Hotels as ideal wedding venues in Nashville
This article was provided by North Point Hospitality, who are developing the new tri-brand Marriott hotel slated to open in Nashville this winter.
Through the years, popular wedding venue trends have shifted and changed. From simple courthouse weddings to rustic barns, couples seek to find the idyllic space for their special day.
Hotels, one venue type that has sustained popularity through the ages, have made excellent backdrops for weddings for more than a century. Even celebrity couples like Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, or Derek Jeter and Hannah Davis, have found hotels to be the perfect spot to say, “I do”. This is all great news for the many hotels coming into the Nashville market. While finding the ideal venue is a personal choice, here are a few reasons why hotels make great wedding spots.
Ease of Use for Guests
More and more, families are separated by distance and choosing a hotel as your wedding venue can open up the availability of rooms for your out-of-town guests. This arrangement can be extremely helpful for wedding guests that may need assistance from other family members to get around. Many out-of-town guests will find it easier that everything is housed under one roof. Rather than asking your octogenarian aunt to climb on a shuttle to walk through the mud to get to the barn, simply have a young cousin escort her to the ballroom just a few floors away from her room. Hotel weddings can also come with more amenities than other venues like arranging and delivering gift baskets, transportation to and from locations, and personalizing the coordination of off-site activities like tours of the city. On that note, guests will find they have more options to ask locals for top places to visit. The front desk and concierge can be great resources when it comes to guests who are looking to venture out.
Experienced Catering and Planning Team
Hotels can often offer one stop shopping series that include all the help you need in planning your special day. That said, more often hotels will require that a couple have, at the very least, a “day of” planner or coordinator if not a full wedding planner to help with the areas and details of the big day. Hotel catering teams have often seen a variety of weddings in their space and know what works and what does not. Their expertise and experience can help couples navigate the planning waters. Additionally, both experienced wedding planners and hotel catering professionals will be very connected within the community. So, if a couple really needs that last-minute ice sculpture, the catering team will know where to go to ask.
Packages
Many hotels offer straight-forward, easy-to-use packages that help nail down a budget. Many of the packages provide both food and beverage options and often they can be customized to create the day that is as unique as the couple themselves. If couples are looking for that special bride and groom cocktail or planning a send away brunch the morning after the wedding, there is usually a package for that. Of course, with anything, upgrades are always available. While many packages may be customized, they can also be upgraded. The sky is the limit when it comes to upgrading packages. A hotel catering professional can walk couples through the options available to make their special day truly remarkable.
Flexible Event Space
With families living farther and farther apart, weddings have become less of a one-night party and more of a weekend-long event. Luckily, most hotel venues have multiple event spaces that can fit the need for different occasions. Many couples find themselves planning an itinerary that is shaped more like a long weekend vacation for their visiting friends and family. Wedding weekends typically include Thursday night events for early arrivals, daytime outings, a rehearsal dinner, post-rehearsal dinner cocktail events, getting ready room snacks, the wedding itself and reception, and a goodbye brunch the next day. With the versatility that hotels offer, no two events will look alike.
The SpringHill Suites/Residence Inn/AC Hotel
A property like the SpringHill Suites/Residence Inn/AC Hotel, opening January 24, 2019 in Nashville, is able to offer couples all of these amenities and many more. Featuring three Marriott brands under one roof is perfect for hosting guests together while offering different accommodations to suit individual needs. Surrounded by sweeping views of the Nashville skyline, the hotel’s spaces create the perfect backdrop to fit a full wedding weekend. The SpringHill Suites/Residence Inn/AC Hotel offers an airy ballroom with 18-foot ceilings, an outdoor terrace bar, and private suites for more intimate events. The SpringHill Suites/Residence Inn/AC Hotel catering team has created spectacular menu packages that will delight guests while staying in line with the budget. The professional team helps guide couples through every step of the process for a stress-free event.
For most couples, planning a wedding can be a daunting task. So many questions come in to play that even getting the planning started can be difficult. Outside of deciding to get married, finding the perfect location is one of the biggest decisions. While this is a personal choice based on several factors, hotels can offer couples the ideal setting for their wedding weekend. With accommodations for out-of-town guests, beautiful event spaces, and a catering professional to wow guests and help guide couples through the planning process, hotels continue to be a top choice for couples looking for that one-of-a-kind wedding.