Sweetwater Branch Inn

edding in the gardens. Fast forward two years - the team made it a breeze to pick-up where we left of for our rescheduled wedding celebrations. Adrienne was a delight to work with (as well as Maria and Casey previously) and the reception went off without a hitch! Everyone was raving about the meal and the venue. The catering staff was super friendly and helpful during the event. Staying on site made set-up a breeze. The Nora-Belle Cottage is a great option for a wedding party to get ready. My only advice is that if you are planning for your guests to stay on site, check with the lodging office to make sure they haven't booked a special event (booked out more than the year in advance that you can reserve a room) for the date you are looking at. We were surprised to find out that most of the single rooms had been booked for a Rhodes Scholar event during the 2020 planning process. We had guests prepared to book their rooms the exact date that it was 365 days out, but the rooms were already gone, so that was disappointing. But in the grand scheme of things, no complaints here! We are so glad we had our wedding at Sweetwater!

dding. I had a small wedding of 40 in the MacKenzie House. However, dealing with the SWB, planning with the SWB, and communicating with the SWB was a real pain in the rear. If you are a cookie cutter bride with visions of a typical wedding, then SWB is for you. I did not. I wanted things that were different and I wanted to decorate myself. They told me to hire out, they told me to get a planner, they told me to pay them more so they could help. In the end, I ended up paying an extra $200 to get in to the reception space 1 hour before my ceremony so I could crash decorate. Fortunately I had my family and organization on my side And we got it done. SWB staff plans and executed weddings with a standardized format that does not leave room for individuality. If you want something different, expect to pay for it. I am sure that if you’re shelling out $20000 for a party of over 100, you might get more service. My husband and I believe that because our wedding was small, it was not as well taken care of. I don’t regret using SWB. Our day was perfect. During the planning I was waiting for the time to review them, I was going to annihilate the SWB, but I can’t, because our day was perfect. It was beautiful, but it was beautiful without the help of SWB. It was beautiful and perfect in spite of the SWB.

ed up into a bow for you. The day of, Keeley was ABSOLUTELY TELT wonderful

dn’t include the things that were most important to us. We were presented with random fees and decor regulations that would have prevented us from having the wedding we envisioned, but our first meeting with Sweetwater was a game changer! They listened to us, answered all of our questions and ultimately helped us design our wedding to be the dream that it was. There were no surprises, weird rules, or hidden costs. They helped us make all of our ideas a reality and even made a special cold brew coffee for us to serve to our guests and helped us design a signature speciality coffee bar menu! On the day of, our wedding coordinator, Alicia was there early in the morning to ensure the entire day ran smoothly and it DID! The entire day was insanely beautiful and the food was AMAZING! I would recommend Sweetwater to any couple looking for a venue that will give them the support they need to pull off such a major event. We are so grateful to have found you!

y appreciated that they had my back and were just as detail-oriented. As our wedding approached, we began to primarily work with Marjury, who I can't rave about enough. She coordinated everything reception-related for us, was sure we had time to eat and always had everything we needed. She even made sure we had a plate of our cocktail hour foods waiting for us back in our room after the reception. She honestly just felt like one of our awesome friends who constantly had our back. My only regret is that Marjury couldn't fully enjoy our wedding reception, as well. I just wanted her to hang out with us! I should also mention the food. The menu options are robust and the food is some of the best I've had at a wedding. Everyone complimented us on how great it was, especially the mac and cheese. The bartenders were awesome, too, always making sure we had what we needed as quickly as possible. The ability to have some of our closest friends and family stay onsite was also great. It was like our own little neighborhood of awesomeness! The morning breakfasts were another great communal time and the breakfasts, included with the B&B stay, were amazingly yummy. As a same-sex couple, we struggled mightily before the wedding to find reviews of places from other same-sex couples, so I also want to take a moment to say how this fact didn't even faze them one bit. Ever. The Sweetwater team was wonderful from start to finish and I couldn't have imagined a more perfect day, thanks in large part to Marjury and team. From Cornelia, the owner, to Marjury and the rest of the staff, whether Events or the B&B side, everyone was awesome and everything was perfect. I can't recommend them and Sweetwater Branch Inn highly enough.

family as well. Way to go Sweetwater Branch Inn!

a better place to have any celebration!

and I had minimal to no stress in regards to the wedding reception. All of our guests were happy with the food (we had a variety of people from meat eaters to vegetarians to vegans). The chef was able to accompany all requested meals. My husband and I were able to sit down and eat our salad, dinner, and cake. Hands down, the day was so perfect I wouldn't change anything at all. Thank you so much Sweetwater family!

o make sure the contract signing was flawless. Shortly there after, I began communicating with Keeley, one of the Events Managers. Her attention to detail is stellar. Not to mention, she's warm and inviting in all of her communications, which eases any Brides mind! Their team put together the most beautiful wedding and reception, I don't think I could have planned it much better myself. They ensure that you have a peace a mind going into your big day, which is something I will forever be grateful for. Thank you for providing me with the most beautiful day of my life! You all are truly 5 star! :)

t was very nice too!

ily together to hang out during the days surrounding the main event. The rooms were beautiful and the breakfasts were phenomenal. As for the wedding planning it could not have been easier. I was fortunate enough to have Marjury as our coordinator for the venue and she was so fun and great to work with along the way of planning. She had excellent advice for everything from decorating to food choices to vendor selection. Not only was she helpful but she was so kind and thoughtful, offering me her personal fur she used on her wedding day since our wedding day was so cold. She also created a food platter and put it in our room bc she knew the bride and groom are often too busy to eat which was a wonderful surprise to have the next day. The grounds and venue space are perfect for a wedding. The market lights create a beautiful ambiance and the indoor space is simplistic and timeless allowing any bride to make it their own easily. I cannot imagine having our reception anywhere else!

d to provide decorations and alcohol and they took care of all of the set up and take down. We booked the venue over a year out so we worked with a variety of coordinators, but the month or two before keely was our main contact. She was AMAZING. Thorough, answered my questions before I thought to ask them and the day of she was on top of everything. One of the best parts? She made sure we got served dinner before anyone else and she saved us a plate of the appetizers to take home. The food was awesome! I would recommend this venue in a heartbeat and I can’t wait to get my photos back!!

tower! which turned out amazing!! I am so glad we went with a venue that made it so easy every step of the way. Highly recommend!!

erience overall ad I would recommend this venue to anyone I know.

thing ran smoothly. All my guests were impressed with the beauty of the house and the quality of the food. This experience is the epitome of southern charm.

ur first meeting to the actual event, Marjury went above and beyond to help us plan the details and give her advice about the day. Marjury was personable, understanding and such an amazing presence during our wedding. My parents were thrilled with her expertise and so thankful for the extra support she provided. The food was amazing! Everything was prepared and plated to perfection. We highly recommend Sweetwater and are so thankful we chose them for our wedding! Allie and Jason Simon

execute a beautiful wedding flawlessly. We worked with Sarah on their dedicated events team from start to finish - she was flexible, responsive, and professional. We had our ceremony in the garden, and our reception in the McKenzie Hall (about 100 guests). The flow between the garden, cocktail area, and reception hall was fantastic, and it allowed people to move about freely the whole evening. Catering is provided through the venue, which may be a drawback for someone who wants to bring in their own. For us, it was a positive, and their menu is extensive. We scheduled an in-person tasting, and the food on the day-of was even better. We enjoyed all of the different rentals they offered - it really made bringing a personal touch to the event easy. It isn't the cheapest venue in Gainesville, but there's a reason this place is so highly rated. They have a wedding here every weekend, and they're nothing short of experts by now - for us, it was worth every penny!

. Every detail was taken care of during our reception. The catering staff were excellent and attentive. I didn't have to worry about anything during the reception, because the event staff had everything taken care of. The food was absolutely delicious. Numerous friends and family members told us that this was one of the most beautiful venues they had ever seen. Another plus is that you can stay on site. I stayed in the Carriage House the night before my wedding and got ready there the day of. There was plenty of room for my entire bridal party to get ready. It was unique and much prettier than a traditional hotel room. The ONLY reason my review is not 5 stars is because of a mishap with the inn staff, not the event staff. My husband and I stayed on property in the Honeymoon Cottage the night of our reception, and the inn staff gave our cottage key to a stranger. On top of that, the sliding interior lock did not work in our cottage, so this stranger had access to our room. The key still hasn't turned up. It was an uncomfortable and stressful way to spend our wedding night and all we received was an apology in an email. The solution was to change the locks a week after the wedding, and to suggest that they would see us on our anniversary for another stay. I was not impressed with the customer service experience of this situation and did not feel reassured. I will not be back for another stay because of how poorly this was handled. Overall, I would highly recommend SWB as an event space, but you should be very clear about who can pick up your keys if you plan to stay on site!

sy for people to get “home” after the wedding. Everyone at Sweetwater was so helpful throughout the entire planning process and such a pleasure to work with. They answered all of our questions and gave us great advice! They listen to your interests, style and taste and work with you to create your fairytale. They made it such a wonderful and stress free experience. We felt comfortable planning our whole wedding ourselves but didn’t want the added cost of hiring a day of coordinator. And that was fine because Sweetwater has you covered! This was a lifesaver and saved us hundreds (or thousands) of dollars. They even set up several of our items for the reception which was a huge help! All of our guests commented that we chose such a beautiful venue for our reception, and a lot of them stayed at Sweetwater that evening too! Sweetwater set up and planned everything exactly how we discussed and it came out perfect – and all the lighting outside makes it look extra magical. All of our pictures from the day look so dreamy! Such an amazing evening!

jury and she was absolutely the best. I would highly recommend this venue and catering for your event. We utilized all facets that they had to offer and were pleased with each one. Each step of the way, Marjury was communicative, extremely helpful, and reassuring. With her overseeing the event, I felt extremely confidant and comfortable that all would go well and it did. Everything was set up beautifully and I was not stressed over any of the details. (In addition to Marjury and the Sweetwater staff, I had an amazing support from family and friends). It was everything that I had dreamed of and more. The food was breathtakingly delicious as the majority of my guests commented. The catering staff and chef were overly accommodating as I have food allergies. They prepared a meal specifically for me and also prepared a portion of one of the meals that the guests had so that I could have it allergen free. They labeled all of the foods on the buffet (this is a a big deal to someone with allergies). I would love to have an excuse to have another event there in the future and work with Marjury.

about the food! Wonderful place and wonderful people; couldn't recommend higher!