a total cost of your wedding right on the website!

Photo provided by Glendalough Manor
  • Print pricing as you research each site and make a budget for each venue you are interested in.
  • Note items included in the rental fee.  Do they provide tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces, or dance floor?  If they are not included in the rental fee make sure to add them to your budget.
  • Don’t forget to look for hidden fees.  These can add up and be the deciding factor in which venue is right for you. For example, is there cake cutting fee, chair setup fee, or wine corking fee?
  • Also look at social media for the venue including their Facebook page, Twitter Account or blog to see extra pictures and testimonials you may not see on the website!

3. Call Venue For Details-  Once you have done your research and have compiled a list of questions and prepared an estimated budget for each venue, call them to discuss any questions or concerns.

  • Make sure to ask if your preferred date and time is available.
  • It is difficult for many venues to state how much a “typical” wedding is at a venue so try not to ask this question.  Each wedding is unique and the price range can vary based on your choices.  If the venue answers this question it can mislead you in the cost of your event.

4. Schedule a Tour- Consider your budget and determine which venues are right for you.

  • I suggest narrowing down the venues to your top three choices and call these venues to schedule a guided tour.
  • Make sure to bring a notepad with you to take notes.  There will be lots of information you receive at the tour and it can be hard to remember if you don’t write it down.
Photo provided by Its A Brides Life

5. Review the Contract- At the end of the tour, even if you are still unsure, ask for a copy of the contract.  That way you can take it home and review all the fine print at home.  This may bring up questions or concerns you may not have previously thought of at your appointment.

Good luck in your search to find the perfect wedding venue and happy planning!

Glendalough Manor Real Wedding: Ross and Whitney

On October 20, 2012 Ross and Whitney were married in the beautiful gardens of Glendalough Manor surrounded by one hundred and eighty of their closest friends and family.

The bride and her bridesmaids arrived to get ready in the bridal suite at Glendalough Manor and finish getting ready before pictures.  The bridesmaids toasted to the day with champagne and mimosas.  All of the bridesmaids signed the bottom of the brides beautiful Badgley Mishka shoes for her “something blue”.

Her bridesmaids helped Whitney get in to her wedding gown.  She  chose an all lace gown with a sweetheart neckline and wore a fingertip length veil with lace around the edges.

The bride and groom chose a very soft and romantic color palette of champagne and blush pink.  The bride carried a bouquet of assorted pink and ivory ranunculus and roses made by Blueberry Springs Florist.  The bridesmaids wore champagne satin floor length gowns and carried bouquets similar to the brides.

The groomsmen wore traditional black and white tuxes champagne spray rose boutonnieres.  For an extra touch they all wore matching argyle socks!

The ceremony was held in the gardens and pomander balls were hung in coordinating flowers across the pergola for the bride and groom to stand under during the ceremony.  I love this picture of Ross’ reaction when he see’s Whitney walking down the aisle.

After the ceremony the guests were welcomed in to the Wicklow Ballroom for a night of dancing and celebration.  The bride created her own table numbers for a personal touch and was able to reuse some of the bridesmaids bouquets for centerpieces on the tables.  Whitney chose a four tiered fondant wedding cake from Cutie Pies and Cakery decorated with pink ribbon around the bottom of each layer. They also offered the sweetest cupcakes iced in pink and ivory icing to their guests.

One of A Kind Music Productions kept the party going all night long and the couple left in a vintage Pontiac convertible.

Congratulations to Ross and Whitney from everyone at Glendalough Manor.

Also a special thank you to Blackbird Photography for these amazing photographs!