Finding the Reception Location

A week after my tour of the Piedmont Room, I had an appointment with Barbara Roberts at Magnolia Hall.

view from parking lot

I should back track, so that my lovely readers can have inside knowledge of how I came to this point.  Through a series of random life experiences, I have come to love parks in big cities.  Something about the combination just speaks to my heart.  Therefore, when thinking about moving to Atlanta, I did a little research- What parks will be close by?  I stumbled upon Piedmont Park's website.  And looking through, I saw pictures of Magnolia Hall, a preserved building within the park grounds.  My exact thoughts were: This is the first time I have ever seen a wedding reception location that I am actually really drawn to.  Maybe one day I will have my wedding reception here.

(Please laugh about what a dork I am in your head!)  Ryan knew of my immense love for Piedmont Park and if you recall proposed there.  So fast forward two years and here I was: standing in front of my dream reception location.

Barbara sat down with me, made me feel at home, and acted genuinely interested in my wedding plans.  Straight away, I made sure my concerns would be taken care of: the space could hold up to 150 guests and ours would be the only wedding of the day.  Phew!  Now to actually see the space in person, and see if I got the feeling I was waiting for.

(Side note: Yes, I base most of my final wedding decisions on getting a certain feeling.  I promise though, I do thorough research first!  I believe in being logical and falling in love.)

wedding ceremony inside Mag Hall

I can't really do that moment justice, because although it obviously won't be empty when we have our reception here, walking into the empty hall with the sun streaming through the huge windows was perfect and peaceful.  My decision had been made.

The price was more than we wanted to pay, but after comparing other venues around the city, we realized that it is one of the cheaper options.  Magnolia Hall in my mind is the perfect location to showcase the city for our guests, have a space that was elegant enough for our taste but laid-back enough for a relaxing party, and in walking distance to much of midtown.  My logical needs were met and my heart had been won.

Since then, Ryan has seen and loved it, my parents and sisters have seen it and approve, and our date has been booked.  I am beyond excited to celebrate our wedding day in a place that means so much to us!

So what about you?  Do you use logic to make wedding decisions?  Gut feelings?  Both?