Venue Showcase: Pecan Springs Ranch

Venue Showcase: Pecan Springs Ranch

 

Hello lovebirds,

 

We hope wedding planning is finding you well and that you are so excited to find the venue of your dreams. Today we wanted to start a new sub-series of our blog spotlighting all our partners so you can learn more about their spaces and teams. Welcome to Venue Showcase: Pecan Springs Ranch

 

First up is Pecan Springs Ranch.


A little fun fact. Pecan Springs Ranch owner Judy actually helped us while building the site and was our first official venue partner! Judy is perhaps the sweetest person you will ever meet and is a dream to work with (which is always a good thing when it comes to venues).


We were lucky enough to do a shoot out there this past winter and even in the cold, this venue is STUNNING. Take a look at the pictures!

 

Venue Showcase: Pecan Springs Ranch

Pecan Springs Ranch has so many sites that you can marry at, but here are our Top 3:

 

  1. Fireplace Ceremony Site

    The fireplace gives you an element of coziness and home. It is gorgeous dressed up or down and makes for a warm (littleraly if you want!) place to say I do.

  2. Pergola Ceremony Site

    This is a gorgeous ceremony site, particularly in the springtime with gorgeous floral elements. It offers a wonderful arch to marry under and is utterly romantic.

  3. Treeline Ceremony Site

    The land is the real show stopper here. The scenery makes for a perfect picturesque site to wed.

 

Here are the amenities they offer with rental of their venue:

 

  • 6,000 sq ft climate-controlled building
  • 12-hour rental period
  • Prep kitchen with a walk in cooler
  • Option to use a built-in Bar
  • Multiple beautifully landscaped outdoor ceremony locations for your wedding
  • 4500 square foot Creek Side multi-purpose pavilion
  • Separate Groom’s area
  • Bridal House
  • Handicap accessibility
  • Ample and clean restrooms
  • Included in rental is 400 fruitwood chairs, twenty-five 60″ round tables, 3 farm wood tables, 4 beer garden tables,4 six foot tables, 4 eight foot tables and 5 cocktail tables, lawn games, vintage buffets, LOVE letters, hand carved stone cross, all outdoor lighting and outdoor furniture.
  • Complimentary use of facility for one hour rehearsal (by appointment only)
  • Complimentary use for engagement or bridal photos (by appointment only)
  • On-site property manager
  • Outside vendors welcome caterers must have insurance and be approved by PSR (we also have a preferred vendor list)
  • On site decor rental items (available for additional fee)
  • On site “drink” donkeys (available for additional fee)

 

Pricing Idea: $4000-$7000

 

FAQ:

 

  1. Required Catering Options? No, but they do recommend you pick from their preferred list
  2. Must use from Preferred Vendor list? No, but if you choose another vendor not on the list they do have to be approved by the venue
  3. Bad weather options? Yes
  4. Air conditioned? Yes
  5. LGBTQ Friendly? YES!
  6. Sparklers allowed? Yes
  7. Can you bring in your own decor? Yes, but nothing can harm or damage the venue or it’s staff.
  8. What is included in the rental fee? “Included in the fee is exclusive use for 12-hour rental, an on-site manager to take care of all venue related items, one hour for rehearsal (scheduled 30 days prior to event around other booked events), 17 acres of versatile grounds, indoor/outdoor ceremony and reception space, Bride’s house, Groom’s room, catering prep area, walk in cooler (available during the rental), 3 pine wood farm tables, 4 beer garden tables at pavilion, twenty-five 60″ round tables, five tall boy cocktail tables, four 6ft tables, four 8ft tables and 400 folding fruitwood chairs and outdoor patio furniture and a bride & groom chair.  Vintage buffet, lawn games,  and light up “LOVE” marquee letters. PSR does a one time set up of ceremony and reception per your layout.  Use of buildings and property for engagement or bridal photos (by appointment).”  
  9. Are there any other additional fees you should know about? In addition to the rental fee,  we also require a $1000.00 refundable damage and security deposit for weddings, refunded within 30 days after your event. Day of event liability insurance is also required– it is  approximately $175.00.

 

Availability: Check them out through the search option on the website!

 

We really cannot recommend this venue more. It is beautiful, it is located just a few miles out of downtown Austin and it will make you feel right at home!

 

Need more information on them or want a direct contact to Judy and team?

 

Let us know, lovebirds! We are here to help!

 

Until next time, cheers to love!

C+K

 

*images taken from Pecan Springs Ranch Instagram*

 

Questions You Should Ask Your Wedding Venue

Hello lovebirds,

 

On today’s blog we wanted to talk about the importance of knowing the Questions You Should Ask Your Wedding Venue — doing your homework and talking to venues BEFORE YOU BOOK!

Sure, a venue may look great and may visually be the perfect place for you to wed. BUT, do they answer all the below questions correctly for your needs and wants?

Today we are discussing our Top 10 Questions we think you should ask a venue BEFORE booking with them.

 

Let’s dive right in on Questions You Should Ask Your Wedding Venue:

 

What’s your availability around my ideal wedding date?

Availability is the key ingredient to your wedding. If the venue doesn’t have your ideal date, you have to consider if your date is flexible OR do you need to move on to another venue that is available?

 

What all is included in your rental cots?

It is SO important to know what all you are paying for when you book with a venue. Is the cost they quote in their initial email/meeting with you ALL INCLUSIVE or will there be additional fees later on? Make sure you get an itemized list of what all is including in the cost for booking with the venue, i.e. tables, chairs, hours, staffing, etc.

 

How many guests can the venue accommodate?

Guest count is a big thing to consider as well. Some venues are very constricted by their size, so if you are looking at having a larger event, make sure that dream venue can accommodate that guest count both INSIDE and OUTSIDE.

 

How many hours are included in the rental?

Timing is a crucial element of your wedding day. You need to figure out exactly when you can come to the venue on your wedding day and when you need to leave the wedding venue. This timeline is helpful when considering where you will get dressed and when the reception needs to end. Typically, wedding venues allow 10hour windows for their rentals, so if you need more time, be sure to check in with them about options.

 

What wedding packages do you have, and what’s included in each of them?

Figuring out if your venue has levels of investment is always a good idea. Perhaps you love the wedding venue but their Saturday rates are way too costly for you. Consider asking if their rates are lower for weekdays or Fridays/Sundays. This way you may be able to get your dream venue but at a more friendly price.

 

Do you host more than one event on the same day? If so, how many other events will be booked for the same day as my wedding?

This is one of our favorite questions. We are big believers that your wedding day should be YOUR wedding day. A great question to have answered is if the wedding venue is all yours for the day or if you will have to share with other events happening at the same time. If you do have to share, also think about asking how they plan to separate and not blend multiple events.

 

How far in advance can we reserve a date?

Again, timing is key in all things wedding planning. If you are looking at getting married only 1 month after getting engaged some venues might not only be booked up but they might have a planning period requirement as well. Make sure to figure out availability for your dream venue!

 

Is there an outdoor AND indoor space?

Especially in Texas, this is a great question thanks to our crazy weather! If you are a fan of outside events it is nice to know if there is an indoor rain plan!

 

Does your venue have a bridal suite/groom’s den?

Getting ready is a big part of the initial part of the wedding day. Make sure to ask your venue if they have designated spaces for you and your spouse-to-be to get ready or hold items during the wedding day.

 

Do you have any vendors we have to use?

Preferred vendors VS. partnered vendors is a big difference. Your venue most likely has lists of people that can work at the venue BUT do they have any requirements on who you must work with for different vendor categories? Be sure to ask!

 

Hopefully, all these questions will help you feel more prepared when looking at venues and booking your dream venue.

For more helpful ideas about connecting with your venue, check out this article from Shutterfly.

 

All of the venues on We Do Weddings will be more than happy to assist you with these questions and will do whatever they can to help you find the right venue fit.

 

Good luck doing your venue homework and remember to HAVE FUN!

Until next time lovebirds, cheers to love!

C+K

 

 

Events AROUND Your Wedding

Events AROUND Your Wedding

 

Hello love birds!

 

Today we are thinking about weddings and all the events and celebrations that surround them.

 

You may be scratching your head and thinking…what events?

 

There are lots of ways to celebrate your upcoming nuptials and there are so many events these days that have been built around weddings.

 

Let’s break it down by PRE-Wedding and POST-Wedding.

Take a look —

 

Events AROUND Your Wedding, PRE – Wedding:

Photoshoots

Engagement Shots — this is typically a fun first way to really celebrate your engagement. Couples get to get dressed up and take pictures in an area that is special to them and then these pictures can be used for all kinds of things! The pictures can be used for save the dates, wedding websites and can even be showcased on the wedding day!

Bridals — this is a photoshoot dedicated to capturing the bride in her dress ahead of the wedding day. Typically these are shot at the venue and are reflective of what you will look like on your wedding day. People do these shoots because there is rarely time to capture these images on wedding day. Plus how fun is it to get to wear your wedding dress TWICE???

 

Engagement Parties

— typically these happen within the first few months of getting engaged. It is a great way to get together with friends and family members and celebrate the wedding that is to come. Some fun ideas for these parties are: his & hers celebrations, cocktail hours, themed bashes

 

Showers

— showers are where the presents typically come in. While grooms can have showers, brides are usually the stars of these events. Family members usually hold these early in the day showers so friends and families can come shower the bride in all the gifts she and her love registered for early on in the planning process.

 

Rehearsal Dinners

— a great way to get everyone together one last time before the big day. Rehearsal dinners are wonderful because they typically include sentimental toasts, stories and bonding moments between the blending families. This is a great time to give gifts to parents and celebrate your bridal party too.

 

Events AROUND Your Wedding, POST – Wedding:

 

Post Wedding Brunches

— A big trend happening in weddings right now is post wedding brunches. This is a great way to celebrate after the big event with friends and families and bask in the glow of being a newlywed. These are fun as you are able to chat about the wedding and what everyone thought and loved about it.

 

Collective Honeymoons

— Now this is a new one even for us, but another recent trend going on in weddings right now is taking a honeymoon where friends and families can come along! If you are a fan of big groups and want to travel with buddies, this may be for you! 

 

Needing more ideas about how to celebrate after the wedding? We loved this article from One Fab Day. You will be inspired by these fun ideas!

 

Also, if you need help finding a local venue for one of these events be sure to look on our website! Most venues love to do additional celebrations on top of weddings!

 

Until next time love birds,

C + K

 

**picture by Al Gawlik 

Wedding Planning: DIY OR Getting Help

Wedding Planning: DIY OR Getting Help

Hello lovebirds, welcome back to the We Do Weddings Blog!

Today we want to talk about Wedding Planning: DIY or Getting Help…the two roads of wedding planning: DIY versus hiring a planner/coordinator.

Let’s get started with a little education about DIY! For some couples this is the best option as they really want to personalize and touch every single element of their big day.

Here are some good things to know about the DIY Road if you are looking into handling all the planning and details of your wedding day.

 

1.Get Organized

Believe it or not, there are so many LITTLE details that go into a wedding day like what kinds of petals the flower girls will throw, what time do the men show up to the venue, where should the cake be placed, etc.

We highly recommend keeping a binder filled with all your wedding planning journey notes. This way you can have everything located in the same spot to review and remember whenever you need!

2.Have A Planning Timeline

When you hear, timing is everything…it really is everything. You have to have your dress ordered
by a certain time, you have to have your venue booked and matched with your other vendor’s availability, you have to send out invitations in a timely manner…everything in the wedding world is on a clock!

Make it easier on yourself at the very beginning! Have a starting point of planning and an ending point of planning and make sure you put in all the crucial dates and timelines that happen in between!

3.Play to Your Strengths and Likes

If you focus on things you love and are good at, the DIY process is going to go so much more smoothly. If you are not a cake baker, don’t try and make your wedding cake…give that job to someone else. Focus on what you CAN DO and LIKE to do! By doing this, you will feel more accomplished because you will be able to check off your to do list instead of fretting over what cannot be done.

4. Ask For Help!

Never be afraid to ask for help! You can certainly ask for help from a planner but friends and family members are there too! Make sure to ask help from people you trust and that you know will get the job done. The sentiment, “it takes a village” is a good one. Trust in that system and let people help you. Plus it will be something so special to bond over!

Now, let’s focus on the other road! Here is a bit of education about who and what Wedding PLANNERS and Wedding COORDINATORS do. Some people think planning help is an unnecessary wedding expense, but we are big believers that they can make your wedding day dreams come true and then some!

 

1.Wedding Planner:

Wedding planners are all about the logistics, from vendor referrals and contract negotiation to day-of execution of your vision. “Planners take the guesswork out of the process, making planning a wedding as seamless and smooth as possible,” says Renny Pedersen, owner and creative director of Bliss Weddings & Events. “A planner will keep track of your budget and handle the logistics. This is a skill that many can learn, but only the best planners have the years of experience and credentials that set them above the rest.”

2. Wedding Coordinator:

Coordinators make sure everything you’ve done up until they take over is in good shape. According to Brides “Hiring a coordinator to take over the month before your wedding gives them time to tweak any details and follow up on loose ends,” says event planner Andie Cuttiford. Everything is in order, nothing is forgotten, and you’re free to enjoy your wedding day.

Depending on what you need or want help with, these specific people may be a great thing to allocate your wedding budget to!

If you are someone who would like help or just needs some assistance throughout the planning journey, a planner or coordinator may be the right fit for you. From helping you secure a wedding date to helping clean up after the reception, planners will hold your hand and help you with every detail along the way.

 

We always love to know what brides and grooms end up choosing. Are you a DIYer or do you believe in the power of a planner?

Let us know!

We can’t wait to hear!

 

Until then, sending all the love and wedding vibes your ways lovebirds!
C+K