I just got married on October 6, and I honestly cannot say enough about how wonderful our experience was working with Stevenson Ridge!!!
I know that $$ is a taboo subject when i...t comes to posting about weddings, but it's what most people always want to know and cannot easily find out, so I'm going to give you the scoop!
We started our wedding planning adventure looking at small to mid size venues that would be on the less expensive side. After visiting parks and historical sites and doing our research, we settled on Stevenson Ridge because even though the price is a little higher (but still reasonable for the area), the venue is beyond beautiful!
Our ceremony was outside in front of the pond, and we had our reception (a few shy of 100 guests) in the lodge. We decided to opt for the day-of coordination package, and could not have been happier with the quality of service and professionalism we received. It was by far, the BEST money we spent on our wedding! Both Jennifer and Elizabeth are easy to work with; they always responded to my emails promptly and never made me feel like my questions were unimportant.
Some tips and recommendations for anyone considering Stevenson Ridge:
*Get one of their coordination packages, at least the day-of! It will allow you to just relax and enjoy the day. Jennifer took care of EVERYTHING for us! It is worth every penny!
*If you're trying for a budget wedding in the greater NOVA area, don't immediately rule out Stevenson Ridge. It seems expensive at first, until you start adding up the costs that would be associated with all of the "extras" needed for a venue such as a public park...tents, chairs, tables, portable restrooms, etc. Stevenson Ridge is actually quite reasonable, and it's SO MUCH EASIER to work with a venue that includes tables and chairs as a part of both the ceremony and reception rental fees. They also have other extras available for rental that would be easy to add on if you wanted to. Go for a Friday or Sunday date if you want a little break in price!
*Look into renting a cabin for the groom/groomsmen to get ready in. We didn't want the added expense, and we were fine without it, but it would have been a bit easier if we had rented one.
*Stevenson Ridge is already a beautiful mix of rustic and modern decor. In my opinion, you don't need to go crazy with the centerpieces and other decorations. This helps cut costs as well!
*Go for the sparkler exit. It's a great photo op and a fun finish to a beautiful day :)
Planning a wedding all depends on what your personal priorities are. Stevenson Ridge is unique in that I can see it working for couples who have few financial obstacles AND for couples like us, who had a somewhat limited budget. We did not go into debt for our wedding!
I'm a very organized person, and I suppose that's a part of the reason our wedding day went so smoothly, but I gladly give 99% of the credit to Jennifer and Elizabeth. They are fantastic! Our wedding day truly was our own version of a fairytale.