Weddingbee Blog

For us, booking the venue was the easiest decision we’ve made so far. Upon first getting engaged, I went to one of those Bridal Extravaganza thingies where you get bombarded by vendors left and right. It was a bit overwhelming, but I did end up finding some information that led us to the venue of our dreams–Barr Mansion, in Austin, Texas. Later that night, I looked up the venue’s website and fell in love with the place. It had everything I wanted for the ceremony–a simple outdoor garden area–as well as a beautiful reception location (the Artisan Ballroom). Additionally, it is the only certified organic wedding venue in the United States! This fit in nicely with our “green”-themed wedding.

I found out at the bridal show that the venue would be hosting an open house the next Saturday night so that potential bookers like us could check it out all prettified with candles and glowy lights. The Dude and I went, and even though the price they quoted was higher than we wanted to spend, we knew we had to have our wedding there. We both wanted a place where we could have the ceremony + reception, and the ballroom felt so intimate and special. To make it work for us, we decided to hold the wedding on a Friday instead of a Saturday, and we picked the very last Friday in their “off” season to save additional money. (Yes, that is how we ended up with the 9/11 wedding date.)

Above and below are a few pictures of the Artisan Ballroom, where we’ll be holding our reception after the sunset ceremony in the gardens. This building was created from timbers belonging to an old barn that was built in the Catskill Mountains in the 1770s! We love its rustic elegance.

And here are some shots of the garden where we’ll be getting married. I always wanted an outdoor wedding.

All photos from Barr Mansion’s website.

Can’t you just see a lovely English garden party happening here?

Did you book the venue of your dreams, even if it was a bit out of your price range? If so, how did you make it work?