If you’ve been thinking that it seems like I was doing most of the venue research, well… you’d be right! Which is why it’s so funny that in the end, Mr. Whale found the perfect venue! As is often the case with many things in life, I went from thinking, “We’ll never find a venue!” to “Yay! I love this venue!” in an instant.
During his first attempt at venue research, my usually-reluctant-to-contact-people fiance found a venue, e-mailed them (without even mentioning it to me), heard back from them, and forwarded me the information. The first thing that had me was the line, “Our catering starts at $15 per person.” (!!!!!!!! What?!?!?! That’s awesome.) And then of course I had to see some pictures.
Image by Abraham Yang Photography
We both loved the mountains in the background. And the reception area is in a renovated barn on the same property. It’s kind of rustic and decorated with Christmas lights. You can see all of it in this video.
(Above video by Wesley Arnold (Off the Wall Pro) )
I was basically convinced, but I knew we needed to visit it first. So fast forward two months, and I finally get to visit this place. I had made a special trip to Atlanta with my mom and aunt to shop for dresses (My aunt wanted to go to Bridals by Lori—more on that later!), so we took a drive out to visit. And wow, I knew it was the one as soon as we saw that view. Pictures truly don’t do it justice. (I’ve heard that phrase before, but I’ve never felt it applied until I saw this place.)
There was a wedding happening that day at 3:00, so we got to see everything set up for a wedding. We also got to see the day-of coordinator in action. And then later I found the photos of the wedding that was happening online! So here’s a pro photo of what we saw on the day we were there.
Image by Fixed Focal Photography
I still want to squeal just a little every time I see a picture! So two weeks later, Mr. Whale and I were back in the Atlanta area, and we got to visit together. I was absolutely giddy with excitement. There was no one there, because it was a weekday, so we got to explore everything on our own. We stood on the hill exactly where we’ll exchange our vows, and it was just perfect. I cannot wait to walk down that aisle!
Did you “know” when you found the venue? Does it have exactly what you want or did you have to compromise?
It looks great! And I’m all ears when I see you mention Bridals by Lori. I got my dress there!
That is amazing, endless hours of searching always pays of!
Yay! We had a little bit of compromise with our venue, because our first choice has an in-house caterer and it starts at $90/pp just for food, which was just slightly (okay, a LOT) more than we wanted to pay. We ended up finding a reception venue that will be more budget-friendly but still keeps the general feel, is gorgeous, and will allow us to do what we wanted. And we’re still splurging on our first-choice for the ceremony, so it’s great all-around!
What a beautiful venue, I love the mountains in the background!
Oh wowza, how gorgeous! Love the mountains! Your pictures are going to be insanely beautiful!!
It’s breathtaking, just think about the fabulous pictures!
Gorgeous backdrop of mountains! We knew it was the venue for us on our first visit. Everything just clicked!
Absolutely gorgeous! Congrats! I will have to check it out myself! Do they allow you to use your own caterer?
@syledwithakiss: You know, I’m not sure… But Andrea (their coordinator) is super nice. Just send her an e-mail!
Mrs. Blue Whale, College Park, MD Age and Occupation: 27, Graduate Student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Graduate Student Engagement Date: March 10, 2012 Wedding Date: May 2013 Venue: Southern Tree Plantation in Blairsville, GA About Me: I love bright colors, glitter, sugar, cheese, tiny animals, talking in silly accents, dancing, and all things music. I love to plan things, but when it comes time to execute the plans, I tend to panic. My friends tell me that I remind them of a mix between a cartoon character and a Disney Princess. Mr. Blue Whale and I are Southerners at heart, but we’ve been transplanted to the East Coast for school. We both love barbecues, star-gazing, bonfires, music, making up nonsense words, and generally being silly. Our wedding will be a fun-filled destination wedding in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It will most certainly feature bright colors, '80s music, and glitter.
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