The great news is that Spring Lake is situated at the bottom of a valley, with a spring-fed lake flowing through it. Both of those things contribute to a really nice cool summer breeze through the venue. But that full length wedding dress you’ll be wearing will probably act like a heater and trap in all your body heat. So, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite tips to keep you cool during your summer wedding at Spring Lake.

First, your getting ready suite is air conditioned. Use it to your advantage. Take a break in the cool oasis whenever you need to. It’s there for you and is really great to give you a quick cool off. Don’t be scared to hike up your skirt and air yourself out while you’re in there, too.

Second, arm your guests with the tools they’ll need to keep themselves (and you!) cool. That’s right. Consider handing out fans with your wedding programs just before the ceremony. We like these, these, and even these. All the ladies will appreciate having the extra breeze during the ceremony to keep their makeup in place, and after the ceremony is over, there will be fans laying at your disposal all over the venue. And there will be plenty of people willing to give you a much needed extra breeze!

Ice cold water. Have you ever seen a huge bucket of icy water bottles when you’re about to melt away? It’s the most relieving sights in the entire world. Have a couple of places with this bonus feature (and someone at the ready to replenish the ice) and you’ll be so thankful when you need an ice cold sip before dinner is ready.

Put someone on spray bottle duty. Arm someone with a little spray bottle to walk around and mist people. I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to be spritzed because it will ruin my makeup!” But by the time your vows have been said and you’ve spent an hour or two outside, there is a chance your makeup will have already melted off. And besides, you could be spritzed on your arm, shoulders, or even your legs. The evaporating water droplets will cool your skin and will feel cool. And if you get your spritz-er and fan-er working at the same time, you’ll be feeling like you’re in the A/C in no time!

Think about the boys. Your girls are wearing flow-y strapless dresses, and the boys are most likely wearing a tux or pantsuit with dark pants, long sleeve shirt, maybe a vest, and a jacket. You might want to consider dressing the men in more stylized clothes with fewer layers, or at the very least, a light colored suit (grey is a great summer wedding color!). And they’ll probably be waiting on the “okay” from you to take off their jackets, so be sure and tell them when you’re ready for them to take them off. Check out this dashing groom from one of our 2011 weddings. This would be a perfect summertime outfit for guys, especially if vintage, country, or retro is your style.

There you go! All the insider secrets to staying cool on your summer wedding day. Do you have any other tips or tricks to staying cool in the summer heat? We want to hear them (and so do other brides)! Share them on our Facebook page!

One of our favorite tricks for a vintage or country wedding is to use baby’s breath for flower arrangements. Don’t get us wrong, our in-house florist is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!! But we know a lot of our brides like to DIY (do it themselves). Baby’s breath is completely affordable, easy to buy in bulk and frilly & white, so it goes with most every wedding. You can line the aisles with it or you could use it for your bouquet. It’s cute in bud vases as part of tablescapes. You can even twist it together and make a big strand of garland out of it. (Check out our vintage wedding Pinterest boards for some examples!)

Another favorite of ours (and many of our bries) is the use of Mason jars. They’re easy to find and totally affordable. Not only that, but they’re really easy to make adorable. In fact, we even have an entire pinterest board devoted to the amazing Mason jar. Some of the more favorite ideas we’ve seen are to use them on tablescapes. They make gorgeous candle holders. Fill the jar with a bit of sand, drop in your candle and place it on top of a slice of rustic wood. Or, if you’d like a bit more elegance than grit, you can fill the jar with water and add a floating candle with a bit of twine tied around the top of the jar. If you wanted, you could even tie on some table numbers. And if you’re really wanting some color and variety, you could fill some smaller jelly-size jars with wildflowers and group them together with a coordinating ribbon.

We already hinted at this idea, but wood has been showing up everywhere in all kinds of weddings. Not only is it fairly free, it’s perfect for the eco-chic bride or the southern belle. You can slice the wood into thin pieces and use it as a charger, or make thicker slices to make the mini-trunks into stands. Wood slices make an adorable pedestal for bouquet filled mason jars. You could even make a thin slit in a branch to hold a table number or seat assignments.

Photography by Kiss The Bride Studio

Speaking of seat assignments, how about using smooth river stones for holding assignments? All you need is a rock and a piece of wire. Wrap a section of wire around the stone, leaving extra to make a post out of most of the wire. Then, just make a small spiral and insert your seat assignment card. Super easy, eco-friendly and inexpensive! And just think of all the fun you’ll have down by the river searching for river rocks in your favorite creek!!

If you’re looking for even more inspiration, head on over to our pinterest boards! There’s something for most every bride there, and we try to find all the adorable & creative inexpensive decorating ideas we can because we know that’s what you’re looking for!

Do you have any other ideas that we missed? Share them with us on our Facebook page!

Today we’re going to talk about designing and decorating your space. We’ve seen so many adorable themes at Spring Lake. And then we’ve seen weddings that are all about the party and the people without many decorations at all. When we created Spring Lake, we brought in amazing details to spruce up the place and hand-selected many of the pieces here. But we also  intentionally kept the spaces flexible so that you can add your own touch. There are some venues that just need flowers. Or fancy tablecloths. Or elaborate theming. But not Spring Lake. Bringing in extra flowers or theming truly is optional here.

That being said, we do have a tendency to have weddings that lean towards the vintage or rustic ends of the design spectrum. We usually have mason jars here at our weddings. And we’ve seen a number of adorable pairs of cowboy boots. And hydrangeas. We love all of it. There’s just something about being outside surrounded by fields and a lake that just begs for those things. Want some inspiration? Check out this wedding album on our Facebook page or our Pinterest page for even more wedding eye candy!

Believe it or not, our barn venue even lends itself really well to elegant weddings with fluted centerpieces, three piece black tuxes, and a six tier wedding cake trimmed in black ribbon! You really can set the stage any way that you want to with a venue like ours.

Check out these three photos taken by Paris Mountain Photography of an elegant Spring Lake wedding.

And what if you’re just not into all that DIY wedding design or chatting it up with a florist? That’s okay, too! When you walk into the Spring Lake barn, it just feels like home. Just the way it is. The bare arbor is graced with weeping willows, and the clean simple lines of the pews are simply elegant without flowers. We’ll set up the barn with tables and chairs And believe us, the chandeliers will take all the attention. We’ve already got a cool container to hold your favors, and relaxing adirondak chairs for your to relax in with your sweetheart when your feet need a break from dancing. The screened-in bar even has a few homey touches to keep the party going down by the lake. You don’t need to bring a thing.

Well. Except yourself. And your groom. And that gorgeous dress!!!

On that note, we pride ourselves on being a venue that you can choose to decorate as much or as little as you’d like. We already have a number of one-of-a-kind rustic or vintage pieces around the property (like the vintage rusty truck or the branch chandeliers in the barn). We love seeing individual styles that perfectly match our couples, and want to help you have the wedding of your dreams. And that’s why we’re on Pinterest!

If you don’t know about Pinterest yet, you definitely need to sign up for an account! It’s an amazing website where people “pin” their favorite things to “boards” (just like you’d make an inspiration board in real life with old fashioned cork and thumb tacks). And each board has a title to describe the pins on the board. Not only that, but every pin links back to a website where you can find more awesome ideas or eye candy! And if you find someone with awesome style, you can “follow” them and get to see their latest pins on your Pinterest homepage. We think it’s awesome, and we’re so glad to have an page set up just for Spring Lake!

We know there are a ton wedding boards out there on Pinterest, so why should you follow us? Well, if you’re interested in Spring Lake, you’re probably thinking of a barn wedding, or rustic wedding or even a vintage wedding. And we get to see all kinds of ideas throughout the year. We’ve developed a keen eye for amazing weddings, and we know how to pull it off with success. Our Pinterest boards are full of gorgeous, rustic, and even inexpensive or DIY wedding ideas. And every pin we make is something we know would work perfectly at our venue. We even offer insight into how to pull it off at Spring Lake if we think the pin needs additional explanation.

 
So what will you find when you follow us on Pinterest? You’ll find all kinds of ideas of how to use mason jars or burlap. You’ll find ideas to line the aisle with gorgeous decorations, and even some fun ideas to help the little ring bearer or flower girl down the aisle. You’ll find flower inspirations and table-scapes. And even a few photos from around the venue, too!

So, if you’re wedding planning (or know someone who is planning a wedding) with a vintage or rustic flair, send them our way! We’d love to share all these beautiful pins with someone! We’ll be adding more (pins and boards) in the coming weeks, and we know every single one is going to help you plan your wedding!

First, you’ll want to think about the logistics of the day. What time are you getting married? Will you be bringing in your own hair and makeup artists, doing your own, or will you be traveling to a salon? Do you have enough time to travel from a different getting ready location to your wedding venue? Will your photographer be there for your getting ready time (and do you have time for their travel between the locations in your wedding photography package)? Is there a mirror and a sink nearby for those last minute lipstick checks?

Photography by Jennifer G Mills Photography

Another thing to think about is the first look. If you plan on doing a first look before the ceremony, you’ll probably want your getting ready location to be the same location as your first look so you can refresh your hair and makeup before the ceremony (especially in the summer months!).

Some venues (especially rustic farm venues) do not have a bridal suite on property which means you’ll need to find somewhere relatively close by to get ready. We thought of everything at Spring Lake and want to make sure every detail is covered for your wedding day. That’s why we have two separate suites (one for the guys and one for the ladies) complete with their own private restrooms. They are both air conditioned, which makes our suites an ice cold oasis in those hot summer months. We took great care in hand selecting each piece of furniture in the suites, making sure the ladies had a lovely space to get ready and that the guys had a manly suite to hang out in. There is plenty of seating in each suite for a medium-sized wedding party, and even some natural light in the bridal suite (which your photographer will be thankful for).

Photography by Paris Mountain Photography

And the best part, since both our suites are right here on our property, worries about logistics just float away. If you choose to do a first look, you will have plenty of space to get into position for the moment without seeing each other or even walking a long way to the perfect spot. And if you choose a more traditional wedding day schedule, your entire wedding party is all right there together, on call for the moment they walk down the aisle with little or no risk of the groom seeing you before the big moment.

And one more cool thing about our getting ready suites; they’re just off the main reception area. That means if you just need to get away for a minute in the heat or hectic moments of the day, you can just slip off to your air conditioned suite to relax, recharge, and catch your breath. Or share a special quiet moment with the love of your life. We think it’s pretty dreamy.

The truck is a great place to take some formal portraits with your photographer. We think it’s pretty cool to have an old truck available that you can actually climb on (gently) to get some neat photos. Other venues have old cars available, but they don’t always give you permission to get in (or on) them. We don’t mind as long as you’re being careful to take care of our “old man.”

Photography by Nathan and Natosha

The “old man” has a great shape with lots of character that lens itself to all kinds of cool poses and photos. You could choose to be more dramatic and formal to show off your gorgeous wedding dress, or you could have some fun and jump off the flat bed in the back. The back of the truck is even a cute place to lay back and show off your awesome wedding shoes, especially if you have a message written on your soles.

Photography by Kiss the Bride Photography

If you haven’t stopped by Spring Lake for a look around, maybe you should call and schedule your engagement session here so you can have plenty of time to explore the place. We’ve had a number of couples do that, and have found it gives their wedding photographer a great chance to come up with some creative ideas for wedding photographs around our venue, especially the truck. Check out this really cool photo of a couple in their cowboy boots, showing off their engagement ring. So much character here!

Photography by LMB Photography

While we love our old truck, it’s only one piece of Spring Lake that makes it what it is. In the coming months, we’ll be showcasing other areas of the venue that you’ll love sharing with friends and family on your wedding day.

We know everyone has their own taste and style (especially when it comes to weddings), but we tend to think that authentic pieces with natural, vintage character win out every time. Pieces like our truck are true pieces of our history and heritage. They remind us of simpler times when cars didn’t have computers and people sat out on their front porch with a glass of sweet tea in hand to talk to their neighbors. We hope you feel that way while you’re here at Spring Lake. We hope that our venue takes you back to a simpler place, where the true things of value are highlighted and the worries of modern life fall away. Because that’s the way things ought to be. Especially on your wedding day.

You’re in good company. 1 in 10 couples who get engaged this year just got engaged yesterday. That means you’ve got a lot on your mind, in addition to the fact that that ring on your finger keeps blinding you. The first few steps of wedding planning can be daunting. If you head over to the popular magazine sites, they’ve already got a huge list of things to do waiting to be checked off by you. But it’s really not that hard. Let us help.

See. Everything revolves around the venue. (And we’re not just saying that because we have one!) Think about it. You wouldn’t want a formal gown with a huge train for an outdoor wedding. And you probably wouldn’t serve barbecue in a ballroom. And you can’t hire a photographer until you know the date of your wedding. So you’ll want to select your venue first.

We talked a little bit in the last post about selecting the perfect venue for your wedding, but we didn’t talk about how to do that. The first thing you want to do is check out the venue’s website and see what kind of photos they have. You can get a great feel for the style of wedding the venue hosts. If you like the style of weddings at the venue, then you’ll want to make sure the venue fits in your budget range. And once you are okay with both of those, you want to call and set up a time to visit the venue. You’ll get a much better sense of the space and scale of the venue when you’re actually standing in it. And finally, you want to make sure that the venue has a date open that fits in your schedule.

Photography by Brita Photography

We happen to think our website is pretty helpful. We have all kinds of photos on our website to give you a peek into the weddings we host here. And unlike other venues, we even post our packages right there on our website. Many of our couples are impressed to find out that food is included even in our most basic package. And you can even use the entire property at no additional charge. (Some of our competitors like to sneak in an up charge for things like that.) It’s easy to schedule a preview of our venue. Just give us a call (770.377.6962)  or email (rentyhaney6962@yahoo.com) to plan on a time to stop by and check Spring Lake out!

And last, but not least, be sure to enjoy this season in your life. It’s easy to let the excitement and stress of wedding planning overshadow this special moment in your life. You’re only engaged to the love of your life for so long, so be sure to enjoy calling him your fiancé and showing off that gorgeous new ring every chance you get!

We’re here to help you answer those questions. The first thing you need to consider is size. Is the space big enough for your guest list? Is it too big for an intimate wedding? You’ll want to make sure that the space feels full, but that people have space to break into different areas for various activities (think: drinking, dancing, eating, and talking). We think Spring Lake is the perfect size. It is cozy enough to have an intimate wedding, and expansive enough to hold large groups. And the great thing about our venue is that people can spill out of the building to other areas of the property. Your wedding party could be down by the fireplace, your parents down by the lake relaxing in the Adirondak chairs, and Aunt Suzy living it up on the dance floor. It’s like having 5 parties at once!

Photography by Brita Photography

The next thing you want to think about is style and decor. How difficult will this space be to create the ambiance you’re wanting? When a venue already has some of the details covered, you’re going to save money in the long run (think: flowers and extra decor). But you’ll want to make sure those details are going to fit in with the style of your wedding. Will you be wearing heels and a formal gown with a long train? You’ll probably be looking for a formal ballroom. Then again, if you’re wanting a venue where you can wear your cowgirl boots and drink from a mason jar, Spring Lake might be the perfect venue for you. The great thing about our venue is that you can walk in and have your wedding here today, just as it is. It’s also easy to customize, too! You can bring in vintage lace tablecloths and antique vases to add a Victorian touch, or you could bring in a popcorn machine to make it feel like a carnival. The options are endless here at Spring Lake!

And finally, you’ll need to be thinking about the details. What’s your backup plan if it rains? Is there a great place for the cake besides along a wall? Does the venue fit into your budget? Spring Lake has the answers to all those questions, and we’ll be answering them in the coming weeks. We’ve got years of wedding experience behind us, and know you’ve got a lot of questions before selecting your wedding venue. But after one step onto the Spring Lake property, we know you’ll think it’s perfect here. We sure do!

We chose Spring Lake for our daughter’s wedding and everything was absolutely beautiful. She chose a vintage/shabby chic theme and Spring Lake was perfect. After seeing her wedding pictures, I honestly do not think we could have chosen a more beautiful venue. Spring Lake is such a pretty place and the beautiful fall colors in the background made it even prettier. I loved the comfortable and very private atmosphere. Renty was absolutely wonderful and when we left the night of the wedding, Greg and I both felt like we were leaving a dear friend. If you are looking for a vintage/rustic venue, you really need to look into Spring Lake. I promise you will not be disappointed.