We visited Algonkian Park the other day to see what the venue had to offer. We were a bit disappointed because you can have an outdoor ceremony but not an outdoor reception. The reception hall is very nice though with it’s floor to ceiling windows, large gas fireplace and very high ceilings. It looks out onto the golf course but the golfers can’t see in. When a picture is taken in front of the windows it turns out as if you were taking a picture in front of a giant mirror…very beautiful. Little side note… if your going venue hunting, don’t go in the winter. Everything looks miserable! No leaves, brown grass, no flowers….yuk! I have to rely on photos from other people, the website and the wedding coordinator’s word that it looks nice. The really cool thing about Algonkian Park is that they have onsite waterfront log cabins which can be rented the night of your wedding. So if you’re the type to hang out and party with your friends after the wedding, its a great idea to reserve the 10 cabins for you and your closets friends and/or family.
This is the entrance to the room at Algonkian Park.
We are not going to be using Algonkian Park because it just doesn’t have what we’re looking for. But it would be a beautiful sight for a winter wedding.
We then headed to Bull Run to check out the very large pavillion. I thought perhaps we could do a picnic wedding. We’d rent the pavillion for $500 then spend the rest of out budget decorating, cleaning, and we would get picnic baskets for each couple with a blanket, a bottle of wine, grapes, cheeses, plates and napkins. Upon arrival, the guests would get a basket and either sit in the grass or at a table enjoying their goodies. The pavillion is very large and nice for a park. It would need to be cleaned and the picnic tables would be removed for rental furniture. However, the bathrooms were yucky and the “grassy” area was more of a muddy area. I think the grass would need to be plush and soft for this idea to go off without a hitch. So, we nixed Bull Run Park.
Finally we went to Herrington on the Bay. The website is awesome and the pictures are bee-u-tee-ful! Again, we were massively disappointed because we got there before the blooming season started and everything was dead and dull. After roaming the site a bit we met up with Stacey, the wedding coordinator, who showed us multiple photo albums to remind us of how beautiful it looks in the spring, summer and fall. We immediately felt better. They have two outdoor areas for outdoor weddings and ceremonies. The larger Paradise Ballroom and Bridal Lawn has a very beautiful pergola for the outdoor wedding. It easily seats 500 people and is flanked by tropical flowers and palm trees with the bay in the background. There is a large grassy area, a dock (not to be used by boats), and a very large tent which is elegantly decorated with white lights. The smaller bridal lawn and tent is located across a channel but you cannot get from one to the other easily. You have to travel around the site to get from one to the next. So you don’t have to worry about guest from the other wedding sneaking over to crash yours. The smaller bridal lawn has a smaller but still beautiful perogla to get married under, with the bay in the background and tropical flowers and palms trees surrounding it. Both lawns have a small waterfall at the entrance. Very pretty! The tent is a bit small and less formal but still seats 300 people easily. The great thing about the smaller venue is that you have access to a lovely beach with lounge chairs, paddle boats, and small covered tables. You also have access to an outdoor gaming area, a recreational dock and a large grassy area. This second smaller area seems more like what we’re looking for. Stacey was very fun to work with. She sat us down and we quicky put together a menu and she got us a proposal on the spot. This was great (and shocking) to have in our hands. It will give us a point to compare everything else against. And it’s good for 30 days. They’re very flexible and happy to accomodate our non-traditional ideas. So far, it’s our favorite!!!
Polynesian Bridal Lawn outside of the Paradise Ballroom at Herrington on the Bay.
Paradise Ballroom. The Polynesian Bridal Lawn is to the left.
Herrington Bay Bridal Garden
wow the venue (Herrington Bay) looks gorgeous!