Listen, I get it...

You're planning your wedding and have a million things going on! Close to the top of your list of things to do is find a venue. But don't just settle for ANY venue. This is going to be the entire setting of your day. Find what fits you, your style, the story you want to tell, the space you want to share your first dance with your new husband. This is the backdrop you want for the beginning of the next chapter of your love story (+ not to mention your wedding photos ;)).

So let's get into it. My favorite wedding venues that I've shot at so far (in no particular order).

I loveeeeeee this venue. It's nestled in North GA, super close to Dahlonega. The best part about this venue is the mountain scenery. It's DREAMY. Ugh I will never get over this view. I'm just gonna list pros and cons to each venue because I know brides are too busy to read paragraphs of text.

Pros:

1. The view. Duh. This makes for the perfect spots to get photos with the mountains as your backdrop.
2. Great reception space. There's lots of room for tables AND dancing AND food setup. There's no need to clear tables so that you have room for a dance floor.
3. Guys getting ready area. The house/cabin next to ceremony spot that's great for guys getting ready. This spot is rugged and rustic and has that perfect guys getting ready feel to it.
4. Proximity to Airbnbs. There are a couple of houses you can airbnb for a ladies getting ready spot.
5. Location. Close to a cutie small town for out of town guests.
6. Sunset location. The sun sets right over the mountains for the perfect sunset pictures.
7. Photo spots. There are a lot of places to take photos around the venue, including a small vineyard.
8. Great, friendly staff. I absolutely loved everyone I've connected with.
9. Backup plan option. If weather isn't good, the ceremony can be held in the reception barn area, so it's a great contingency plan.

Cons:

1. Girls getting ready area. The getting ready area for the girls is small and pretty cramped.
2. Rain. If its super overcast/storming, then the biggest selling point of this venue (the scenery) is a bit of a loss.
3. Ceremony Location. The ceremony spot doesn't have any shade at all. If it's super hot and sunny, it can get a little sweaty for you and your guests. Be sure to think about this when picking a date!

My husband and I first came here for a date a couple years ago, and I've been hooked ever since. We even got our maternity photos done here! Think Italian Villa in the North Georgia Mountains with some of the best wine. Perfection.

Pros:

1. The scenery backdrops and all the options for photos. The winery itself is stone and covered in vines. And then you have the actual vineyard. There are so many spots in/around the winery that are perfect for your wedding photos.
2. The upstairs dinner area is more of an intimate dinner party - which is a pro for me, but that might be a con for a bride who wants to live it up, breakin' it down to Lil John and the East Side Boyz (totally understandable), so if you do want the space for that, opt to have your reception in the downstairs area where there's plenty of room to get low. ;)
3. The sunset. The way the sun sets over the vineyard is magical. It creates the warmest diffused glow on your face and the best halo effect when backlit.
4. Ceremony spot options. There are a couple of different options for the ceremony spots, so you get to choose what backdrop you like the best. My personal fave: the big oak tree.
5. The food. The winery is also a restaurant, and their food is amazing.

Cons:

1. Cost. This place is so gorgeous but does not come cheap. But if having the feeling of traveling abroad for your wedding without actually doing so is a dream for your wedding, this is the location to make that happen.
2. Getting ready spots. Granted, I've only seen one of them, but it was small and you had to leave the room for the bathroom. This was for the top floor room, so if you're booking a different area, be sure to check out these spots to see if you're going to have enough room or make another plan for actually getting ready.
3. The hill. Hahaha, okay this is such a small con, but be sure to let any elderly/disabled guests know that they should be dropped off at the top of the hill so they don't have to make the trek!

Elegant. Classy. Indoors. I just shot here for the first time this past summer and what a treat to have an indoor wedding in July because holy MOLY it was hot and humid. Classic Georgia.

Pros:

1. Location. The fact that this venue is right in the heart of downtown Athens is such a bonus.
2. Good for Summer. It's indoors - no one wants to be sweating their bums off in the Georgia July heat!
3. Lighting. For this to be indoors, it still had AMAZING lighting. Light. Bright. & Airy!
4. Getting ready area. The getting ready area for the ladies is a great space. Lots of natural light and big enough to accommodate you and your girls. (I didn't see the guys getting ready photos because my bride didn't want any getting ready photos of either of them, so just be sure to check out that space!)

Cons:

1. Parking. There's no onsite parking, so your guests (and vendors) will have to pay to park in a parking garage or on the street. (Unless they're staying in a nearby hotel.)
2. Cocktail hour area. The cocktail hour area is right in the lobby and bar area of the venue because the ceremony area turns into the reception area. The on site team works so quickly and efficiently during the cocktail hour, but if you have a lot of guests, it gets pretty tight in there. However, it's only for an hour, and as long as you have drinks and hors devours, your guests will be fine! There's not a lot of opportunity to get cocktail hour photos if it's too cramped.

I second shot here this past September, and it was stunning. The view is the big ticket selling point here! There are some options of ceremony/reception locations to choose from when having your wedding here, but I've only ever shot at the Sunset Terrace (ceremony) and Sunset Pavilion (reception). So these notes are based off of that!

Pros:

1. View. The Sunset Terrace/Pavilion is GORGEOUS. A mountain overlook for the ceremony and an open air pavilion for the reception. As long as you have good weather, this is a stunning view and location.
2. Photo Spots. The great thing about this venue is that it's huge! There are a ton of photo options. Golf course. Horse stables. Pathways with flowers. A beautiful bridge with hanging flowers. Sidewalks lined with trees. So many things for your photographer to choose from!
3. On site rooms. This is great for guests - they can come to the wedding and stay the nigh there if they want to!
4. Ceremony Spot. Again, the mountain overlook is amazing.
5. Reception area. I think there are choices to ceremony spots and reception spots here

Cons:

1. Location. The venue itself is kind of in the middle of nowhere. And it's in Young Harris, which, if you've ever been there, you know it's a smallllll town.
2. Ceremony Spot. Haha I know this is on the pros list, but it's kind of both a pro and con in my mind. Pro was the view. Con is the fact that it's in direct sun and, at least in September, the sun was right in everyone's eyes during the ceremony. Something to think about with your timeline!
3. Weather. If it rains, the Sunset Terrace area wouldn't be able to handle that. I'm assuming they would make it to where the ceremony would take place under the pavilion as long as it wasn't downpouring? But I'm not sure. So check for a contingency plan with the venue!
4. Getting ready area. I'm not gonna sugarcoat this one. For how beautiful the venue itself is, the inside of the hotel needs some major renovations. The girls getting ready area is dark and dingy. The guys getting ready area is harsh fluorescent lighting with bare walls and a few event chairs and a table. It's not a great setup. But if the getting ready time isn't your main concern, no biggie! Also, it's nothing a black and white edit can't help with.