We decided that we would celebrate Mother's Day with my mom on Saturday and then celebrate with Al's mom on Sunday. Since I live my life in the name of efficiency (and I happened to have the weekend off from shooting weddings), I was eager to kill two birds with one stone and make a day of checking out the venue that was the top contender for our reception site. Since Al's mother had found the place, I wanted to give my mom a chance to see it before we made any solid decision.
So Al and I picked up my mom and headed over to the Emory Conference Center and Hotel to tour the Silverbell pavillion.
Since I had visited a few times already, I decided to play the official tour guide. We walked through the hotel and out past the waterfall and pool to get to the Silverbell Pavillion which is a stand alone building that is secluded up on a hill on the grounds of the hotel.
This is a view of the stone terrace outside of the Silverbell Pavillion. This is where the cocktail hour will take place.
The current view is of construction of the Emory Hotel's new wing that will be completed by March of next year, so the ugly fenced part will be gone by the time the wedding rolls around next year.
A view from the terrace looking towards the front of the Pavillion.
I love how the Silverbell is a stand alone building that seems to be surrounded by trees like a little tree house.
I'm also very fond of the two sided fireplace as you will see in the next picture.
The cake table will go in front of the fireplace
We'll probably set up the mantle with a large framed picture of one of our engagement shots.
I'm hoping to line the mantle with candles and greenery (ivy) and flowers of some sort.
A view of the outside of the building from the back/side. I'm loving the windows!
And while they're not in the picture,
A shot of the room, set up for an evening event including the dance floor.
A close up shot of the chairs. I'm still debating as to whether I should spend the money to have them covered. They're a rust color with a gold checkered pattern which kinda fits in with the decor. However, the back side of the chair is pure black and my look odd in the overall room shot. In addition, on some of the chairs - the black legs are scraped and bruised and while they aren't glaringly obvious, they are noticeable if you look.
This shot shows how crowded these tables can get, so I've decided to have 8 to a table in order to avoid people literally rubbing elbows.
This is the little alcove corner for the staff with an entrance to the kitchen area. It's hard to see, but I'm holding one of the centerpiece pieces that the Silverbell provides free of charge for use at the reception. It's made of glass and wrought iron and is kind of like a lantern in the shape of a star. It's holds a tealight and glows from within providing a beautiful effect in the evening.
Another shot of the backside of the room.
The band will be set up in the middle of this wall.
This is the side view of the building. It will be so beautiful at night with the lights inside
I love that they added rocking chairs to this outdoor "patio".
This bridge is located behind the building and will most likely serve as our exit/getaway area. We'll have guests line the bridge and blow bubbles for pictures. Just across the bridge is a parking lot (that backs up to the Emory alumni house) where we can exit to the getaway car.
Our next stop was the courtyard of the hotel. This spot is so beautiful and I've usually seen it used for actual ceremonies.
I'm observing the waterfalls and searching for the fish in the pond.
The pictures do not do it justice, this place is so lush and green and such a beautiful spot. If the weather is not sweltering, I'm hoping we can use this spot for group pictures before the ceremony.
This will also be the spot where we will hold our handfasting (second ceremony). I love the idea of this ceremony taking place with this beautiful back drop.
I was enthralled with the Koi, so pretty.
My mom was observing the courtyard, and taking it all in.
Views from the opposite direction, looking towards the "forest"
After poking around the grounds, we decided to have lunch in the restaurant. We had the lunch buffet and were suprised at how good the food was.
It was a great Mother's Day outing and I was so glad that I got to share this with my Mom even though it was her special day. Of course she just wanted the big "P", but still I'm glad we had the experience of checking out this amazing venue.
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