Sorry for the short hiatus, ya'll. You might remember that I'm a middle school teacher, and with state tests coming up in seven weeks, things are starting to get hectic around here.
Since Christmas came and went, Blue Mom and I have been searching high and low for a reception venue near our church. The church we chose is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, so reception options are kind of limited.
New Hope Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee // Personal Photos
The very first place we looked at is called Homestead Manor, and I LOVED this property. It is an antebellum home just down the street from my parents and about ten minutes from our church, and they recently added a big events barn to the property with a fireplace, beautiful chandeliers, and a pond in the back.
Photos by Kristyn Hogan Photography via HomesteadManor.com
The venue also has a beautiful bridal suite inside of a re-purposed schoolhouse, and groom's quarters on the second floor of the house. Everything about it seemed so perfect, but Blue Moon and I decided to look around some more before we decided. We needed something closer to our budget, which is $15,000, and something that is not too big for the number of guests. The Manor's equestrian barn seats a ton of guests, and I was so worried that it would swallow our small reception.
The second venue that we looked at, and went as far as penciling our date in with, was a restaurant just off Main Street in our hometown called Franklin Mercantile Deli. Though I have never seen them listed on a wedding website or anything like that, Blue Mom somehow figured out that they will do wedding rehearsal dinners or receptions for an extremely reasonable price. For under $10,000 and with the ability to seat around 85 guests, they will do a dinner with two appetizers, bread baskets, and two main courses with sides. The owner will also arrange the tables and chairs however we want and include white table cloths, twinkle lights across the ceiling, and some basic arrangements, like candles, on the tables. As you can see, it is already beautifully decorated inside.
Decorated for a dinner // via Franklin Mercantile Deli on Facebook
I was honestly so in love with this venue, and definitely in love with the price. I only had two major concerns. The first was that the restaurant is twenty minutes from our church. Even though I know that's not a very long time in the grand scheme of things, we do have a lot of guests coming in from out of town and I was hoping to keep things closer together. Secondly, though I love the intimate feel to this place, I was worried about fitting our guests into here. I hope the final number of people coming hovers around 85, but we are inviting 107 total at this point. There's no way that many would fit inside! So Blue Mom and I decided to look around just a little bit more.
Meanwhile, there was one venue that I have had in the back of my mind almost since Mr. Blue Moon and I first got engaged. It's called Graystone Quarry, and it has been in construction for many, many months. It was not supposed to be ready in time for our wedding, but I kept dreaming about it because it was only four minutes from our church and looked like it would turn out so beautifully in the pictures.
A couple in front of the quarry wall during their engagement shoot // via Leah Michelle Photography on Graystone Quarry's Facebook page
The grounds at the quarry are so lovely and will make beautiful pictures. // Via Graystone Quarry's Facebook page
Sketches of some of the buildings that are being constructed // Via Graystone Quarry's Facebook page
I had reached out to the owner of the quarry a couple of times to check on its progress, but it really seemed like it would not be ready nearly in time. So imagine my surprise when she reached out to me right after the holidays to say that we might be able to work something out!
It turns out that the smaller of the two buildings, which will typically be used for ceremonies while the larger building is for receptions, will be ready in time for our wedding! And though they are not booking couples until October, when the entire facility is scheduled to open, she let us book because our guest list is small enough to have a reception in the small building. It will look something like this inside:
Via Graystone Quarry's Facebook page
I think that the wood beams and chandeliers will be so beautiful, and they are using rock from the quarry to do the walls and the rock wall outside. I never dreamed that we would be able to score such a beautiful venue, but Graystone Quarry has been great about helping us stick within our budget and answering all of our questions. Though the search was long, I think we really found the best option for our wedding! And I am so excited for Mr. Blue Moon and I to be the first to use the venue.
What was your thought process as you picked a reception venue? Are you going all-inclusive, or picking your own vendors?
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