Weddingbee Blog

Mr. Waffle loves the interactive portions of our wedding planning. He is very obviously a visual, kinetic-learner type. I have a feeling most of the planning things I talk about come out sounding like a grown-up on a Charlie Brown cartoon. ”Wa waa wa wa waaaa.” So, yay for venue visits!

The first venue we visited was Hummingbird House.

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Hummingbird House is a quiet oasis tucked away in the middle of South Austin. Engagement-pic photographer Nadine was one of the first people to get married at this venue in April this year. Mr. Waffle gave it a definite two thumbs up because of its size and the fact that everything is outdoors. Everything. We were especially impressed with the white-tented, stained-concrete pavilion. Seriously, y’all, this tent is gorgeous. It has sheer draped fabric on the ceiling with lights running through it, which (as I have seen in photos) is stunning after the sun sets. Bonus points for the fact that they have large misting fans set up in the tent, too! With the misting fans, tree coverage, valley, and creekside location, it means that the heat is not that big of a factor. We were there in August (the hottest month of the year), and it felt fine outside.

Our second visit was here…

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Sunsets in the Hill Country can’t be beat, and one of the best sunset views is from Star Hill Ranch. The owner has recreated an old tiny Texas town using 150-year-old buildings and a small white chapel (complete with bell) he has refurbished. Everything is authentic, antique, and positively charming. Unfortunately, it was too charming for the mister. He was also afraid our guests would get too spread out and we might lose somebody. This killed me. After all the Internet searching, I had logged this in my brain as my absolute favorite. Bye bye, dream venue.

The last venue visit of the week was to Memory Lane.

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Oh, where do I begin with Memory Lane? It was such an impressive venue with massive oak trees and a good, rustic Texas feel. The venue was all yours for 24 hours. From noon on the day of your wedding until noon the day after, you could have the whole place for yourself and your wedding party. The house on the property can sleep 15 people! This would definitely be helpful for not having to navigate home after the long day of partying. Honestly, the package included so many things. The only downside…it was pretty far away from town.

So, who did the Waffles choose?

After much deliberation, the Hummingbird House won out. Mr. Waffle was excited about this place from the very beginning. It was a close race between that and Memory Lane, but when Mr. Waffle referred to the Hummingbird House as our own “secret garden” with a dreamy look in his eye, I knew it was our venue.