Photography: Heidi Lockhart

It's another wedding post, y'all! I have tried to space them out to be at least every other post, so if you are tired of them, just hang in there;) I'm really excited about today's post, because it was the first piece of the puzzle, that Nick and I chose!

The day after Nick proposed, I started looking at places to get married. When I stumbled on The Castle at Rockwall, I was literally like "yep. that's it." I hadn't heard of anyone getting married there and it seemed so nice and unique! I checked with about dates (I knew I wanted some sort of a fall wedding) and we set up an appointment. I was actually able to book my venue appointment online, which I LOVED! I work a 9-5 job, so I couldn't be on the phone all day. When we visited it, I loved it even more than I did before. Nick liked it too, but said he wanted to check out other options. With the amount of weddings I have been in and venue visits I have accompanied, I know  good thing when I see it! I told him to give me another good option, and I would consider it. Let's just say he didn't find anything worth visiting and we signed the castle the next week!

So here is what I loved about The Castle at Rockwall, and hopefully it will help you consider it or know what to look for, for an amazing wedding venue!

Inclusions. Look for what is included in your venue pricing! The Castle at Rockwall included Chiavari chairs,  chargers, and more! They had great pricing already, but what made it even better, was what they included in that price. Sometimes you see a price and it may look out of your budget, but it includes things that you had budgeted elsewhere for!

Rooms. Have you ever seen the bridal rooms in venues? A lot of the time, they are teeny tiny! I was so glad that The Castle at Rockwall had big rooms! There was enough room to get ready on location, which is what I preferred. There was also a grooms room, which was great, too. It even had a playstation!

Location. I loved that The Castle at Rockwall, was near Dallas, but wasn't near the city. At the same time, I loved that it wasn't in the middle of nowhere. We had a lot of out of town guests and I didn't want them to have to drive/fly in and then end up with nothing to do.  On the same location topic, but a different discussion...you also need to think about how far away your ceremony is from your reception. The Castle had both parts on-site, so there wasn't any extra driving- awesome for guests!

Timing. We got access to the venue at 11 am the morning of,  which was great! It helped us get stuff done earlier, including hair and makeup. 

Staff. The people at the Castle at Rockwall are so nice and helpful! They provide a day of coordinator as well, which is nice. A lot of places treat you like just another wedding, but they don't!

Preferred Vendors. Their preferred vendors are on point, which I liked, because they actually lined up with my choices! Culinary Art, Lizzie Bee's, and Annie's Culinary Creations were all recommended and my first choices anyway!

BYOB. We were able to bring in own wine and beer, which not only allowed us to choose specifically what we wanted, but also helped cut on cost!

Aesthetics. Last but not least, the Castle at Rockwall is GORGEOUS and looks even better in person! This is what you want for your guests, as well as your photos.

Are you married? Were there any make or break things that you looked for? What do you think about The Castle at Rockwall?

Wedding Vendors:

Dress: Blue Willow by Anne Barge, Nordstrom

Hair and Makeup: Grand Slam Glam

Eyelash Extensions: Amazing Lash Garland

Flowers: Lizzie Bee's Flower Shoppe

Jewelry: Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard Necklace and Bracelet, Vintage Diamond Earrings

Nails: Bellacures

Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands: Fuller's Jewelry

Shoes: Tory Burch Holiday 2015 Satin Burgundy Pumps

Photography: Heidi Lockhart

Tuxedos: Menguin

Food: Culinary Art Catering

Wedding Venue: The Castle at Rockwall

Videography: Bow Tie Media

Rehearsal Dinner: Eddie V's

Snapchat Filter: Wedding Wire

Invitations and Save the Dates: Minted

Vow Books: Etsy (similar here too)

Cakes: Annie's Culinary Creations (she doesn't refrigerate her cakes!)

Bridesmaid and House Party Dresses: Brideside

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