Weddingbee Blog

As soon as we were engaged, I was determined to find a venue. We had settled on a late October wedding, and here we were in the middle of February. I needed to get a move on. My thinking was that we for sure wanted to be married outside, with a great view, and preferably in northwest Georgia or the Chattanooga area where we met and got engaged.

So while the boys were out climbing one day, one of my soon-to-be bridesmaids (heretofore known as BM C. Bear) went out a-looking. I had heard about one particular venue called Grandview.

Image via Grandview / Photo by Liz Power Photography

It’s a cute little mansion at the top of Lookout Mountain. What really sold me on it was this picture.

Image via Grandview / Photo by Liz Power Photography

Oh my goodness gracious, that beautiful view of the Chattanooga Valley! I swooned. Unfortunately, in person I wasn’t getting the good vibes I’d felt when looking online, so we decided to keep looking. We checked out the Fairyland Club, which was way too formal for our tastes, and while they also had a beautiful view, the only outside area was right next to the tennis courts and didn’t offer the view I was hoping for.

I had one last idea up my sleeve. A state park. Yes, it would involve a ton of DIY, but I can be crafty, right? So BM C. Bear and I headed to Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Image via GA State Parks

I’ll be honest, I had been here once or twice as a kid, but the only reason I had thought to look at it as a potential venue was because I had come across these amazing photos. Holy bajeezus and shut the front door. Yes, please. Where do I sign? Unfortunately, when we actually went there were already a ton of weddings scheduled around the time that we were hoping to secure a venue. And while the canyon is gorgeous, I had been counting on a venue where the ceremony and reception were in the same spot; here, guests would have to drive from the ceremony site to the reception hall (which was kinda just stuck back in the woods and afforded no view whatsoever).

So by the end of the day, we had visited about five venues in person, and countless more online where when we called to inquire the people were rude or didn’t have availability this year. Needless to say, I was bummed and needed a glass of bourbon to figure out my next step. My biggest advice to venue-hunting brides—visit the venues in person! The in-person view can be so much different from the pictures you see online. I spent the day feeling like Goldilocks: one was too fancy, while another was too plain; some had availability, and most didn’t. Nothing seemed to be “just right.”

Personal photo

Was anyone else surprised by this? What was your experience? What’s your drink of choice to keep your wedding wheels on track?