TIPS | CHOOSING THE RIGHT VENUE

Finding the right venue for your wedding is an exciting experience. The Dallas area has no shortage of dreamy, picturesque, and swoon-worthy venues to choose from, but knowing which one is right for you takes research and planning. We have five tips that will get you on the right track and ensure that you get hitched at the venue of your dreams!

Tip 1: Define Your Style

Venue | Nasher Sculpture Center

Photo | Ben Q. Photography

Venue | Arlington Hall

Photo | Amy Karp Photography

Do you envision your wedding style as Rustic, Romantic, Gothic, or Traditional? Knowing your style ahead of time can help you narrow down the types of venues you want to visit. Your venue will play a major role in creating the right atmosphere for your wedding day.

Tip 2: Ask Questions

Venue | White Sparrow Barn

Photo | Diane Keathly

Venue | Trinity River Audubon

Photo | Averie Claire

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Venue managers/coordinators are there to help you make the right decision for you! Here are a few big ones Here Comes The Guide recommends:

1. How many hours does the rental fee include, and is there an overtime fee if I stay longer?

2. Do you have an in-house caterer or a list of "preferred" caterers, or do I need to provide my own? Even if there is an in-house caterer, do I have the option of using an outside caterer instead?

3. Can we use candles/confetti/sparklers/fireworks/animals/lawn games/bounce houses/food trucks/insert your own fun-but- potentially-dangerous liability here?

4. What security services do you offer?

5. Are cabs/rideshares (like Uber, Lyft, etc.) easily accessible from the venue?

Tip 3: Make Sure It Fits Your Needs

Venue | Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Photo | Mountaintop Films

Venue | Dallas Arboretum - Degolyer Gardens

Photo | Adria Lea

Keep in mind how the venue you choose can best work with the night you’ve planned. For instance, if your wedding will be mostly out of town guests, consider using one location for both your wedding and reception to cut down on Uber use and travel time. Or if you’re planning on having a smaller wedding research smaller or even non-traditional venue spaces to save a few dollars.

Tip 4: Know and Stick to Your Budget

Venue | The Venue at Waterstone

Photo | Melissa Marshall

Venue | Hickory Street Annex

Photo | Cara Elizabeth Photo

Venues can be a budget breaker (and one of the first things you get on the books), so make sure you’re mindful and not looking outside your budget. Venue shopping can be an exciting experience, but falling in love with a location you can’t afford isn’t.

Tip 5: Talk to Your Planner

Venue | Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Photo | Jessica Quadra Photography

Venue | The Orchard

Photo | ALLEEJ Photography

We’ve seen TONS of venues, so pick our brains! We’ll be able to give you some great recommendations based on your style or steer you in the right direction if you’re feeling lost!

How did you choose the right venue?

VENUE HIGHLIGHT | HOUSE OF DIRT

Happy Wednesday friends!

Today we are showcasing a lovely little venue in Bishop Arts District, House of DIRT. This unique space is perfect for an intimate celebration that will make guests feel right at home. Formerly a dive bar, what this newly converted venue lacks in size it makes up for in character. House of DIRT features a permanent stage and arbor set in an outdoor park coupled with eclectic décor indoors, tied together with earthy, natural tones. Specializing in small events with under 75 guests, House of DIRT is a cozy venue for those unafraid to stray from the beaten path.

DIRT Flowers, the in-house florist, works magic transforming the space to match each couple’s vision. Other services offered by the venue include photography, entertainment, and local catering partners – everything you need for the perfect celebration! We can already picture it, a personal ceremony in the backyard followed by an indoor reception that feels more like a party with all your best friends and less like a cookie-cutter wedding.

This sweet yet funky venue has stolen our hearts, and we hope you feel the same way!

If a small wedding is what your heart desires, House of DIRT is the perfect venue and it's  just steps away from our own studio, The Coterie!

MORE INFO | House of DIRT
Phone | 214-242-9533
Email | info@houseofdirt.com

Photos | House of DIRT

VENUE HIGHLIGHT | JEFFERSON TOWER EVENTS

Happy Wednesday friends! We've made it halfway through the week and we hope you have fun plans for Memorial Day weekend! 

Today we're taking a sneak-peak into this unique Dallas venue, Jefferson Tower Events! The iconic Jefferson Tower in the heart of Oak Cliff has a rich history though the original building has been fully restored to provide modern amenities. The building covers over 4,000 square feet and the interior is decorated with Art Deco details. The natural light and authentic Dallas view definitely sets Jefferson Tower Events apart from the rest! 

With services like in-house catering from La Calle Doce and El Ranchito restaurants, floral design, furniture rentals, and his-and-hers private lounges, Jefferson Tower Events has everything a couple could want in their big day! 

Although we've not yet had the pleasure of hosting a wedding at this venue (we sure want to!), we did participate in the Swoon Event early this spring here. and it also happens to be local to our studio, The Coterie, in Bishop Arts! Keep scrolling for a look into the venue! Enjoy!

The Minimalist styled shoot featuring this spectacular venue is coming soon!

MORE INFO | JEFFERSON TOWER EVENTS
phone | (214) 948-1540
email | info@jeffersontowerevents.com
location | 351 W. Jefferson Blvd. #800 Dallas, Texas 75208

PHOTOS | JEFFERSON TOWER EVENTS

Venue Highlight | Hickory Street Annex

Happy Wednesday friends! Today we're showcasing one of our favorite venues, Hickory Street Annex, a 6,500 square foot industrial, loft-like space located in Deep Ellum. This unique venue offers cityscape views and plenty of windows for natural light. With it's versatile style, Hickory Street can easily be transformed into everything that you've envisioned for your special day. Boasting both bride + groom suites, a vintage elevator, and excellent service by CN Catering, this venue has everything a couple could want!

While we eagerly await our next wedding in this beautiful space, you can find us swooning over these images from two of our favorite photographers, A Sea of Love and Shay & Olive!

MORE INFO | HICKORY STREET ANNEX
214-828-1414
MICHELLE@HICKORYSTREETANNEX.COM

Photos | A Sea of Love | Shay & Olive | Hickory Street Annex

VENDOR HIGHLIGHT | DELICIOUS CAKES

Cake. A dessert that hardly needs any more of an actual introduction beyond just that, simply because cake quite possibly just might be the eighth wonder of the world. At the mere site of cake, our inner hungry-child reawakens and beckons for a piece of the yummy sweet and soft deliciousness! 

Delicious Cakes, located in Addison and Southlake, is hands down one of the absolute best bakeries in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. With over 25 years of experience baking the most divine tasting and beautifully crafted cakes, you are sure to love both the taste and look of your next cake, cupcake, or grooms cake! We have personally tried several different cakes from Delicious Cakes over the years and have loved and savored every single bite! Keep reading to find out more about this wonderful Dallas treat that was voted into the 50 best wedding cake bakeries in America by Daily Meal! 

1. What are five words to describe your business? 

Fun, Creative, Delicious, Unique, Savory 

2. How did Delicious Cakes come to be?  

Ruthie (co-owner) works for Bridal Shows Inc. and in 2003 one of her clients who owned Delicious Cakes wanted to retire. At the time, Ruthie, her husband Butch, and their four beautiful girls were thinking about purchasing Delicious Cakes because of how it would be a great way for their girls to learn something about business and work ethics. In March of 2003, they sealed the deal and put Ruthie in charge and three of the four girls to work. Miranda, the oldest, took on the role of manager, Abigale, the second, had the responsibility of getting everything organized and setting up customer service policies and Katherine, the youngest and most artistic, took on the role of meeting with brides and helping them design the cake of their dreams and also started working in the kitchen decorating cakes. Butch was working for Trane air conditioning at the time and after piling up well over 2,000,000 miles on airplanes, he retired from Trane. He then realized he too had a talent for design and started sitting with brides and helping them design cakes and loved being able to spend his evenings at home with his family. Fast forward 13 years…Ruthie and Butch still own the bakery and have managed to put together an awesome staff that share the same values and commitment. 

3. How does Delicious Cakes stand apart from other cake bakeries?

Delicious Cakes has been in business for over 25 years and has established a wonderful reputation around the metroplex. With somewhere around 600 – 700 wedding cakes a year, 8000 followers on Facebook, and a passion for their work, the team at Delicious Cakes is one of a kind! As quoted from owner Butch, “I often tell people; “What makes our bakery stand out is LOVE”.  Our staff is like family and we love each and every one of them. One of our Baker’s secret ingredients is LOVE and that’s what makes the cakes so delicious. We love all of the brides that come to us and we try to make their experience with us enjoyable. We also have some specialty flavors that set us apart. They are the amoretto and toasted almond cake, chocolate liqueur, raspberry liqueur, kalua mocha and pink champagne ...and what makes them unique is the fact we use real booze in the recipes.”

4. What is your most popular cake? 

The Princess Cake, which is a moist vanilla cake made with the egg yolk to make it rich and creamy.  With 23 wonderful flavors to offer, this one sells twice as much as the others!  “Styles change every year.” said Butch. “Years ago, the meringue look finish was popular, last year it was horizontal spatula lines and this year the naked cake is popular.  Of course being in the Dallas market “BLING – BLING & more BLING” is always in season.”

5. What is a fun fact about your business?

“I really like to refer to us as a team. We all work and play with each other really well.  Our team is diverse and can pitch in whenever any one of us needs help.  A fun fact about our team is that we tease each other all day long and just have a good time at work!” – Butch. 

And the cherry on top…Delicious Cakes has been voted the “Best Of” from both The Knot and Wedding Wire! They also regularly bake model cakes for Brides of North Texas photoshoots and as mentioned above, were voted one of the 50 best wedding cake bakeries in America from Daily Meal! Now that’s delicious!

A special thank you to Butch for taking the time to share the story of Delicious Cakes with us! As you all know, Celebrate Colorfully has a major crush on wedding flowers and we especially love the wedding cakes featured in this post with their attention to detail and floral inspiration! We hope that we awakened your sweet tooth and you'll think about Delicious Cakes next time you need a cake!

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All photos from Delicious Cakes