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

Our property features a 3-story antebellum-style main house, a guest house, vintage barn, pool area, splendidly manicured gardens, and stunning natural acreage that create an intimate setting for the perfect southern wedding. We offer several unique ceremony sites, with outdoor accommodations for up to 250 guests and indoor accommodations for 75 guests, as well as full-service overnight accommodations and amenities.

FEATURES

The Main House is located on top of a hillside with miles of magnificent views of the countryside and Harpeth River. Front double porches and back porch run the length of the house allowing guests plenty of room and privacy to relax and enjoy the down home comfort of porch swings and rocking chairs swaying in sweet rhythm under the cool southern breeze.

The open floor plain of the first floor with it’s nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and double doors is the perfect way to check out the view while enjoying indoor comforts. A state-of-the-art kitchen with large butcher block island, open shelves and stainless steel Kitchenaid appliances is perfect for any caterer or “Martha Stewart” wannabe.

If it’s an intimate indoor ceremony, the living and dining area is able to easily accommodate up to 75 and the grand staircase allows for a dramatic entrance.

Upstairs, the master bedroom and bath is a luxurious hide-away for the bride and her bridesmaids to gather and prepare for the day while still being close enough to supervise the preparations. With it’s bodacious elegance and ultra feminine décor, brides will truly feel like a princess. From the stain glass and vintage chandeliers to the beveled antique mirrors and silk furnishings, this is the perfect place to start the romantic day

For additional space there are 4 additional bedrooms and 3rd floor media room.

The guesthouse has three bedrooms and one bath. It also includes a nice size living room and full kitchen, all the major appliances including a washer/dryer. Perfect for pre-wedding preparation for onsite caterer, wedding party, guests and staff.

Front Porch Farms
1188 Ben Collier Road
Charlotte, TN 37036
htttp://frontporchfarmstn.com
Kathy@frontporchfarmstn.com

Photo by Shaun Larson

Setting a budget (and sticking to it) is recommended for couples who choose to plan and finance their own wedding. Setting a budget for wedding expenses can be considered the first step in managing all things financial as a family. In order to be financially stable and live a comfortable life free from the stress caused by financial troubles, setting and sticking to a budget is necessary. In the years to come, when children come along and financial responsibilities become harder to fulfil, a budget is the best and most practical way to assure the children’s future.

Set A Budget

Before you plan your wedding, determine the amount of money you would need to spend, and create a budget around that figure. The cost of the wedding depends on how simple or extravagant you want your wedding ceremony and reception to be, and the number of guests you expect to attend. A wedding would typically cost somewhere between thousands of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

If you would like to have a simple, inexpensive wedding ceremony and reception, you can choose to have a morning ceremony followed by a breakfast or lunch reception, as breakfast and brunch catering is much cheaper than a sit-down meal or a dinner buffet. Some Nashville wedding venues have offered such wedding packages for budget minded couples, like the Morning Glory wedding package at Historic Cedarwood.

More Ways To Save

Try and break the wedding of your dreams into components. Keep in mind that the more components, the bigger the expenses.

If, despite your careful planning, you still manage to go over budget, one of the first things you should try is to reduce the number of guests. Next, think about what details you can live without. For example, instead of hiring an expensive wedding photographer, you can ask a friend who knows something about photography to take the wedding photos. Your friend may be happy to document your wedding for you instead of giving you a wedding gift. Just don’t expect the quality of a product as you would get from a seasoned wedding photography with multiple thousands of dollars of equipment.

If you are dead-set on having a traditional wedding, shop for your wedding dress early and try to find a dress on sale. You might also want to consider buying a gown that was previously used but still in great condition, as a used gown can be purchased at a fraction of what a new wedding dress would cost and look just as beautiful.

The groom can rent a tuxedo, and the same goes for all the other men in your wedding party.  There are several ways that you can have the Nashville wedding of your dreams without spending a fortune on the wedding expenses as long as you take the time to plan, budget, and make choices wisely.

You can choose to have the ceremony performed under the stately Roman arches of a dignified clock tower or on the more intimate grass lined courtyard with an elegant “S-shaped” walk way for the bridal party to stroll slowly down in the light of day or the cool of the evening.

Plan on inviting your guests inside to the wonderful old rooms where your delectable reception has been laid out in splendid and impressive order. With the original hardwood floors and simple historic details such as minimalist fire places and the wonderful circular staircase of this grand old manor as the backdrop you will be proud to select The Baber House for your ideal family or social gathering.

If you are looking for old fashioned charm for your Nashville wedding reception, The Baber House at Kennesaw Farms is the place for you.  The mansion and grounds are encircled by southern history and all the things you’d dream of for your authentic plantation style wedding or social event.

Enduring through Civil War occupancy and later transformed into a very successful thoroughbred horse farm this particular special event site lends both sophisticated atmosphere and gracious tone to any formal or even informal gathering you would like to organize.

The Baber House was ranked number ten in the “Top 30 Nashville Wedding Venues” by The Tennessean and Nashville Weddings. They placed very well against some of the most famous and popular downtown Nashville sites such as The Frist Center and The Country Music Hall of Fame.

You can feel completely confident that you and yours will be well taken care of and you will be inviting your friends and family to a truly memorable setting. They have also partnered with Meredith from “Forget Me Not Events” so you will be offered some very affordable event packages which will make managing your special affair easy, elegant, and reasonably priced.

If you are curious to see the mansion before it underwent its recent renovation you will find pictures and a detailed history of both the mansion and Kennesaw Farms at their website:  http://thebaberhouse.com/ .  The renovation pictures will reveal the tired old state of disrepair that it had fallen into, and also the wonderful newly refinished results. You will easily recognize all the hard work that went into restoring this lovely home to its now pristine state once again.

The Baber House is located at 1000 Kennesaw Boulevard in Gallatin, Tennessee which is near Hendersonville and north of Nashville. There are directions on the web site as well as an introduction to the village concept around which Kennesaw Farms has been established.  The Baber House is highly recommended.

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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