I have so many good things to say but the take home message is this: Skylight made our wedding dreams come true, and we will forever be grateful to the beautiful people who worked to make it so.
First off, we won our wedding through Skylight (still cant believe it). As... part of recently opening, they offered off a free wedding and we were selected. Now, while this totally meant that they could have asserted themselves with what they wanted since they were footing the bill, or they could have totally cut corners and planned on a budget, but they were so warm and accommodating, and seriously pulled out all the stops. They gave us the gift that we never would have been able to have provided for ourselves.
The people- Ashleigh Glod is the wedding planner that coordinated our wedding who works for the 828 venue company. Let me tell you, that woman is a wedding fairy god mother. She is the perfect blend of calm and getting shit done. She never showed that she was stressed, even though I saw her schedule and to do list and it made me panic. She was always available to me, even though I know she was still having to attend to all the other weddings and parties she was planning. I was super overwhelmed and Ashleigh provided the perfect amount of support. She was always there to say "I'll take it from here, no problem." She was completely reliable, and I really never worried about much of anything, all you brides know what a gift that is. Ashleigh is made to be a wedding planner, she is a therapist, dreamer, visionary, and friend. Tim and Louise, who own 828 venues, were so amazing and kind. Tim was on the front lines helping to set up and take down. He is this wonderfully tall and kind person who you can tell just enjoys seeing clients happy. Louise is his wife, but also was our photographer. I may be biased, but she is one fantastic photographer. I swear I have no idea how she managed to capture our "best sides" the whole day through. She perfectly managed to navigate our blended family and dynamics, without hurting anyone's feelings. She was 100% there for me, for us. She even offered to do engagement photos for us, free of charge, which in no way benefitted the venue, but was just out of the goodness of her heart.
The venue- it's just beautiful. White walls make everything pop, allowing for any decor to be brought in to bring someone's vision to life. The venue was able to seamlessly transition from our ceremony, to the cocktail hour, to the party all in the same place at the same time. They were a well oiled machine, no one even noticed when they were taking decor down. The best part about 828's philosophy is that they are truly there for their customers. They believe that a customer should be able to bring in their own vendors, allowing for wedding planning/party planning to be more affordable, something that has gotten wildly rare in the business. They give you access to the venue for 24 hours, to do whatever you want for how ever long you want. That is a company that truly represents the couple, not their own interests. Even before we had won our wedding, I was seriously considering using their venues because I love their philosophy so much.
In short, this team of beautiful people walked into our lives and will forever be a part of not only our wedding, but our lives. They gave us the greatest gift, there are not enough words to thank them. I wish every bride could get the gift of a life time, being able to enjoy their wedding.