Weddingbee Blog

On the way home to the city, we stopped at one of my favorite places from my interwebs search. Riverdale Manor, also in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is a converted farmhouse with an attached ballroom and pavilion. As we drove up I was unsure of the sketchy road: leading up to the venue is just old shack-like buildings and abandoned trailers. However, as we got to the clearing it was like stepping into another world. The property itself is perched right beside the Susquehanna River, and is as purty as a cupcake.

Image via Riverdale Manor / Photo by The Weinbers

Image via Riverdale Manor / Photo by Ryan Estes Photography

Image via Riverdale Manor / Photo by Hoffer Photography

We walked into the ballroom, trying to find the wedding coordinator, and Mr. Porcupine and I had a lightbulb, a-ha, bing-bam, I-likeyyy moment. The place is really unique with whitewashed wooden beams and wrought-iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. I loved the look of it right away (no chipped paint!), but we still had to get down to the nitty gritty.

The wedding coordinator showed us the rest of the property. The little farmhouse, which serves as the offices and bride/groom dressing rooms, is exactly what I had in mind for the rustic aspect of our wedding. In case of bad weather, the cocktail hour can be held in it, and if it’s nice out we can have cocktail hour along the perimeter of the ballroom.

We had already established that the ballroom was exactly what we wanted (Chiavari chairs!—an odd obsession and must-have for me), and we made our way into the pavilion. The pavilion, with its sparkly lights and woodsy feel, makes it a really beautiful place to have the ceremony. Mr. Porcupine had always said he wanted an outside ceremony. I was never really about that whole concept. I’m not one to take last-minute rain in stride, or sleet, or snow—hi, we’re idiots getting marred during tricky East Coast March weather! The pavilion is the perfect compromise. You have the feeling of being outside, but with a roof over your head!

It was already sold (or more like, purchased) in my mind, but Mr. Porcupine had a slew of questions to ask. Plus, we had to see numbers and menu options. We sat down and discussed logistics. I was extremely happy with all the menu choices. You can really make a wedding as inexpensive or as pricey as you want at Riverdale Manor. You plan out your menu from their sister catering company (which is really all one company owned by the same people). The price and nearby hotel (five minutes away with a free shuttle) made it seem even more perfecto. But, was the future hubs willing to part with his precious Cork Factory?

I’ll give you kids 35 seconds of Jeopardy music to decide.

Video via YouTube

Really? You sneaks. I know you didn’t let that music play out long enough to jot down your answer! The winner was, obviously, Riverdale Manor. Sorry, I guess I’m not very subtle.

Image via Riverdale Manor / Photo by Ryan Estes Photography

Mr. Porcupine ended up agreeing that Riverdale Manor had the perfect combination of all the elements we wanted. A beautiful outsideish ceremony space, a fresh rustic look, great food options, and yes we could have the wedding run until midnight. (Phew.)

Was it the best decision price-wise? Probably not. (Ha, reality is a real you-know-what.) Although the low rental fee and sample menu options made the place seem “cheap,” things added up quickly. We want a heavy cocktail hour, which is the basis of most of the expense. The dinner options are pretty affordable, though. Also, we bring in our own booze, which is both good (the extra booze can transfer over to the after-party and people’s homes) and bad (we have to figure out what to buy and add this into the budget). In the end I think it will all be worth it to us and our guests. The venue was one of my primary concerns, and if I have to skimp on other things (like flowers, which I am not overly into) I thought, so be it! And so it is. Tra la la.

Did you get “your way” during the wedding-venue hunt? Did you compromise or come to a mutual decision with your significant other?