1. If you’re trying to keep your costs down, look for locations that offers areas both for ceremonies and receptions. Keep in mind when looking for a reception location that paying a little more for this one location may make sense if they have an area that is suitable for your ceremony as well!

2. Make sure to check the three most important factors before visiting – price, capacity, and date availability. Calling ahead or going online to check these factors can save you priceless time making site visits.

3. Consider venues with built in service options. Quite often, a venue that has its own vendors for catering, lighting design, etc., has assembled a team that they trust and work well with, making your event smooth and stress free. Still, you should always have some level of customization and control over your event choices, so don’t be forced into a package that doesn’t fit you!

4. Talk to your trusted friends and family! Chances are that among your loved ones, most people have been to the majority of wedding venues in your city, and can give you feedback on their experiences. We are proud that the majority of our business comes from word of mouth recommendations, and you should look for the same in your venue of choice!

5. Check your venue’s restrictions and requirements. Most venues have necessary rules and regulations regarding noise, tenting, catering, etc., to protect their venue and your event, so it’s important to know those before you book. All legitimate wedding vendors will be happy to give and explain these to you and help you make an educated decision!

Tips compliments of:

CJ’s Off the Square

To have a truly memorable wedding reception, decorate it with unique, one-of-a-kind pieces not usually used to decorate weddings. The only limit is your imagination. Your wedding theme will greatly affect what kind of decorations you’re going to use for the reception. If you want to have a simply decorated Nashville wedding reception site, you just need to scatter the balloons throughout the wedding venue.

For a romantic wedding reception, you can decorate with candles placed in strategic locations throughout the reception venue. You can use candles as a table centrepiece for some mood lighting. This is a cost-effective way of decorating your reception. However, keep in mind that candles have different burning times, so you should have a good idea of how long your reception is going to last and buy appropriate candles.

For short receptions, you can decorate with small voice candles. For longer receptions, however, you may want to use a large pillar candle or a few tapers instead. Remember that the key element of reception decorations is the centrepieces. To add a pop of color to the centrepiece, you can add the same kind of flowers used in the bridal bouquet. This does wonders in improving the look and feel of the table.

When talking about reception decorations, one important element that we should not forget is the wedding cake. A gorgeous wedding cake can vastly improve the overall look and atmosphere of the reception. Even if you’re only planning on having a small reception, a skilled baker can create a beautiful tiered cake by using a fake cake as a base and covering it and topping it with layers. The cake can be further accessorized with flowers, crystals and other details that will give the cake more flair.

Many established wedding sites in Nashville have tons of experience in making your wedding ceremony and reception site look wonderful…and fit your tastes. Some of these include: Historic Cedarwood, Springhaven Mansion, CJ’s Off the Square, and Riverwood Mansion.

Nashville Wedding Reception Sites

Privately Owned Wedding Venues

We believe wedding locations that private individuals own tend to offer superior service. Think about it. They have the most vested interest in making sure that your wedding day goes perfectly. If you are satisfied you will tell your family and friends and referrals of happy customers are a business’ best friend.

Here are some of our favorite Nashville wedding sites in this category.

Historic Cedarwood

This one has truly taken off in only a few years of being in operation and gets booked up quickly. It has a definite “out in the country” feel but amazingly is only minutes from downtown Nashville. Couples tell us that Cedarwood takes care of everything and makes the planning process very easy. Many couples are discovering Historic Cedarwood’s exceptional service and value, including a granddaughter of Hank Williams, Jr. who married there.

Riverwood Mansion – Nashville Wedding Location

This is another remarkable place to get married. Tucked away over in east Nashville, there is a lot of history at this location. There is a beautiful garden out beside the historic home where most of the ceremonies are held. But if there is rain, there is now a beautiful pavilion where the wedding festivities can be moved under cover. This is the place where most of the receptions are held as well.  Jo Dee Messina recorded part of a music video at Riverwood.

C.J.’s Off the Square

CJ’s in actually a short drive south of Nashville in Franklin, Tennessee. Franklin has been voted one of the most beautiful small towns in America and there is a lot of Civil War history in the area. The wedding venue is located on 3^rd Ave. just a short distance on the main town square. So many couples have found this to be the perfect place for their nuptials. Weddings are held in the garden gazebo, surrounded by large trees and pools of water with goldfish.

Springhaven Mansion

This wedding site is located north of Nashville in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Beautiful country in this area and home to many of the Grand Ole Opry country music stars. By the way, Taylor Swift’s home is in Hendersonville and she did a photo shoot at Springhaven. A husband and wife own this place and give personal attention to their couples. The horse drawn carriage bringing the bride to the front lawn of the historic mansion (trees planted by Andrew Jackson) for the ceremony is a special touch.

Blackhaven Gardens

Going yet another direction, these “wedding gardens” are found out east from Nashville and south of Gallatin. The owner has worked extensively herself on these gardens for years. Now couples and their guests are able to enjoy the result of her work by having their wedding ceremony in the gazebo among the gardens. There is a nice reception building behind the gardens in case couples need to move the ceremony inside.

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