Wedding Venues {DoFB: Part IV}

Okay, last week was budgets….borrrringggg. This week is venues! Searching for venues is WAY more exciting than budgets, I promise! ๐Ÿ™‚ Itย canย get overwhelming, and maybe even a little frustrating at times, but that’s just when you take a break to clear your mind and get back to it with the same excitement you started with! I think that applies with anything in your wedding planning process…it should be FUN! The moment it starts to become too much, don’t be afraid to take a few days to be wedding planning free! This will keep everyone sane, plus you’ll be less likely to make rash decisions just to avoid anymore stress.

Off my soapbox. On to the wedding venues in Hampton Roads! You’ll quickly find that there are A LOT of options. I’ll go through my favorites, but a great resource to search for venues is a site like The Knot. They have a hugely extensive list of venues in the Hampton Roads area that you can see here. You should also consider researching city buildings. Our venue was actually owned and operated by the City of Suffolk, so you’re not likely to find it on any of the large listings of weddings venues in the Hampton Roads area. I found some great, affordable venues in Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Suffolk.

If you’re like me, working full-time, you may not have the flexibility to go out and visit every potential venue. What I did was make a long list of venues I was interested in. From there I contacted each venue with the details about my wedding that I knew so far (100 guests, buffet orย hor devours, open beer and wine bar, Saturday evening in spring/summer 2013, and possibly ceremony taking place at the reception site) I also include some specific questions like:

-Are tables, chairs, and linens provided?

-Is there a cake cutting fee?

-Are there certain vendors required? (i.e. Do you have an in-house caterer we must use? DJ, Photographer, etc.?) What are the costs of those vendors?

-Are there required gratuity/service fees added? What are they?

-When are we able to access the venue to decorate/rehearsal/etc.

Knowing all of the information above allowed us to easily cut down a longggg list of venues to a very short list. The venues that made it to my short list are the ones that I visited.

The venue we ultimately settled on was the Planter’s Club in Suffolk. It was such a cute place, and really a blank canvas for whatever color scheme you have in mind for your wedding! Sitting just off the water, tucked back in the trees…this was the perfect laid back atmosphere we were looking for. Not to mention that it was affordable. We were able to bring in all our own vendors and drinks (huge savings!)

Here are a few photos of the venue:

View More: http://carrieholbophotography.pass.us/stephanieandcalvin

The building itself doesn’t necessarily have any ‘wow’ factor, but I love everything else about this place!

Planter's Club Suffolk Wedding Venue

The inside was the perfect blank canvas. I loved how bright and open it was.

Planter's Club Suffolk Wedding Venue

And the view is incredible! It sits just off the river, making a perfect view of the sunset! Many of our guests found their way to the deck because it was so pretty!

Here are some other gorgeous venues I considered during my venue search! ๐Ÿ™‚

Aquaย – Cape Charles, VA
Calvin and I fell in love with this place! It has two different room options, the upstairs which is for smaller weddings (they suggested this for us at 100 people) and the downstairs which is the actual restaurant. This location is absolutely gorgeous if you love the idea of having a beach wedding but want to get away from the crowded beaches of Virginia Beach. It sits off of the Chesapeake Bay in the cutest, quaint little area with colorful condos for your guests to stay in. There’s also a marina with a huge dock where some people opt to have their ceremony, or you can do it out on the beach of course! They have an in-house caterer, which by the looks of the menu, offered amazing, high quality food! In my opinion, if you don’t mind a little drive, Hampton Roads Beach Wedding = Aqua. ๐Ÿ™‚ DO IT!

The Women’s Club of Portsmouth – Portsmouth, VA
This location was actually being renovated during the time that we planned to be married, so it wasn’t an option for us. The renovations were just completed this July. I actually went to check it out with one of my brides who will be getting married there, and it’s gorgeous! I’ve linked to their website, however, there aren’t yet new photos of it…so I urge you to go take a look at this place! It has a huge deck on the back, perfect for a ceremony. The upstairs has two rooms, one of which has been made into the ultimate bridal suite. It’s cute and feminine, with plenty of mirrors for all the ladies who will be getting ready! And huge photography bonus, it has great light which means gorgeous photos! ๐Ÿ™‚ Oh and the main reception area is the best part….gorgeous chandeliers and high ceilings with gorgeous dark wood details.

The Hermitage Museum and Gardens –ย Norfolk, VA
The Hermitage is GORGEOUS! Again, it’s just off the water. Do you see a theme here? ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m pretty much all about any venue on the water. Plus, as the name gives away…having a wedding here means you’ll be surrounded by beautiful gardens. There are multiple locations within the gardens where you could have your ceremony, and since you’re already surrounded by beauty, that means less money on decor! This venue doesn’t have an indoor space, so if you love the idea of a tent wedding…this would be the place to do it!

If you’re in the middle of searching for your wedding venue in Hampton Roads, I hope that this helps you even a little bit! If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or email me directly! ๐Ÿ™‚ I’d be glad to help in any way I can! Also, don’t forget to go enter into the launch giveaway! It’s going on until Monday, August 12th…so enter while you can! ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

 

 

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  1. The Details says:

    […] and the wedding planning started, the first things we did were book a venue and photographer. You can read about booking a venue here. These two things are definitely booked the furthest out. There was a venue that I called that was […]

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