Callanwolde Fine Arts Center

ing for guests; its like they are attending a very fancy dinner party in someone else's home! Our mutual clients are always so happy with their wedding day, and that is in large part to the venue itself (which is stunning) and the venue staff. Caroline and Anna are great at their jobs, and Bernard is fabulous at handling all of the setup needs onsite. The options are endless at this venue, and you can't beat the location or the beautiful grounds. We recommend Callanwolde to all brides searching for the perfect venue!

enty of great photo spots for ourselves and our guests. (Total guest count 175)

de setting, and this venue had multiple areas for this. I chose the Hydrangea garden for my ceremony due to its' privacy. The grand staircase inside was my backup plan for unfavorable weather, and I would have been just as happy with this setting. The architecture and layout of the venue is so romantic and requires very little extra decor. So many of my guest were in awe of the venue and its grandness. The staff was easy to work with and accountable. Caroline, the venue's event manager, is responsive and professional. When she was not available to meet with me or answer my questions, there was always someone else to attend to me in a very timely manner. Mr. Bernard was at the venue the entire day of my wedding helping my venders set up. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center is worth visiting simply for its history and beauty even if you aren't interested in getting married there!

count. I would recommend getting a planner to help with communications because Callanwolde can be slow to reply. Our planner already knew the staff at Callanwolde and was able to communicate with them more effectively. Overall, I can't imagine myself getting married anywhere else. We had a great experience with Callanwolde

. There are so many rooms to use for the wedding day and we didn't have to do much decorating because it is already so beautiful. There was a Christmas event the day before and they were kind enough to leave up some of the decorations for our wedding. There is plenty of parking for the guests and rooms for the bridal party to get ready in. Unfortunately, the bathrooms upstairs were not working at the time which made steaming and getting ready a little difficult. Try to do as much ironing and steaming before you arrive, the old plugs in the house just couldn't handle it. I know there was a change employees and roles while we were planning so at times it took awhile to hear back and communication was a little off (I don't think that this is the norm though). Doing the venue walkthrough weeks before the wedding was very helpful and they were more than willing to accommodate our needs. They also let you pick your own vendors and bring in your own alcohol. This definitely helped with costs. There are preferred vendors that they suggest, but it is ultimately up to you and your budget. Every room and space at this venue is amazing which made for great pictures. All of our guests kept commenting on how amazing the location was. It was a magical place to get married.

huge disappointment and would have been a disaster without the leadership of our wedding coordinators and catering company. Here are the issues that we faced: Issue 1 - Lack of help from Callanwolde that we were promised When we signed with Callanwolde we were told that we would have two event managers on site. We were also told that the two event managers would be responsible for setting up the chairs for the ceremony and also setting up the tables/chairs for the reception. The day of our wedding we were only given one event manager not two. When our wedding coordinator walked into Callanwolde, the chairs for the ceremony were set up wrong. The chairs blocked off our holding room and the area where the DJ table was supposed to be set up. To solve the issue, our wedding coordinator stopped what she was doing and helped the event manager re-do the chairs because there was not the 2nd event manager on site. We had no issue with event coordinator that was on site, he was helpful and cooperative, our issue was that he was the only event manager on site and was also not given proper information by Callanwolde. His only copy of the layout was incorrect and did not have the things labeled on it that we had discussed in our final walkthrough. Our wedding coordinator showed him the correct copy of the layout and had to help him figure out how to get everything set up for cocktail hour. Issue 2: The air conditioning was not working properly in the rooms upstairs as well as the holding room and ceremony area downstairs. Our bridal party and guests were profusely sweating. Our wedding coordinators put out fans in the brides room/grooms room then had to move them down to the holding room for the later part of the ceremony. Again, our wedding coordinators were doing the job that the event managers at Callanwolde should have been doing. The only part of the Callanwolde that had proper air-conditioning and was comfortable for our guests was the indoor courtyard (reception area). Issue 3: Our grooms room was switched without notice At our final walkthrough meeting we were shown the grooms room. The day of our wedding, we were told the grooms room is locked and can not be used because there were expensive paintings in there. The groom and his groomsmen were put in a different room that was a complete embarrassment. The tables for them to sit on had crayon marks all over it. If you were going to put in furniture in that room and give it our bridal party it should have at least been covered with linens if the tables are not presentable. The bride's room was also not very impressive either. We expressed our concerns with the management at Callanwolde. Instead of taking ownership, they pointed fingers at us about things we did wrong. The executive director was extremely unprofessional, didn't apologize for the issues they caused on our wedding day, and complained that someone threw up outside and had to be cleaned by their staff. The child that threw up outside had gotten sick at the wedding. All in all, beautiful venue, horrible management.

e this place so interesting will no doubt make for gorgeous wedding photos. And those stairs?! Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. We couldn’t have asked for a better venue!

reat outdoor patio for cocktail hour. The staff was great to work with throughout the planning process. Highly recommend!!!

stage for the elegant feeling we were going for. The only complaints we had were that we were not allowed to use sparklers for our getaway and that the "dance floors" in the bride and groom suites could not be removed. But these things ended up being trivial on our big day.

ony location (indoor and outdoor). Anna was great to work with. They had some issues causing us to have to relocate the ceremony a few hours before the wedding but everyone was very helpful in doing this and the new location was just as beautiful. Can bring your own alcohol, which saved us a lot since half our guest list didn't drink. Perfect wedding day for us!

whole process so easy and she was always there for last minute questions. We had the most magical day at the Callanwolde. You can't go wrong with it!

aff are also wonderful to work with. Everyone there is warm and obliging. Love this place!

nto an amazing experience and helped my day to be magical!

as been very helpful with answering my many questions. :) This venue was a little pricier than I originally wanted to pay, but it is absolutely gorgeous and you have the freedom to bring in our own vendors and decor to really customize your wedding. Other venues I looked at all had a cookie-cutter approach to every wedding and would not allow you to work with outside vendors. I'm happy to have selected Callanwolde for my special day. I will be sure to update my review after the wedding takes place to comment on how everything went! UPDATE: I just had my wedding this past weekend, so I wanted to send an update on how things went. Wow - it was spectacular. I had a lot of out of town guests for my wedding and they couldn't stop talking about how beautiful the venue was and how fun that we were getting married in the historic Coca Cola home! Everyone that I have had the pleasure of working with from the venue was pleasant and did a great job setting up and with any last minute requests. I couldn't have had a more seamless wedding day (and as an event planner myself, that says a lot)! A big thanks to Caitlin King and team for doing a great job!

regret booking it. We were an out-of-state couple with a tiny guest count looking for a venue that had a lot of experience with doing weddings to make it as seamless as possible. The biggest issue we had was that we were not aware that they DOUBLE-BOOKED the Gardens for our date. We signed the contract for the Retreat and Gardens, knowing that another wedding was happening in the Mansion. But months after signing the contract, we were told the other party would be doing in their ceremony in the Gardens too! This was a terrible situation to be put into and led to headaches trying to schedule our own wedding day but also ensure that the other extremely large party would not disrupt us. Finally, two weeks before the date, we were highly pressured by Caitlin to push back our ceremony time as to not disrupt the other party. In the end, the other wedding party interrupted us while we were setting up, took our decorations and we could hear them making noise during our reception. While it is not their fault for the way the other wedding party acted, Callanwolde could have prevented this by not double-booking their location. The contract was very vague overall and when we inquired about details, (email)communication was strained.

intment, so we dropped by and I truly can't believe how we were treated. Could not imagine planning a wedding with that run around. Stay away

ing the most beautiful, hidden gem (in the middle of the city), there is TONS of space. You get to pick between several spots on the property to where your ceremony can be held and then there is the most incredible reception space. The main staircase makes for an absolutely STUNNING entrance and photo spot, not to mention the entire property is well maintained and blooming with flowers. You have so much space to work with you barely know what to do with it all. Caitlin King is the event coordinator there and was great to work with. She responded back to your emails quickly and was very personable! All my guests are still telling me what a gorgeous venue this was. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect setting to say "I do"!

en. Callanwolde is tucked away in a little forest nook off Briarcliff Road, near the trendy Virginia Highlands neighborhood. It is an absolutely stunning house, with pristine gardens. The rental fee may initially seem a bit high but if you're planning on having a smaller wedding, you can actually save by booking Callanwolde. They let you bring in all your own vendors and you aren't trapped with 100 person minimums like some of the other major wedding venues in Atlanta. We also saved on décor and flowers because the mansion and property don't need anything else to make it look gorgeous. We did initially book with Alfred, their own Operations Manager, who did leave during the process. That being said, Callanwolde didn't skip a beat. When the role was filled, we received an update call and they honored everything that Alfred had promised us. The staff there are spectacular, friendly and good at what they do. While I can understand how the transition may have ruffled a few feathers, I can ensure any bride to be that a wedding at Callanwolde is an excellent choice! My wedding was beautiful, executed perfectly and the best day I could ask for. Please note, they book up wayyyy in advance. I was engaged 2/14/14 and wanted a spring 2015 wedding. I visited in June 2014 and they were booked until August 2015. I settled on a September 2015 date and it was worth the wait.

better than planned, thanks in part to Callanwolde and its amazing staff. Yes, it is PRICEY, but for what you are getting, check it out. We had the entire main house for the ENTIRE day (from my arrival at 930am until we and the caterers left at 10pm), and no one said anything to me other than, "What do you need? How can I help?" You can bring your own alcohol, and they will store it for you from the day before, as well as anything your vendors need to deliver the day before. We had the rooms upstairs for guys' and girls' changing/dressing areas, and we were able to take photographs all over the entire property. Pick a caterer that has worked Callanwolde before (I recommend Figs and Honey Catering), and you will not have to worry about a thing. This place books up well in advance, but spots can open up, so call and see what dates they have available.

zation, so it made it very special to have our wedding there. I love the mission behind Callanwolde as they are a non-profit striving to better the Atlanta community through the visual and performing arts. Not only do they have multiple areas on the grounds for your ceremony, but if it rains and you planned to hold the ceremony outside, the backup plan is perfect: inside the Great Hall with that beautiful staircase! I didn't have to use it since our weather worked out wonderfully, but I wasn't nervous at all when I saw a cloud or two. The setting is amazing for photos--you can't find a place that won't photograph well! The staff at Callanwolde was flawless--they host hundreds of weddings and other events throughout the year, so they know the drill. Alfred Alarcon was our site manager that we worked with the year leading up to our wedding and he was nothing but professional--and fun! I wouldn't have wished any other place for our wedding. They are a fabulous venue at a good cost--go with them for your special day! You won't regret it!

lenging for me to pick the places I wanted our pictures to be taken at because there are so many wonderful locations in the house and around the grounds. Mike is very personable and easy to work with. He was able to answer all of our questions with ease and provided excellent service to myself and my family/vendors before and on the day of my wedding. They really work hard to make you feel special and important. We had an outdoor wedding on the grounds with the reception inside the atrium and everything was set up in a very timely manner. While Callanwolde is one of the more expensive venues in Atlanta, to me it's worth every penny. My wedding was on a Sunday and we had the house and grounds for over 12 hours that day and were even able to get it at a discounted rate due to it being on a Sunday. There was also no ceremony fee, which was great. Callanwolde will also let you use any vendors that you like and does not make you pay a fee if you choose not to go with someone on their preferred list (however, we did go with a caterer from their list, Figs and Honey, and they were very good). This allowed us to save money in areas where we already had contacts or just weren't as important to us. The one thing that did go wrong was that their bathrooms were out of order. However, they brought in a trailer with bathrooms in it that were very nice and even big enough for me to take my huge ballgown into. I was extremely pleased with my experience here and would recommend this location to any bride getting married in the Atlanta area!

had about the ceremony/reception logistics but could also give me some nice historical facts about the beautiful home. The house is so amazingly beautiful that I felt like I needed minimal decoration...the house's beauty speaks for itself in so many ways. I had both my ceremony and reception at the venue, and the transition between the two was seamless. Many of my vendors had already worked at Callanwolde and were happy to hear that was where they would be for my wedding. The home has a number of beautiful spots for pictures, and plenty of parking for your guests (which is important because parking can be SUCH a pain in Atlanta). If you are waffling between Callanwolde and another venue, just take the time to look at the beautiful staircase. That staircase will make your decision for you.

and the open layout that would easily accommodate our ~140 guests without feeling cramped. The event director, who is no longer with the venue, was a pain to work with, gave away our wedding date, and then was difficult to reach and communicate with throughout the process. The main attraction for us was the fact that you could bring in your own vendors and alcohol. The courtyard ceiling previously had no décor to cover the old ceiling tiles, but a few months before our wedding date, we found out that they were permanently adding drapery to the ceiling. This addition did not affect my rental cost and greatly improved the aesthetic appearance of this room - such a nice surprise. All in all, it was a fabulous venue to offer the perfect southern setting we were after.

worked with us to let us drop off some decor, the alcohol, and the mixers early, which gave us extra time on Friday for other errands. Not only are they easy to work with, but the grounds were beautiful and I couldn't image having my wedding anywhere else.

nd well-manicured grounds are the perfect backdrop to a romantic wedding that reminds you of days gone by. Our ceremony took place in the Grand Hall, and the reception took place in the Courtyard. We also had our rehearsal dinner in the Retreat the night before. A great one stop venue. We loved it and so did our guests.

feel. The rental price seems expensive, but you get to bring in all of your own vendors - including alcohol, catering, cake, etc. This means there are no minimums for food and beverage, and you can save on costs here if you find the right vendors.

for an outdoor ceremony and a perfect indoor space for a wonderful reception. Though expensive, they allow you to bring in your own alcohol and choose any wedding vendors you prefer (no preferred vendor list required), so you can really balance out the costs. We spent less money overall than we would have at a place with lower rental costs by buying our own alcohol and choosing an independent caterer. And we got a prettier backdrop. I cannot wait to see the photos!

wolde. It was amazing!