the great venue hunt

It's strange to me to be sitting at home on the couch on a Sunday afternoon, and not out touring yet another wedding venue. The boy has been teasing me because since we got engaged, I've wanted to do nothing but find the perfect venue! Do I realize that our wedding is still almost two years away? Yes, honey I do. (600 days today, if we're being precise.) I just can't help it. I'm excited! And I want to pick a place so we can start planning other details, and so that it doesn't get booked up!
And hey, I look at wedding venues while the boy watches sports. Sounds like a win-win to me!


Lucky for me, my fiance is a trooper. So are my parents. We've scouted out 13 venues (so far), and everyone is still smiling (I think). For anyone considering a Hill Country wedding, here are the highs (and lows!):

Cedar Bend Events

We were initially drawn to this place because of their gorgeous ceremony site. After a long, winding drive into the country we arrived. The owners (and their dog), super friendly! Ceremony site, gorgeous. The rest of the place, nice. Unfortunately, there was not much indoor space at all, which is a concern since we're having a December wedding. Next!


Memory Lane

Another long & winding drive (are you noticing a theme yet?). It was at this venue we discovered that photographers are really good at taking pictures of only the pretty stuff, and making the not-so-pretty stuff look nice. Overall, it was alright, but not what we were looking for.

Wildflower Barn

Long drive on a dirt road? Check! If we were having a small, springtime wedding this place would be absolutely perfect! The owner was incredibly friendly & the place was meticulously maintained. The little barn was adorable, and perfect for dancing. Unfortunately there was only one restroom, and that will just not work for 150ish guests. Although this did lead to some funny phone calls to rent-a-toilet places later that afternoon.

Old Glory Ranch

The drive out here was gorgeous! Everything here was an add-on to an already expensive package though, and there wasn't a lot of flexibility to do things yourself. We're DIY people, so definitely not our style. However, Brian & I are still talking about the donkeys that serve beer at your reception!

Terrace Club

We stopped at this place on the way home on a whim. It was pretty, but lacking the hill country feel we're going for.

Vista West

Everything about this place is beautiful! We love that it has on-site accommodations you can rent, and has the perfect hill country feel! This place also had the most winding drive, and someone (no names!) got carsick on the way home. Maybe we could include "just in case you get sick" bags with our wedding favors?!

Rancho Mirando

This was our first stop in our second trip to Austin, and we had to get up super early to make it there on time.  As we were getting ready Brian sarcastically commented that this place better be worth it, and we probably wouldn't pick it anyway.  Fast forward a few hours and he was eating his words.  This is definitely at the top 2 of our list.  The owner was so friendly, the views are breathtaking, and you get to rent the place for the entire weekend.  How perfect for out-of-towners!  They're also building an indoor pavilion for receptions that will be ready by our date, just in case the weather is cold!


Mercury Hall

Definitely the closest to Austin place we checked out, and we actually stayed on paved roads the whole time!  This is an adorable place.  The indoor area is a little small though.


Hideout on the Horseshoe

Great for a family reunion, not for a wedding.  We were drawn in by the idea that everyone could stay on the property, and even though we're going for laid back, this was a little too much so for us.


Ceres Park

Home of Jester King Brewery, this looked like a good potential venue, but turned out just being a great place to stop after a long morning!  We had a blast trying beers (minus the one that tasted like pickle juice) and getting my parents to play cornhole (which we decided would make for a fun cocktail hour game!).


Three Points Ranch

Definitely the furthest out of any of the venues we visited, this place was very rustic & unique.  And they had a toilet we dubbed "the throne" that was at the top of a few stairs, in a bathroom where one of the walls didn't go all the way to the ceiling.  


Red Corral Ranch

Their big red barn drew us here, and the fact that you can rent it for the entire weekend.  It was a great property, and our tour guide was so sweet.  Might be a little outside of our price range though.


Whew!  That made me tired!  And to think I still want to look a few more places!  But hey, this is only happening once, so I want it to be amazing.  Thank goodness I've got a patient boy....