Create your dream mansion wedding!

Ah your wedding day, you’ve been dreaming of it for so long. This is a special day you’ll only get to experience once, and you want it to be PERFECT!  One of the most important decisions you will make when planning your special day is WHERE to get married. Whether you are thinking of an outdoor summer wedding, a small intimate indoor, a winter wonderland, or a grand affair, you need to find a venue that works for you and your vision. When choosing your dream mansion wedding venue, there are a few things that you need to consider.

Outdoor - Summer Venue

You’ve had the dream for as long as you can remember. A stunning day outside, surrounded by your friends and family. The sun is shining, the breeze is warm and comfortable, and you walk down the aisle to marry to the love of your life. Almost every bride we encounter DREAMS of an outdoor wedding. And why not? On a perfect day who wants to be indoors?

The flip side of the outdoor wedding venue is it comes with a lot of STRESS. Brides often spend every day leading up to their wedding worrying about the weather. “Will I get rained out? What if it’s windy? What if it’s cold and everyone is freezing?”

The last thing you want leading up to your wedding is extra stress. Wedding planning is hectic enough on its own! So when you are hunting for the perfect outdoor wedding venue, be sure to look for somewhere that offers a great Plan B in case of inclement weather. Often, brides will choose to use a tent as backup, this is a great solution for rain, but if it’s cold and windy it will still be unpleasant for you and your guests. If you have a venue that offers an indoor option, find something that you love that is gorgeous, so you can feel confident you will have an amazing day whether you are inside or outside. 

When our second daughter Emily, was married here, she had a beautiful outdoor ceremony. Like so many other brides, she watched the weather forecast with great anticipation leading up to her day. Thankfully, we had a solid rain plan and knew that even if it did rain, we could hold a beautiful ceremony for her. This meant she could relax and focus on enjoying her time with her husband-to-be and her family. And as luck would have it, we had gorgeous weather that day and her ceremony was everything that she had dreamed of!

Outdoor Winter Venue

There is something quite special about a winter wedding! Frost and snow sparkling, a crisp chill in the air, and there is nothing like a white snowy background to make all of your carefully selected colors pop! 

If you’re hunting for a winter wedding venue, there are a few things to keep a lookout for. Number one of course is a stunning outdoor setting. For example, at the Conrad Mansion, we are surrounded by 30’ tall evergreen trees that get covered in snow and frost, the perfect backdrop to your dream winter wedding. 

You also want to be sure that your wedding venue is gorgeous inside as well as out! Many winter wedding venues may have a lovely outdoor setting, but their indoor offerings aren’t much different from what you would see at a wedding any other time of the year. Look for a venue with quintessential winter details, like stone fireplaces (such as the one in the Conrad Mansion Carriage House) and windows to give you views onto the snowy outdoors. Be sure to look for decorations that fit the theme, like evergreen branches, fake snow and of course lots of sparkle! Using deep winter tones like burgundy and navy blue will help bring your winter wedding to life!

When our daughter Melissa, and her husband Joel, got married they wanted a winter wedding. The evergreens were covered with snow and they had lovely outdoor wedding photos followed by an indoor reception. The background made for some stunning winter photos!

Indoor Only Venue

There is something to be said for having your ceremony and reception in one place. If you are looking for a wedding venue that can do it all, be sure to think through the practical aspects of using the space. Be sure to find a venue that is large enough to set up both your ceremony space and your reception all in one place. You don’t want your guests to have to mill around outside or in another area waiting for the venue to be re-set up after the ceremony. You want the experience to be as smooth and comfortable for your guests as it is for you!

For example, at the Conrad Mansion, our Carriage House is set up to host both ceremonies and receptions in one gorgeous space. You can host your ceremony in front of our grand fireplace, with our chandelier hanging above you. From there, you and the wedding party can exit up our grand staircase to the bridal suite for a rest and some picture taking. Then, you and your new husband can be presented as you descend the same staircase to re-join your guests below. All without a single guest having to get up!

If you do choose a venue that will need to be re-set up for your reception after the ceremony, be sure to check and see if the venue will help you with that setup, or if you will be responsible for the setup yourselves. You’ll need a plan to get it done and will need to have someone you can trust take care of it while you are busy getting your photos taken.

Micro Weddings

Covid forced many couples to get creative about their weddings, forgoing extravagant plans for large weddings in favor of small gatherings. Though this may have started as a necessity, we see small micro weddings sticking around. There really is something to be said about keeping your wedding day intimate.

This past summer we hosted a wedding for a couple who had to cancel their plans for a large affair. They had originally planned to have a 500+ wedding at a casino resort. Due to Covid, they had to cancel and scale back to a 65 person wedding here at the Conrad Mansion. It included just their closest friends and family, in an intimate setting, where they could spend the whole weekend together having fun. 

In the end, they said they were SO glad that they had the smaller wedding. It gave them an opportunity to relax. They got a chance to spend quality time with every single person that joined them. Instead of a rushed glamorous affair, they got something small, intimate, and FUN! They had a blast spending the weekend with their closest friends and family. Playing silly games, laughing, and enjoying the company of the ones they love the most. 

When it comes time to choose your micro wedding venue, there are some practical things to take into consideration. Look for something beautiful and stunning that will look great in your photos! And be sure to choose a venue that is the right size for your wedding. You don’t want things to feel awkward with a huge space and only  a small number of people. Your location should match the intimate nature of your ceremony.

Look for something that offers a lot of bang for your buck. A location where everyone can stay together is a great way to facilitate intimacy. This can help you save money, and create an even better experience for everyone involved.

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Regardless of what kind of wedding you choose, you want to be sure that your special day will be as stress free as possible. By taking careful consideration of both the aesthetics and practicalities of your venue, you can be sure to create a special day that will leave you and all of your guests glowing.

Interested in taking a tour of the Conrad Mansion to see our venue for yourself? Click the button below to book. We would LOVE to hear about your vision for your very own #bestdayever.