10 important things to know before touring a wedding venue

{Photo by: Mike Moon}

1. Allow enough time in your day to tour

When touring a wedding venue it is crucial to factor in at least one hour of your time at the venue. You will tour the facility, ask many questions, as well be given several documents with information on them. You want to make sure that you don’t rush this process because it’s your chance to be sold on the venue of your dreams.

2. Request as much info beforehand

Most venues always email out any package and pricing information prior to your tour. This is so helpful for brides because it gives them the chance to prep before the actual tour. You can crunch numbers, see what’s included, and factor in what still needs to be budgeted for!

{Photo by: Happy Everything Co.}

3. Know what’s important to you and your fiance

This is key! As a couple it’s important to know your style and what type of venue you are searching for. You need to envision what significant factors you are hoping for with photography, what background setting is imperative to you, and what type of atmosphere you want your guests to experience at your wedding.

 

{Photo: Mike Moon}

4. Look at pictures of the venue online

It’s always better to see things before trying them on right? Know the venue you’re touring. See what they have to offer before you go visit. Make sure you like the grounds and the different photo opportunities that are being shown.

5. Know your budget

Nothing is worse than falling in love with something and then not being able to afford it. Request information ahead of time so you know if it’s even in your price range. It’s also important to think of other factors that aren’t included in package pricing that you will have to account for.

 

{Photo: Kayla Johnson}

6. Don’t tour alone

We can’t stress this one enough. It’s so important to bring an extra set of eyes and ears! People see things differently than you do and who doesn’t want a trustworthy second opinion?!

{Photo: Erin K. Wood}

7. Know what time of the year/season you want to be married

This can help you in so many ways, knowing your season will help decide what color scheme you’re planning for, what flowers will be in bloom, and what to expect weather wise with the temperature.

8. Make a list of all your questions beforehand

Yes, Yes, and Yes. We are here to help you! If something is unclear it is our job to fix it. We always want our customers to leave feeling satisfied and know that we discussed everything that was of question to them.

9. Have an idea of your guest count

Imagine your closest friends and family all gathered together. Do you think it will be a comfortable atmosphere that everyone will enjoy? 

{Photo: Kayla Johnson}

10. Ask to take pictures when touring

We want you to remember your time with us. A lot of times not all brides and grooms can come at the same time, you want to be able to have a visual to show your fiance when you are telling them all about how the tour went! Details can easily be forgotten when you are touring because there is so much to take in all at once, taking photos will help you remember each room and what was said about it!

{Photo: Mike Moon Photography}

We hope you enjoyed this blog from our in house wedding planners! These 10 tips will be so helpful to all brides when touring a venue!

Winter Wedding Tips from The Wheeler House

5 crucial winter wedding tips that will turn your big day into a winter wonderland for you and your guests.

{Photography: Aaron Nichols Photography}

 We love seasonal weddings at The Wheeler House; we are always getting to see new trends each year! This will be our first year ever with actual central heat and air in our barn and we know this will be a monumental wedding day factor for so many of our clients and their guests. It is so easy for people to think, “Oh, winter must be your slow season!” and however that was true at one time, but it is now a thing of the past! Winter weddings have become just as popular as prime season months and why you might ask? Because, it’s simply the most wonderful time of the year!

{Photography: Libby Photo}

1.   Providing pashminas or shawls for you and your girls are always such a huge hit! What better way to keep your girls warm than an adorable new item for them to take home! It also makes for the cutest photos!

{Photography: Anna K Shackleford}

2.   Having a hot cocoa bar or hot apple cider station is always such a huge treat for guests and goes especially well during the chilly months to keep everyone warm!

3.   Long sleeved dresses are totally back and we love it! It is so different and adds a sense of elegance to the big day! Not to mention, it will help keep you cozy during outside photos!

{Photography: Kaptured Photography} 

4.   Getting married inside our barn with elegant drapery and a custom stone built fireplace with a fire going sends out all the romantic feels! Talk about keeping your guests warm and having the most gorgeous indoor wedding you could ever want.

{Photography: Mike Moon Photography}

5. Timing is everything in the winter months! We strongly suggest starting your wedding no later than 4:00 pm. This will guarantee you to still have some daylight in your wedding day photos for after your ceremony!

{Photography: Kelly Anne Photography}

 Winter weddings at The Wheeler House are filled with originality. We hope this blog inspires all winter brides with these helpful and fun wedding day tips!

7 Reminders for your big day

Here at The Wheeler House, we have discovered a few things that are guaranteed to help your big day run more smoothly. We also know that with all the planning that goes into these big days can make it easy to forget small things. So we came up with a few reminders for you!

Photo Credit: Claire Diana Photography

1.. Timing your music- This means listening to your chosen songs beforehand and making note of what times you want played. This will help greatly with your processional song choices, as well as your first dance song and parent dance songs.

Photo Credit: Claire Diana Photography

 2.  Have a private bite- You spend a lot of time and effort picking out your food for you big day, why not be able to enjoy it in peace with your new spouse? Take 30 minutes while your guests are also eating and whisk away to a private location. It might just be one of your best ideas on your day!

Photo Credit: Kelly Anne Photography

 3. Make a photographer timeline- This will immensely help your photographer get through pictures must quicker. You can include names of family members, as well as ideas of certain shots you would like to have.

Photo Credit: Hillary Leah Photography

 4. Have finger foods for when you are getting ready- Many people forget this important part! Veggie trays, sandwich trays etc. are all great to have on hand while everyone is getting ready beforehand.

5. Decide who is setting up/decorating and make them a diagram list- This is of course only if your chosen vendors do not do it for you, most do especially all of our preferred vendors! If not, make sure to have a crew (not your family or bridal party) that you trust and would be willing to set everything up for you the day of. It will take a huge load of stress off of you all!

Photo Credit: Claire Diana Photography

 6. Decide who is breaking all the décor down & whose car it will go into- Same with the set up crew, make sure you have designated people to help pack everything up at the end of the night if you brought in your own décor and if your vendors are not already doing it for you!

7. Give bartender a copy of signature drink beforehand- This will greatly help them in the mixing process!

Photo Credit: Claire Diana Photography

We hope our tips help add a little inside advice to your planning for your big day! Check back for more helpful tips and advice in the future.

Wedding Wednesday: Kirstin + Stephen Cagle // June 10, 2016

Kirstin + Stephen Cagle // June 10, 2016

How They Met/ First Date

Kirstin and Stephen met at Georgia Southern University where they both majored in music education. The two spent their first date at the infamous sweetheart circle at their alma mater bundled up in blankets and cuddled in a hammock. Legend has it that if you walk around the circle three times with your sweetheart you will be together forever, we’d say the legend is true!

The Proposal

After Stephen graduated, Kirstin was still student teaching and living in Atlanta. Kirstin decided to plan a trip for the two of them to go visit their two best friends at Georgia Southern (the future maid of honor and best man). During the trip, Kirstin suggested that they all go to sweetheart circle where both the couples and each other first met to take some pictures since it would probably be the last time they would ever be in that area all together again. Little did she know she planned her entire engagement. The couple began taking pictures under the same tree they hammocked from on their first date, then Stephen got down on one knee and proposed.

“We loved that we were able to document this moment and have an immediate engagement shoot with our friends,” said Kirstin.

The Wedding

The two got to visit a open house at The Wheeler House with their families and immediately fell in love and even booked their wedding that day! Kirstin wanted her wedding to be timeless and classy and it definitely was that! The couple both really wanted to add touches of their relationship throughout the day. They incorporated their love for music by making their table runners out of sheet music and by using a drum as the cake stand for Stephen’s grooms cake.

One of their most memorable parts of their wedding was their first dance. Between the perfect song and this sweet couples love, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room!

“It was one of the first moment where the pressure of the ceremony was over and we could just enjoy “It felt like we were the only people on the Earth”.

Kristin suggests to all couples to keep a journal through out their engagement, wedding and honeymoon.

“We both did this and found it to be a great way to record all kinds of details, memories and emotions (big, small, serious, silly) that we otherwise would forget even if we tried not to,” said Kristin. “I’ve really enjoyed reliving my wedding through my journal can can’t wait to read back on it years from now!”

The Honeymoon

The two traveled to the Western Caribbean on a cruise for their honeymoon. They wanted to go to the beach and wanted an easy trip to plan so what better way than to take a cruise.

“We loved every second of our Wheeler House Wedding from start to finish! We would do it all over again! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our day so amazing!” –Kirstin Cagle

Kirstin & Stephen,

It was such a pleasure working with you both. You two are truly special and your love is inspiring. We wish you both the absolute best.

Love,

The Wheeler House Team

Spring Styled Shoot

Spring Styled Shoot at The Wheeler House

Today’s blog post is to showcase how absolutely gorgeous our venue can be on a beautiful spring day. We want to show all of our viewers what some of our favorite spots on the property are, what each location on the property looks like and how beautifully symbolic it can be for your special day.

The endless photo opportunities around the entire property allow all brides to make their dream a reality and captivate photos that they have dreamed about for months.

The brick area is one of the most prominent spots at The Wheeler House and it is what most people notice when they first walk in for the ceremony. It gives off a relaxed feel and can be used in many different ways. We love that clients can bring in furniture for their guests to lounge in during the cocktail hour and all through out the night.

Some say The Wheeler House is known for our extravagant custom built barn, while others say it is known for our vintage crystal chandelier or our elegant draping. We loved having these classic farm tables down the center aisle of the barn with these trendy wooden cross back chairs. It can help make for the perfect estate table for our brides, grooms and their bridal parties!

The front of our property is so unique and is sometimes overlooked. One thing that makes The Wheeler House so special is its unique rock steps and pathway that sits at the front of the house. It makes for such gorgeous photos for all of our clients. When you have your wedding at The Wheeler House, you have the entire property as your backdrop and what could be prettier than that!

Ladies only:

Our newly renovated bridal suite is the most serene room in the house. Its neutral color palate gives off such a calming vibe for our brides while they are getting ready for their big day. We love being able to offer the suite to our brides and bridesmaids so they can have a place to keep all of their things through out the event and do all necessary touch ups throughout the event!

 

Saying “I do”

Our beautiful and original outside arbor holds the most important part of the event, the “I do’s”. Our arbor can hold up to 300 of your closest family and friends and comes complete with white chandeliers, string lights and white drapery! We love this arbor and all of the precious memories it holds and we can’t wait to see many more couples get married underneath it!

To our vendors: 
The Wheeler House team would personally like to thank each of the below vendors for making our Spring Open house and photo shoot all that it was! We give you all the praise and credit for these stunning photos and for making this day so special for so many!

Love, The Wheeler House team

Vendors

Venue: The Wheeler House
Photography: Kelly Anne Photography

Flowers: Holland Daze  

Decor: Miss Milly's
Cake: Lush Cakery

Hair & Makeup: A Jones Artistry

Place Settings/China: Vintage English Tea Cup 

Dresses: Anya Bridal 

Menswear: Savvi Formal Wear