Do you want to know the best reason to use locally grown flowers in your wedding flowers?  Every year at your anniversary, those flowers will be blooming for you.
It's the perfect way to make you smile and enjoy your anniversary!
Plant some in your garden to enjoy an anniversary bouquet every year.  

So, now that I've convinced you local, seasonal flowers are a great idea - what is the best way to choose local flowers for your North Georgia wedding?

Choose a florist specializing in local flowers
Your florist will take your wedding day vision and bring it to life through the flowers.  They are also responsible for finding and purchasing the flowers for your wedding day.
Make sure you choose a florist that is familiar with where to purchase local flowers.  They will be able to guide you on the best types of flowers for your wedding day and have a large selection of local flower farms to work with.

Know which flowers are in season
Each flower types blooms at a different time of year.  In North Georgia, we have ranunculus, peonies and garden roses typically May - June.
Sunflowers and lisianthus love the hot summer of July and August.
Dahlias make an appearance beginning in September and bloom until late October.
Your florist can help you understand which local flowers will be available around your wedding date or you can talk with a local flower farmer.

Be flexible
Locally grown flowers can be impacted by weather, pests or other items that might mean your florist needs to shift the plan.  A florist that has experience with local flowers will understand this and be able to easily shift to another type of local flower that still delivers on your vision (one more reason why the first tip is so important)!
Some flowers can be shipped from other locations easily so you can keep certain flower - like peonies.
Others, like dahlias, don't ship as well.
Talk with your florist about options and trust that they will delivery beautiful flowers on your wedding day!

Bonus Tip - what if you want to use local flowers for your DIY wedding?  It's still possible!
Many local flower farms will sale buckets of flowers that you can use to design your wedding flowers.  These will be what they have blooming on their farm that week.  Some may be able to provide flowers based on a color palette and others are "grower's choice" which means they pick the best looking flowers and don't focus on the color.
We are fortunate to have many local flower farms in the North Georgia area which make beautiful, local flowers available for your wedding!

Georgia is known for long summers.  And we don't always view that as a good thing.

When it comes to growing a summer garden full of flavorful produce, it's a very good thing. Our long summer means a long growing season that gives us weeks of fresh tomatoes and items like okra that need the long, hot weeks.

Today we are sharing some of our favorite summer veggies and a few tips for growing each.

Home Grown Tomatoes
For many of us, this is what we wait for all year.  At the Farmer's Market, we see customers asking weekly for the first tomatoes. (Hint, it's usually late June or early July before locally grown tomatoes are ready in North Georgia.)
The good news is tomatoes usually love our red Georgia clay.  The natural acidity is good for them.  You can plant them directly in the ground or grow in raised beds or even large pots or 5 gallon buckets.
Tomatoes need lots of sun!  At least 8 hours to produce juicy tomatoes.
You want to have a small plant to go in the ground (don't try to start these directly by seed in the garden).  The absolute earliest to plant is mid-April, but you need to watch the weather carefully for late frost or strong storms.
We aim for early May and typically have tomatoes the same time as all the other local farmers.
Small tomatoes, like cherry tomatoes, will ripen first.  Larger tomatoes will take a little longer.
There are tons of articles and information on how to fertilize tomatoes.  For beginning growers, I recommend Dr. Earth Organic Tomato Fertilizer.  It has a mixture of minerals needed by the plants and is easy to apply.
Tomatoes will need support as they grow.  You can purchase tomato cages from local hardware stores that are easy to use and can be reused each year.
With sun, regular water and a little fertilizer, you will be on your way to delicious homegrown tomatoes!

Squash and Zucchini
I'm grouping these together because they are in the same growing family.
Yellow squash, pattypan squash and zucchini are all easy to grow in North Georgia.  
These plants branch out and don't require any support.  Start them by seed directly in your garden.  
Create a small hill of dirt and place 2 - 3 seeds in the hill.  The hill helps with drainage so the plants don't sit in water after a big rainfall.
You will need to keep an eye out for squash vine borers.  These are moths that lay eggs under the leaves.  The larvae eat the vines and kill the plant.
If you have several plants, you won't need to worry as much since they don't usually impact all of the plants.
You can also purchase squash vine borer traps that attract and trap the moths to keep them from laying eggs.
Harvest the yellow squash and zucchini before they get too large (keep an eye on them because they can double in size almost overnight!)
These will produce for several weeks throughout the summer.

Green Beans
These are another easy to grow veggie that you can start directly with seed in the garden.
You can either plant bush beans that do not need support or runner beans that will need a trellis of some sort.
It's personal preference on which you choose.
It's easy to find "stringless" beans that area easier to prepare before cooking.
The leaves of bean plants can be a draw for Japanese beetles.  Japanese beetle traps can help keep down the number of pests.
Once these start producing, you will need to harvest at least every other day.

Okra
This is a true southern staple.  Fried okra is my favorite way to eat it, but it's also great for soups, gumbos, roasted or pickled.
Okra loves the heat!  Start the seeds directly in the ground and let them grown.  You can begin harvesting later in July and they will go through September.
The stalks will continue to grown taller as you harvest the okra.  Make sure you pick it when it's about 3" long.  If it gets too large, they get woody and tough.

What is your favorite Summer veggie or one you want to try in your garden?

I know, you are doubting that a stress-free wedding is even possible.  Stress-free might be over promising - let's just say "low stress" or "lower than your cousin's crazy wedding stress".
We've got our top 5 tips to help you enjoy a low stress North Georgia wedding!

1. Decide what is most important
When you start planning your wedding, there are so many details to consider.  Which venue will you choose?  What type of menu do you want? What colors will you choose? Which wedding dress is right for you?
And the list keeps growing.  If you try to prioritize everything, you will become quickly worn out.
Choose your top 2 – 3 items that are most important.  Maybe it’s the cake or the flowers.  It might be having a larger wedding with all the guests.
By choosing 2 – 3 most important items, it will help drive your decisions and help you say “no” to some other items.

2. Trust your vendors
You’ve done your research and taken recommendations to find your vendors.  After you have hired your vendors, trust your judgement and theirs.
If you chose your florist because you love their style, you clicked during your consultation and their proposal works with your budget – then don’t second guess yourself.
As you get closer to wedding day, the stress can start to kick in and you might start questioning your decisions.  Trust that you made the right decision and let your North Georgia wedding venue and vendors do their thing.

3. Ask family and friends to help
You don’t have to do it all on your own.  Stop and think of 2 – 3 family members or friends that you know would be willing to help.  You can probably come up with some names pretty quickly.
Ask them to help! (They may have already told you they would love to help – you just have to ask).  I get it, asking for help can sometimes be hard.  They really will love to contribute.  Think of a specific task for them and ask them to take care of it.
It can be simple things like bringing décor to the North Georgia venue or taking it home after the wedding, bringing water or snacks for the bridal suite or getting cards and gifts to you after your honeymoon.  These small things can take a lot of stress off your plate.

4. Take a Break
The hardest thing to do during wedding planning can be to take a break.  Every time you are with your fiancé you can probably think of at least 10 things to discuss, ask or update them about the wedding planning.
Make sure you take some time to step away from the planning and just enjoy being engaged!  Go on a date and don’t talk about the wedding (maybe at least until dessert).

5. Don't worry about the little things
Spoiler alert, something is going to not go to plan.  It’s usually something small, and you might not even know.
Try not to stress about every detail being perfect. 
Napkins came in the wrong color?  Your guest won’t know what shade of pink they were supposed to be.
Caterers brought an incorrect appetizer?  The guests will never know and still enjoy the food.
Do your best to stay in the moment, focus on marrying your best friend and enjoy the day!
 
If you are looking for a great solution to help you plan and enjoy your wedding, take a look at our all-inclusive packages that guide your through creating and enjoying a beautiful wedding.

 You're engaged - congratulations! Are you hoping for a short(er) engagement?  Are family and friends telling you it "can't be done" in 8, 6, 3 months?
​
Good news is - it can be done!  And not just with a court house elopement.
You can have a beautiful wedding with the people you care most about AND it can be done without too much stress. (Spoiler - there is always a little stress when planning a wedding. Sorry!)

How do I know it can be done? 
Because I've done it - many times!
Cale and I planned our wedding in just 3 months - from scratch - with a lot of DIY.

At Pleasant Union Farm, we've planned MANY weddings in short time frames.  It's one of the biggest perks of our All-Inclusive Packages!

The first step is finding the right venue with a date you love.  A shorter engagement might limit your choices some, but if you are looking for a gorgeous outdoor space with views of the North Georgia countryside and a great indoor reception space - we might just have the perfect venue for you!

Venues come in all shapes and sizes (and we don't just mean guest count).  Some venues max out every weekend with weddings.  Those venues often fill up quickly.

Other venues host fewer weddings each year and they might have more openings.

We intentionally host a smaller number of weddings each year which allows us to serve our couples to the best of our ability and remain flexible.
It also means we often have availability for shorter engagements - which we love!

I highly recommend looking for venues that offer All-Inclusive Packages if you are planning a shorter engagement.  These packages help you pull everything together with less stress!

Our wedding packages provide you with details and pricing up front so you know how to budget.

We work with amazing North Georgia wedding vendors that help pull all the details together!

We will help connect you with the vendors, answer questions you have along the way and our amazing coordinators put all the details into a wedding day timeline which they make sure flows smoothly for you.

From flowers to catering, cake and DJ, we have an amazing team.  Plus we have some great suggestions for photographers, officiants and other vendors you might be looking for.

So, after you have the venue set and a wedding package chosen - what's next?

First, guest list.  Get that nailed down and get invitation sent out.  You want to get those out 4 - 5 months before the wedding (or 3, if you are working on a timeline like we did!)  Make sure you ask guests to RSVP 6 weeks before your wedding so you know how many to plan for. (And to give time to follow up with the people who don't RSVP, because there will always be a few).

Next, schedule a consultation with the florist to share inspiration photos and details for the flowers.  They can help guide you to what flowers are available in the season of your wedding and help you develop a plan to meet your budget.

Then schedule a tasting with the caterer and cake designer.

Most of the time, these vendors will have a menu for you to choose from so it's a little easier to plan after you get the date set.  They will need a final guest count 3 - 4 weeks before the wedding to order supplies and plan for staff.

As you are working through these items, take moments out to think through a song list for the DJ.  They usually don't need this until a couple weeks before the wedding but it usually takes more than just one "meeting" with you and your fiance to come up with all the songs.  So, spread it out over a few weeks!

When you are a month away from the big day, schedule a final meeting with the coordinator to go over all the details.  Often they will give you some "homework" before the meeting to get vendor contact info, bridal party order and other details.

They can confirm the table layout, timeline details and answer questions at that meeting.  Chances are good that you will still walk away with a few things left to do, but you will have a clear plan in place.

The best piece of advice I can give is trust the experts.  The vendors you choose to work with should know what their part in your wedding clearly looks like.  They will know what they need to provide and what information they need from you.

Ask them if you are missing anything and if they have everything they need.  And then trust them to take care of you!

We get to work with an amazing team of vendors at our North Georgia venue and they truly make all the difference!

Good luck with the wedding planning - you've got this!

Are dahlias one of your favorite flowers?  (If not, you probably haven't been around too many of them yet!)

These gorgeous blooms come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.  They bloom in North Georgia starting in the late Summer until the first frost.

They can seem finicky to grow at times, but we've got a few tips to share to make your dahlias grow beautifully!

They need sun, but don't like too much heat.
In North Georgia, that can be a hard combination to find!  The best place is one that gets morning sun and some afternoon shade.  You can also use a shade cloth over them if needed.  It's easy to find on Amazon and will help keep them cooler in the afternoon.

Plant in raised beds or pots
Our red Georgia clay soil here in North Georgia is great for some things  - tomatoes, blueberries, etc.  Dahlias don't love the clay soil, though.  
The biggest issue is the lack of drainage in clay soil.  Dahlia tubers (the root or bulb of the plan) don't want to stay wet.  They will rot if they sit in water for too long.
We have had the best success when planting our dahlias in raised beds or large pots.  You can either mix the clay soil with potting soil, compost, or sand to help with drainage or just fill the bed with soil designed for pots or raised beds.
This also makes digging the tubers up easier (more on that later!)

Plant the tuber on it's side
Dahlias are most commonly sold as tubers.  They look a little like a small sweet potato to me!  When you plant, you want to dig a hole 4" - 6" deep and lay the tuber in horizontally.
Dahlia tubers need an eye to grow (see?  like potatoes).  Sometimes, they will have a small sprout starting when you purchase it.  If so, put that toward the top.  It's ok to bury it!
It's also ok if the sprout breaks while you are planting - it will regrow!
If there isn't a sprout yet, you can lay it horizontally and don't worry about where the eye and sprout will be located.  They will find their way to the light.

Don't water it right away
The tuber holds the food and water the sprout needs to get started.  After you plant it, you don't need to water it until you see green growth.
If your soil is really dry, it's ok to dampen it some.
If you are planting in a raised bed or your pot is outside and it rains before there is a green sprout - it's fine.  Nature will take care of itself 99% of the time.
Once the green sprout becomes a small plant (12" or so), you will want to water it regularly and deeply.  Usually that means once or twice a week with a really good soaking.  
If it's raining, you may not need to water.
Even though they don't like to sit in water, they do like LOTS of water.  This is why a raised bed or pot with drainage is a great fit in North Georgia.

Pinch the plant for better growth
Pinching a plant means cutting off the top of it when it's young.  For dahlias, once they are 6" - 8" tall you can cut off the top - just leaving the bottom set of leaves.
It know it's painful (for you - not the plant) and it seems like you are delaying when your flowers will come, but it's a really important step!
This makes the plant create more stems which means more flowers!

Cut long Stems
One of the best things about dahlias, is the more you cut the blooms the more they will bloom!  They were made to be cut and brought inside to enjoy.
When you cut your flowers, cut a long stem.  Sometimes that might mean there is another bud lower on the stem - it's ok!  
I know you want to cut it above that bud - we can't lose any flowers!  Trust me, cutting long stems will cause the plant to grow more long stems with more flowers.
I promise, it works!

To dig or not to dig?
Because the tubers are sensitive to too much water and cold, they have to be dug up each fall in most of the US.  But, we are lucky in our area because we don't have really cold winters.
That means we can leave them in the ground through the winter!  Every once in a while we will get really cold temperatures in North Georgia.  Last December, it got down in the single digits - that's cold!

If we do have temps that low in the forecast, you can cover your dahlia area with layers of leaves, mulch, cardboard or other material to give them extra insulation.  We piled a few inches of leaves from our yard onto the raised beds and then covered that with landscape fabric to keep the leaves in place.  Our dahlias survived the single digits perfectly!
There is one BIG benefit to digging up your dahlias - they multiply!  

Yep, that one tuber you planted can turn into 4 - 12 more in just one season.  Each of those tubers can grow it's own plant!

I wait until Spring to dig my tubers for 2 reasons.
1. They are difficult to store over the winter.
2. You can see where to divide them more easily in the Spring.

The tubers have to be divided correctly to make sure they grow a new plant and it takes some practice to learn. (I'll share a post on that later - you've got enough to do with just planting right now!)

Good luck and enjoy your dahlias!
-Becky

Before there was a wedding venue, a farm and a family - I baked.  A lot.
Back then, I actually had time to be "bored", and baking was my solution.  My co-workers enjoyed it because I would often show up with cookies or other goodies.
Christmas was the main event.  I made buckeyes, molasses cookies, chocolate chip meringue cookies, cinnamon roasted almonds and s'more cookies.  I'd bring in a huge platter to work and everyone would reach for their favorite.
After Cale and I were married, s'more cookies became his favorite. Those have become our Christmas tradition cookie (Santa looks forward to them every year)!
This year, I am sharing the recipe for our favorite cookie - hopefully it will become one of yours!

S'more Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 3/4 c flour
1 c graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c butter softened
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 c mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 c mini marshmallows
3 regular Hershey bars, chopped

In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars and mix until fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt and baking soda and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 375. Take a tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball and drop onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake 6 - 7 minutes.  Remove from oven, push 2 - 3 marshmallows and pieces of Hershey bar into each cookie. Return to over to bake for and additional 2 - 3 minutes until golden brown and marshmallows are toasted.
Cool on rack.

Enjoy warm with a glass of cold milk!
-Becky

Planning a wedding that's perfect for you and your fiancé takes a lot of time, money and stress! DIY might seem the answer to everything (especially if you spend too much time on Pinterest).  Is it really the right answer for you, though?
Here are our top list of DIY wedding planning categories and what you should or should not attempt on your own.

Airbnb or Backyard Wedding
The wedding venue can take up a large portion of your budget, and that might have you thinking a backyard wedding is a great way to save some money!  
Even better, find a gorgeous cabin or beach house and use that location!
It may seem a less expensive option than a wedding venue, but is it really? Probably not - and here's why.
That gorgeous, blank canvas space doesn't come with tables, chairs or linens - of course, you can always rent them.
It also doesn't have a covered area large enough for you and your wedding guests in case of weather - so add a tent to the rental list.
If it's hot or cold, that tent isn't going to offer much to help with that.  You can rent portable AC or heat (which can be expensive) and do you have a place to plug them in?
Speaking of plugging in, what about lighting?  And electrical for the DJ?
That perfect space (which may not be looking quite as perfect now), probably doesn't have enough parking for your 100+ guests.
And, what about restrooms? Your house or Airbnb may have a few restrooms, but are they convenient for guests and do you have enough for all of your guests?  You could always rent a portable restroom trailer - that rental list is getting pretty long now.
Oh, and if you do rent all those items, who is setting them up and taking them down?  Yep, add some hired staff to the list.
A wedding venue will have these items covered for you and will probably come in much less than the rental list you just created.  So, we're going to have to say No to DIY Venue.

Wedding Meal
The next largest portion of your budget is the food.  Your guest count drives the overall cost and a delicious, catered meal for all of your guests can get expensive.
Should this be an item you DIY? What are some options for DIY on the meal?
If you know someone with a smoker and you are a fan of BBQ, you might consider that option.  
You might visit Costco and stock up on finger foods in the frozen food section - some just need to be defrosted to serve.
But, again, there is more than just the food.
Who will be setting up the food and making sure items stay filled?
Do you have chafing dishes, sternos, large serving trays?
What about ice, ice containers and drinks?
Most importantly, who is in charge of making sure the food stays at the right temperature so no one gets sick?
It takes a lot of work to make sure the meal is set and served well.  It can be extremely stressful (just think about trying to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for 12 people!)
There are lots of options for caterers to find a meal that fits your budget and is prepared and served professionally.
We're going to put the wedding meal in the No category for DIY.

Dessert
Elaborate wedding cake, pies, donuts, mini dessert bar - there are so many options for dessert at your wedding.
If you aren't set on a large, multi-tier wedding cake, a DIY option for dessert could be pretty simple.
Pick up a few dozen of your favorite donuts and pile them on plates or stands.
Choose a few favorite kinds of cookies, brownies, etc. from a local bakery and display on a table.
We don't recommend trying to transport a multi-tier cake, but a few different small cakes from a bakery can be set as a cake bar.  Keep the design simple to reduce issues with transport.
We're voting Yes for DIY on dessert - there are a lot of options!

Wedding Flowers
Flowers often make up a big part of your wedding decor - and a big part of your budget.
The bridal bouquet, bouquets for bridesmaids, boutonnieres for the guys, corsages and boutonnieres for family members, arbor decor, centerpieces - there is a long list of items for floral.
Could you DIY the flowers?  Possibly.  It definitely takes design skills to pull the items together - not all of us have that talent!
If you are just doing bouquets and centerpieces, you could pick them up from a florist and set them up at the venue.  That could save on the setup cost if you have a good team of family and friends to help.
What about silk flowers? Silk flowers that look as beautiful as real flowers are probably going to cost about the same.  They don't die like real flowers, but do you need 8 bouquets and 20 centerpieces after your wedding?
If you want to include flowers on the arbor, ceiling, etc. you are going to need someone who knows how to attach the flowers and stay within the guidelines the venue has for installation.  (We all know that person in our life who can make anything stay with the right amount of screws and duct tape, but the venue probably doesn't allow that.)
A professional florist brings much more than the flowers to your wedding.
They have access to more types of flowers than what you can pick up at Costco or Trader Joe's.  That makes it much easier to get the color and type of flowers you are dreaming of.
Florists have the design skills.  It's why they do it!  The bouquets, centerpieces, etc. will be gorgeous.
Florists also have access to lots of vases, centerpiece bowls, candles and more to put together gorgeous tablescapes.
They bring the team to set everything up (while you enjoy time with your bridal party) and they come back to clean up the floral at the end of the night.
If you are planning more than just simple bouquets or centerpieces, we recommend a NO to DIY for flowers.

Wedding Decor
Your wedding decor is often made up of more than just the flowers.  Candles, lanterns, welcome table decor, favors, seating charts - there are lots of places to add personal touches to your wedding.
The tables for your reception are usually the main focus for decor.  Are there options for DIY decor? Absolutely.
You can purchase lanterns, votives, candles and more to decorate your tables.  Make sure you have a great team of friends and family to help set all the decor - it can take much longer than you think!
Purchasing your own decor can give you more options to truly customize your decor - especially if you want to showcase some color.
With access to Canva or Vistaprint, it's become much easier to create beautiful signage and seating charts for your wedding.
Make sure you think through the details of who is setting up, where boxes will be stored during the wedding, who is cleaning up and that you have all the easels, candles, etc. you need.
With a good plan, we vote Yes to DIY for decor.

Music
Do you need a DJ for your wedding?
Maybe you have a friend who is good with music.
Could you just put a playlist on your phone with a speaker?
A DJ does a lot more than just play music for dancing.
They provide the speakers and mics for the ceremony - not just for their music, but for the officiant and anyone else singing or speaking during the ceremony.
They are experts at timing music as you walk down the aisle and have access to instrumental versions of tons of songs.  That lets you customize your ceremony.
They provide music throughout cocktail hour, dinner and dancing.
They also help with announcements to keep the flow of the day moving.
Because a DJ provides much more than just music, we vote NO to DIY music.

Hopefully this list will get you started with your wedding planning and knowing what you want to DIY vs. hire a professional.
If you are looking for some great North Georgia wedding vendors, check out some of our favorites here.

If you are searching for All-inclusive wedding venues in Georgia, you have probably found quite a few.  And it may be hard to compare them to each other because we all do our packages just a little different.  (We don't purposefully try to drive you crazy, I promise!)
I can't speak to ALL the packages and how they compare, but I can tell you how our all-inclusive packages work.

First, I want to share with you WHY we offer all-inclusive packages at our North Georgia venue.  It all comes down to service.  It's our role to serve you, your family and your guests on your wedding day.  We do the "work" part of the day so you and your family can soak in as many of the moments as possible.  Your mom doesn't need to be worrying about if the caterer has arrived - she should be watching you get your bridal portraits taken.  Your bridesmaids shouldn't have to set out decor, they should enjoy some brunch snacks, chat with you while you get your hair and makeup done and just help keep you calm throughout the day.
Also, the planning piece of it shouldn't be a second job you take on.  Most of our couples are working, in school or both.  Trying to find quality vendors for your North Georgia wedding, interview them, get budget pricing, add it up to see what your total is, scratch that total and try again for a more reasonable total - that's a LOT of work.  We partner with vendors that have proven themselves through quality service and caring about the couples. We know their pricing and put it all together for you (find pricing here) so you know the budget you are working with from the beginning!
We also check in with you to make sure you are getting meetings and tastings done on time, make sure you are getting the communication you need from vendors, etc.

So what's included and how do we handle it?

Access to the getting ready spaces begins at 9am on your wedding day.  That allows you to have hair and makeup done at the venue and spend less time rushing between placed on your day.

You have access to the space for pictures before ceremony which is great for bridal portraits, bridal party photos and any first look or first touch photos you want to do.

5 hours of event time.  So, what does that mean?  Basically from the time the ceremony starts until send off, you have 5 hours.  We provide more staff on site during that time because there are more needs for the event and from guests.  Typically, that gives you plenty of time for ceremony, cocktail hour and photos, dinner, cake and still have 1.5 - 2 hours of dancing and hanging out with your guests

Tables, chairs, ceremony arbor and linens are all included and set up for you.  We review a proposed table layout with you and provide the information you need to create a seating chart, if you wish.

Catering Allowance
We provide an allowance that works with several of our approved caterers.  Each offers different menu options, different food choices for the budget and options on plates from china with chargers to high quality disposable.  You can take a look at the caterers we work with on our vendors page (here) to get a feel for their menus.

Cake Allowance
We also include a cake allowance to use with one of our preferred cake vendors.  They offer a range of options from seasonal flavors to tall statement cakes to bundt cakes.  You can review their websites on our vendors page and then schedule a tasting.  Cake is one of the vendors that you can choose to work with your own preferred baker.  Just let us know and we will provide a credit!

DJ
The DJ will cover ceremony and reception.  He will send a planning sheet for you to fill out all the songs you want for ceremony, the songs you want for dancing and any songs you DO NOT want to hear!  He will also provide mics for the officiant and any other ceremony participant that needs a mic for readings, songs, etc.

Coordinator
The coordinator will have an initial consultation with you after you book to get information on your wedding vision and plan.  They will help make sure you are connecting easily with the vendors, getting meetings and tastings done on time, create a timeline, manage rehearsal and the wedding day.

Floral Allowance
We provide a fairly substantial floral allowance in our packages.  Flowers are expensive and are becoming hard to get.  Some all-inclusive venues offer flowers for bridal party or offer a small allowance - but what about ceremony decor, reception table decor and family flowers?  We would prefer to put an allowance in our packages and recommend vendors that can cover most or all of those items within the amount shown.  If you are comparing other packages, ask them what their flowers included and what is a typical range for the remaining flowers.  It could add $1,500 - $4,000 quickly.

Venue Staff
This is separate from the coordinators or catering staff.  It may not seem like much, but it allows us to cover all the bases and provide an excellent service.  We do the "fun" jobs of keeping bathrooms cleaned and stocked, wiping up any dance floor spills and just filling in where needed.

In House Decor
We have a room for you to choose items to add to your tables, easels, aisle decor and more.  It can save you hundreds (or more) when you don't have to buy additional items.  Plus it saves you from trying to figure out what to do with all of that after your wedding!  You are welcome to bring in decor, custom signs, photos, etc. to personalize your day.
We also include string lights and drapes throughout the space and outdoor games which are great for cocktail hour!

So what is not included and why?

Officiant
Most people have someone in mind to officiate their wedding.  It can be a pastor, a friend or family member.  We do have some recommended officiants that our couples have enjoyed working with on our vendors page.

Photographer
Each photographer has their own style of how they take photos, which photos they capture, how they edit the photos for the final look, and they all have their own personality.  It's important to find the right fit for your wedding so you love the photos and are comfortable with the photographer.  You can find some of our favorites on the vendors page (here).

Hopefully that helps you understand why we set up our all-inclusive packages the way we do.  You can find pricing and details at the link here.
We would love to have you come tour and talk more about how we can serve you on your wedding day!
-Becky

If you are dreaming of a wedding filled with color, this North Georgia barn wedding venue is for you!  Rhiannon and John's wedding was filled with fun details - colorful linens, tons of color in the flowers, greenery on the walls and a custom neon sign.
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The couple worked closely with Bethany from Winey Blonde Events to work out every detail.  She helped them select vendors they needed, worked closely with our team for the perfect table layout and took care of all the details on wedding day.

Pro Tip: Your North Georgia Barn Wedding venue will have some great tips on the best way to lay out the tables for your wedding and guest count.  Bonus if they offer services to provide you with a layout to visualize your day!

The tables were dressed with teal linens, greenery, floating candles and pops of color in the florals.  The greenery backdrop behind the head table was the perfect setting for the custom neon sign and a great backdrop for photos. 

​We love working with Flourish and Bloom at our North Georgia wedding venue.  The team has a gorgeous design style and are wonderful people to work with.  They created gorgeous bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids.  The greenery for the ceremony backdrop was perfect!

Pro Tip: Find a North Georgia Barn Wedding Venue that has great design style to start with.  Included drapes, string lights and gardens will help you focus your floral budget in the areas you really want to shine!

The menu from Prestige Catering included appetizers for the guests during cocktail hour. Servers passed wonton wrapped chicken seasoned with garlic, ginger, scallions and lime and baby cap mushrooms with sausage stuffing.  The dinner buffet provided delicious choices of Chicken Bruschetta topped with mozzarella and diced tomatoes, filet medallions with a marsala sauce, Caesar salad, green beans almondine and mac n cheese (you've gotta have some comfort foods!).

After dinner, guests enjoyed the gorgeous Fall evening weather with dancing on the outside porch and hanging out at the fire pit.

Pro Tip: A North Georgia Barn Wedding venue with both indoor and outdoor spaces gives you more options for you and your guests to enjoy the day!

Compass Films and Photography captured the details and memories throughout the day.  Thank you to all the amazing vendors!

Venue: Pleasant Union Farm - North Georgia Barn Wedding Venue
Planning/Coordination: Winey Blonde Events
Catering: Prestige Catering
Floral: Flourish and Bloom
​Photos and Videography: Compass Films and Photography

North Georgia has some of the most beautiful views and gorgeous weather for outdoor weddings. At Pleasant Union Farm, you can make the most of your outdoor wedding with gorgeous gardens, a large covered porch, large doors that join the indoor reception space to the outside and loads of string lights!

The barn wedding venue opens up to the outside with 4 large sets of sliding doors that lead to a large covered porch, lawn and gardens.  Your guests can play yard games, sit around a cozy fire, dance under string lights or just enjoy the views – all in one easy to access area so no one misses out on any of the festivities!

The garden and leaves change through the seasons to give you unique backdrops to choose from.  Our large white arbor is the most popular set up.  This ceremony space is in our courtyard behind the barn and surrounded by lush gardens.  The large wooden barn doors provide a grand entrance framing the bride as she walks down the aisle.

In the winter or early spring, before the space has greened up, many of our couples choose to use the barn doors as the ceremony backdrop.  These are beautiful framed in greenery with floral or candle decorations along the aisle.

You many bring a custom arbor or use our copper arbor to set up in other spots along the lawn.  These areas provide views of the blueberry fields during ceremony and allow guests to spread out for larger parties.  In the Fall, they also allow you to frame the most colorful leaves showing at the time of your wedding.

​Our large covered porch joins the main reception space with large glass doors and provides the perfect option if it rains.  Your ceremony will be dry and still surrounded by outdoor views.  Having a separate ceremony and reception space makes for an easy transition to cocktail hour.

The venue was designed for outdoor weddings and offers many amenities.  String lights line the covered porch and crisscross over the courtyard for sparkling evening views. Drapes are hung by the posts to provide a romantic backdrop. The lawn, gardens and blueberry fields are all easily accessible for you and your guests.  A firepit with plenty of seating is perfect for cool fall evenings.  The gardens are full of wildflowers, blooming shrubs and more that provide beautiful photo backdrops.

Let us know your favorite thing about outdoor weddings in the comments!

- Becky