Georgia Wedding Venues: Payne-Corley House & Vecoma at the Yellow River

I started a "Georgia Wedding Venues" blog series a few weeks ago for a couple of reasons.

1. When I was looking at wedding venues, I found our wedding venue by reading somebody's blog. So maybe I could help somebody else one day.

2. Real pictures show a lot more about a venue than do the pictures on the venues websites. I realized this the hard way. Venues that I thought were beautiful - we're terrible once I got there.

3. I'm a huge memory/picture freak, as many of y'all know. I want to be able to look back one day, and remember my wedding process. Every detail that I can.

4. I LOVE everything wedding related. I love all the different options. So many routes that girls can take to make their day unique to them and their fiance. And the venue is the biggest step.

5. WHAT GIRL DOESN'T LOVE LOOKING AT THIS TYPE OF STUFF!? :) Not me!

Last time, I highlighted the Georgia wedding venue, Little Gardens.

You can find that post here. 

This week I'll be reviewing a few more I visited before we finally decided on the venue that worked for us.

*These views are strictly my opinions.

Payne-Corley House

Venue Name: Payne-Corley House

Location: Duluth, Georgia

Price Range: $$

I actually visited this venue while looking with Brittany a couple years ago for her wedding.

 I always had thought it was a cute little venue, not being far away from where my mom worked for awhile. The venue is surrounded by  pretty, older houses, a cute small-town feel and railroad tracks. [Remember the railroad tracks.]

When you walk through the front door, you see a large open staircase. 

To the right, is a cocktail hour/dessert room.

The room is extremely green. Like green eggs & ham green. With outdated artwork painted on the walls. I believe this lovely artwork was popular decor in the 90's.

To the right of the open staircase is the "ballroom." 
Or ugly carpet room, as I like to say.

The carpet sealed the deal for Brittany and me.
It was very overwhelming, and we both thought the decor was outdated.
I mean, if you're trying to have a Titanic inspired wedding, then you're good to go.
But it didn't fit either of our styles.

We were polite though, and continued the tour to see the ceremony location.

It was cute.
Until a train went by on the tracks across the street.
Couldn't here a thing.
Every girl's dream.

My overall opinion...

• Very cute on the outside. Small-town feel, has a southern feel.
• Carpet is horrendous. Way too many colors. Especially for a bride who wants to incorporate different colors into their wedding. 
• The decor is outdated. Very 1990's. Could use a more modern remodeling.
• Price is too expensive for what you get. There are too many adorable venues out there, that don't charge an arm and a leg to pick a place that has ugly carpet.
• The railroad tracks are tricky for a ceremony. It's against the law to receive a train schedule, so you can't plan around a train barreling down the tracks as you say your "I do's."

 I loved being able to share in Brittany's wedding planning process.

She inevitably saved Cody and I time when we finally got engaged so we didn't visit venues we thought we would like, and would really never use.

Vecoma at the Yellow River

Venue Name: Vecoma at the Yellow River

Location: Snellville, Georgia

Price Range: $$

Cody and I visited Vecoma a couple weeks after we got engaged.

This venue wasn't too far away, and it was right on the Yellow River.

It sounded pretty, but we had to go see for ourselves.

When you pull down the driveway, you see a cabin-styled building.

The outside is decorated with flowers and plants.

However, a parking lot and dumpster sit directly beside it.

 

When you walk into the building, you're looking at the reception area.

Very plain. Some decor looks odd. But mostly a clean slate.

The chair covers were terrible.

 The beams at the top of the ceiling are pretty, though.

Not my ideal reception location.

I did, however, really like the deck that extended from the reception room.

I thought it looked nicer than the inside!

If you looked out over the deck, you saw the ceremony site, as well as the Yellow River.

Excuse the power line that runs through the middle. Not.

It was pretty.

Not stunning. But pretty.

I couldn't picture myself getting married there, though.

The bride's room was upstairs from the reception room.

It was small. It was cramped. It was hot.

And the decor was not pretty for pictures of all the girls getting ready.

My overall opinion...

• The venue outside is pretty, but not stunning. The dumpster doesn't help.
• The reception room has some odd decorations, and would need a lot of decorating to make it unique.
• The deck is the prettiest spot, as it looks over the ceremony spot and river.
• The ceremony location is pretty, but I would worry about mosquitoes right by the river.
• The bride's room is tacky. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Looking at what I didn't like about venues, helped me appreciate the venues that were truly beautiful.

You have to be able to picture yourself getting married there.

It's your day, and it should fit your vision.

Happy Wedding Wednesday!