My Incredible Visit to Historic Cedarwood’s Open House
Thursday, March 10, 2011
I'm a city girl at heart. as Eva Gabor sang in the Green Acres theme song, "I'd rather have a penthouse view" and I wholeheartedly agree. I want to live in a high rise, my ideal wedding takes place in a modern, loft-like space and the backdrop is a spectacular city skyline. Then something happened. A couple of weeks ago this city girl took a drive to Cedarwood on a beautiful, sunny day to visit their Style Show and open house. I was excited because I'd never been there before but have always loved seeing their event decor and floral design on the blog. Confession: when I got out there, stepped out of my car and took in all that surrounded me, suddenly that city skyline became less appealing.
Photo credit: Ace Photography (AcePhotographs.com)
What greeted me was a beautiful antebellum house that looked out onto a huge yard. The swing hanging from the tree didn't even seem contrived, everything looked and felt right and I started to get excited for what was in store. The drive there wasn't bad at all, it took me maybe 15 - 20 minutes to get there from the heart of town, and the same amount of time going home via an alternate route. While it's close to town, it still felt like I was out in the middle of nowhere so there's the advantage of a "country side" wedding without the hassle of driving for forever. And these days, with gas prices going up this is a good thing.
Photo credit: Kristyn Hogan, lifestyle photographer (KristynHogan.com)
In the front room of the main house, there was a table of pretty little cake bites courtesy of Patty Cakes Bakery. The room is flanked by two fireplaces with large mantles holding a cluster of white candles (so simple and romantic) and it's a great space for a gift table and guest book table.
Photo credit: Kristyn Hogan, lifestyle photographer (KristynHogan.com)
Photo credit: Dove Wedding Photography
Before this visit I'd only seen Cedarwood in pictures. Let me just say it was even better in person. They had a reception style set up in the big red barn with bistro tables, a chandelier and candles hanging from the rafters in mason jars. Within the barn is The Groom's "quarters," a spacious and really chill room in which the guys can get ready and relax.
Photo credit: Kristyn Hogan, lifestyle photographer (KristynHogan.com)
Photo credit: Dove Wedding Photography (DoveWeddingPhotography.com)
Cedarwood, as a venue, is large and its style is versatile so it's suitable if you either have a huge wedding or something more intimate. If it's the latter the covered patio in the back and around the side that's perfect. For the Open House, there was a covered tent set up behind the porch with steps leading up and into it and let's not forget the red barn.
There is so much you can do there, you're not just limited to one space or one look and the best part is, the Cedarwood team will help you figure it all out and put it together for you. They have a massive inventory of decorative items and accessories from milk glass, candelabras and China to old antique books, typewriters and even birdcages just to name a few. There doesn't seem to be a limit to what their imaginations and resourcefulness can do with decor and it was fun to see it all set out.
There were tablescapes set up around the grounds one situation next to the other. From classic wedding styles to fun, funky ideas to some of the most dazzling vintage set ups I've ever seen, I was ooh-ing and ahh-ing with the brides who were there at the stunning table decor. The gorgeous paper decorations (place cards, programs, sample menues) were almost all done by Designs In Paper. (BTW: We'll have a recap of my favorite decor designs in Part 2 of the recap coming really soon)/
Photo credit: Dove Wedding Photography
My favorite part of the house is, indubitably, the Bride's Room. It was amazing. I ended up spending several minutes in there just taking it all in! The antique Louis XV inspired furniture with the sheer white curtains and vintage photographs transported me to a time when wearing a corset and gown and having your hair done up was the norm. It was so perfectly girly, you feel beautiful just being in the room and I couldn't think of a better place for your "getting ready" pictures surrounded by your girls. I would give anything to have just a corner of that room in which to primp and get ready everyday!
Photo credit: Dove Wedding Photography
Cedarwood just isn't a typical venue. It has charm, it feels like home in that it's cozy and authentic and not just a space filled with items for the hell of it. Everything is done right and if I could do it all again, well, this city girl may just end up having an outdoor wedding in the country! I really enjoyed my visit (if you couldn't tell) and it was also so good to see our friends StudioWed, Dove Photography, Kristyn Hogan, Designs in Paper and Ace Photography out there!
I'll have more from the Open House soon with my favorites from their tablescapes and decor. In the meantime, please do visit their website and be sure to check out the Cedarwood blog for more pretty pictures of the weddings and design ideas.
About the Author:
Tabitha
Blogging is something I’ve enjoyed doing for years. My interests lie mostly in lifestyle related topics like fashion, style, design, food and weddings. When I heard Ashley was looking to bring on new members to the ABG team, I jumped at the opportunity - I can’t think of a better way to stay involved in weddings than to write about them and to stay in touch with the trends and new ideas. Lucky for me, Ashley likes my blog and trusts my experience to bring me on and so far, it’s been a blast.
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Posted on March 10, 2011 |
Filed under: Bridal Shows & Events, Wedding Venues and Locations
