Set a wedding date.
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Book a ceremony venue.
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Book a reception venue.
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Ask close friends to be members of the wedding party.
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Book a wedding coordinator.
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Book a caterer.
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Book a florist.
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Whew!
Well, we've been engaged for a little over three weeks now, and as you can see we've been hard at work planning for our big day (there's still so much more to be done). Michael cracked me up the other week when he said, "Man, I didn't think we'd be doing all this until next summer." Ha! I'm a very organized and planned out person, so I've hit the ground running. I can't tell you how many emails I've sent and phone calls I've made recently. It's been quite crazy, but so much fun.
I'll save some of the smaller details for another blog post, but right now I want to spill the beans on the gorgeous wedding venue we've chosen. So let's jump right in.
The venue is Heartwood Hall, and this place is gooder than grits, y'all! It's quickly becoming one of the most sought after venues in the area. Booking a date there was quite a challenge, but we've decided on October 19, 2012. This date is extremely special to us because it's exactly a year to day we got engaged.
When you pull up onto the property the first thing you see is this amazing manor house.
The Manor House
The house was built in 1840 and was part of a 5,000 acre cotton plantation. Today, the property is much smaller at only 25 acres, but it's still breathtakingly beautiful. Here's some interesting history behind the house -- it was used as a makeshift hospital by the North during the Civil War as they were making their way into town to fight the Battle of Collierville. They also used the property as sleeping grounds at night. So cool! Oh, and can I just say, this place is going to make a gorgeous backdrop for photographs.
We'll be having both our ceremony and reception at Heartwood Hall. The ceremony will be held in the Four Season Garden and talk about stunning. The garden sits to the left of the manor house and it makes quite the statement. It has an 80 foot walkway for the bride to walk down. We love it and we know guests will too.
Our reception is going to be held in The Barn -- my absolute favorite part of the property! It was renovated this past April and it's the epitome of rustic and charming. Everything inside this barn is just fantastic -- the chandeliers, the bar, the fireplace, the side porch, even the bathrooms!
Outside view of The Barn
Inside view of The Barn. WOW :)
Well, that's all the beans to spill. I'm so happy with this location and I'm more than thrilled to be getting married here. I can't think of a better place -- it's perfect.
XoXo,
Leslie