The Columbus Athenaeum

with it. We were first attracted to the Athenaeum because of its convenient location downtown and pretty pictures online. When we checked out the venue in person, we were sold. The Athenaeum has multiple different rooms available to use on your day, and they all have different features and architecture. We rented the small theater for our ceremony. The crew at the Athenaeum made the room absolutely beautiful for my day, it felt magical walking down the isle. They had all the decorations I could want, such as isle runner, flower petals, pillars, candles, string lights, and even an arch to hang flowers on (all for free!) it was so nice to not have to worry about finding all that myself. They even had an in house florist I could use, Tracie, who did an AMAZING job. The reception was just as perfect; we held it in the large theater. We were very impressed with the food and alcohol packages that The Columbus Athenaeum offered. Compared to other vendors, it was incredibly affordable and we did not have to sacrifice the quality. Everyone still talks about how good the food was. I was very impressed, and thankful, with how organized the staff was at the venue. We worked with Gina throughout the whole process, and she made sure we had everything we needed and wanted. She made sure we stuck to the timeline which made everything go as smoothly as it did. The Athenaeum worked great with all our vendors which contributed to the great day. Our friends and family keep talking about how wonderful and fun the wedding was, and we have The Athenaeum to thank!!

accommodating, personable and one of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting! She was a powerhouse and helped create the most beautiful event and gave me everything I needed and wanted. TCA is the perfect place to have your wedding. The antique architecture, affordable prices, and wide range of selections for decor, food, vendors, etc is incredible. I wouldn't have had my wedding any other way. And thank you again to Gina for helping me coordinate such a perfect day! We love TCA!

at, including the appetizers and the variety of desserts. We used the venue’s baker and had multiple flavors of cake plus cake pops, macaroons, truffles, and whoopie pies that was a real hit with the guests. We also used a florist from TCA recommended florist list. The florist was Tracey Zody from Z Creative. She was very imaginative and creative, and fit the flowers to the theme of the wedding. The flowers were beautiful! I liked the beautiful look of the venue, and we got many, many compliments on the Priory Chapel and Small Theatre reception areas. We had a wedding of about 150, so we picked the size of rooms to fit our wedding. It is fantastic to have 130 of their friends there for support, plus our families. We had a band for the reception and a violinist for the wedding. Gina worked with both of these vendors to get all of the details set. The program timeline was perfect. Gina was great to work with, explained details, asked the right questions, and remained very calm throughout the wedding planning period. Her staff was great as well, and very helpful in the setup and break down of the wedding. I would recommend TCA to anyone interested in a Columbus wedding.

erful to work with and very responsive to all of our inquiries leading up to the wedding. Leading into the wedding weekend the entire staff was incredibly helpful - they really do take most of the work out of your hands. They set up all of the décor I brought in, all I had to do was drop it off and leave a few written instructions! I also borrowed a lot of decorations from the Athenaeum, which turned out beautifully. They have a great selection of items and they do not charge to use them. The day of the wedding, everything flowed very smoothly. The staff was so helpful to keep us on track with the evening's events and were very friendly. Overall, I couldn't believe how perfect our wedding was and the Athenaeum made it possible! We've had so many guests say wonderful things about how much they loved the beautiful event spaces and how wonderful the food was! I highly recommend the Columbus Athenaeum as a wedding venue!

est with grace and ease. If it was me, I probably would have wanted to strangle us with our indecisiveness and last minute changes. Never once did I feel like we were an annoyance to her - she truly made this our day, and all about us. One of the reasons we signed on with the Athenaeum was because of the whole team. They say you're not buying a product, but you're buying the person who sells you the product (or so my friends in sales have told me;). Your product is great at the Athenaeum (the vendors, the venue... it's all beautiful) but it was Jackie and Gina who we bought into. Both of their welcoming attitudes, their ability to make you feel comfortable and calm, but most importantly, their accommodations and caring attitude. By the end of all this, we felt like they were family. That, along with the uniqueness of the Olympian Ballroom, are what sold us on the Athenaeum. We visited some very beautiful venues with comparable price points, but none of them had the ambience that the Athenaeum had and what Gina and Jackie could bring to the table. The weekend of our wedding, I've never felt more calm. Jackie and her team took our vision and brought it to life. Everything we wanted was done and THEN SOME - she made finishing touches that literally brought tears to my eyes. To be able to go into your wedding day not freaking out and at total ease - now that's a feeling I didn't expect. She handled the behind the scenes with grace, instructed us with everything we needed and even helped me pull off a huge surprise right in the middle of the reception - a performance by our alumni’s marching band! OU OH YEAH! A few other things to note - During the first food tasting, my fiance and I weren’t completely satisfied with the options that were given to us. I voiced my concerns to Jackie and within days Gina had scheduled a PRIVATE food tasting for us, where we could taste everything else and then some. We left feeling full, relieved, and with brand new selections for our wedding menu. It’s been about 2 months since our wedding and we are still getting compliments on how amazing our food was. The meatballs and mashed potato martinis are a MUST! I could go on and on with examples but I think I've made my point. You will not regret your decision signing on with the Athenaeum - the experience is magical, their vendors are top notch and everyone genuinely cares to make your day great!

o finish. We worked with Jackie at the venue from the first day we walked in and she was amazing to work with. She tended to every one of our needs and made our special day exactly that, special. All I can say is that this venue is amazingly beautiful, stunning, and a lot of fun! We recommend this venue to any and everyone!

dare I say it - easy! We received RAVE REVIEWS about the food and pie from our guests (get the brisket!). I would highly recommend the Athenaeum to future couples because it's truly a one-stop-shop and they handle so many of the little details for you.

ut of town. They were SO accommodating throughout the entire process and made sure we were well taken care of on our wedding day!

pful - from helping us choose a room the first day we met her, all the way until the day of where she helped coordinate the entire day from start to finish. She always gave us peace of mind throughout the entire process and quickly answered e-mails and calls whenever we had a random question! All of our guests raved about the venue, from the reception room and food, as well as the ceremony room and decorations. I cannot thank The Columbus Athenaeum enough for all they did to make our day so special and would definitely recommend them!

on!

r us (a huge load of stress off of our shoulders!). The only downside was the lack of parking, but this is to be expected when your venue is downtown. We were able to have all of our guests park at the 4th and Elm Garage (the Atheneaum even provided a parking map that we could share with our guests). All of our guests commented on how much they also loved the historic feel of the building. They were all super impressed with the food and many said it was the best wedding food they had ever had (some professional chefs included). Overall, working with the Athenaeum and Jackie was awesome and made our day go smoothly.

d in The Large Theatre room- but there are many more rooms to choose from depending on budget and size of your event! I really liked that this venue took care of food & alcohol- even our centerpieces with the package we chose! It made everything SO much easier for me to plan. Also, during the wedding, there was an additional event coordinator present (I can't remember her name- sorry!) who was also amazing- she made sure we ate & helped keep everything in line. I would highly recommend this venue to other couples- it was the best day ever!

trying to help fix any of these problems, they were repeatedly very rude, including the manager that I spoke with.

smooth. Communication with our coordinator was good and easy to get a hold of. We felt during the latter part of the planning process and finalizing things she was almost too busy to help and rushed things along without really caring. No empathy at times either. The reason why we picked 3 stars for this review was the rehearsal and ceremony itself. The rehearsal was set and we were trying to find our coordinator, and was able to. But, we ran into a problem that was NOT mentioned at any point during the wedding planning process. The coordinator left out the part that she WAS NOT a part of the rehearsal, and it was on us to do it. Talk about being very frustrated and pissed, that would do it. Not only was she not going to be upstairs for it for questions, she avoided us completely. Then, as we were chatting afterwards, the colleague of hers was very short with guests, and family that we had to go and turned off lights. It was 5 minutes after the rehearsal was over!! Very unacceptable business practice. Last, the day of the wedding. She again was nowhere to be found at times during the duration of the ceremony and the reception especially. We probably saw her 1-2 times during the afternoon at the reception, and not existent for the end of it. I am sorry, but this person is PAID to be there and she left our reception to be who knows where. Well, at the exit of our reception, we cannot find her and find where we were supposed to go to leave. I had to approach her boss and get a bit blunt with them on where this person was. We proceed downstairs to the lobby to find out that our planner was with ANOTHER CLIENT and NOT AT OUR RECEPTION HELPING!! At this point, we did not care and it was over, but to look over and see she completely ditched her job and not assist at the end our wedding shows a lot about character and integrity. All in all, if you use this venue, please do, it is great and central location in Columbus. But, ensure you keep an eye out for the above things as they may happen to you. Ask these questions and confirm this upfront before you sign the dotted line to ensure your day goes swimmingly. P.S. the coordinator we worked with was Jackie.

s quite the opposite. Do not think that good value means that you will not receive good service...in fact, it was excellent! My guests were raving about the Large Theater. It was an absolutely breath-taking backdrop. It turned into an even greater dance floor! Guest danced until the very last song. People still rave about my wedding and the venue was a large part of their fun.

nd decently angry staff. I am sure they were busy and overwhelmed with weddings this weekend but damn... I was impressed with the level of attitude. Two things ruined this place for me. 1 - the most judgey bartender I have ever had the pleasure of trying to order from works here. I had attempted to order shots upon arrival at the wedding for the bridal party upon the bride's request. Rather than being told no we don't do that, can't do that etc. (reasonable) - I got lectured about how I didn't want to be that girl at the wedding. It was condescending and I got a good mansplaining for five minutes how i needed to watch my drinking for the evening. This was the very first drink I ordered. I wrote this off and just asked the lady for a different drink instead and figured that'd be the end. I also checked with the bride to see if they had requested the bartender keep the drinking low-key, maybe she was trying to follow her directions and just missed the mark... The bride and groom had not requested this. Later, another bridesmaid ordered a double and she received the response "It's only 9:30" and was given a barely alcoholic beverage instead. If you want to pass this much judgement on young women, don't be a bartender. This with the other staff snapping at us for asking questions about where we could put our stuff/move our supplies gives me the impression there isn't good leadership here. 2- A bridesmaid was helping clean up (we were out by 11:30 pm) and she had placed her personal belongings and bag on a table by the door for easy access. It "went missing". Without her keys, phone, ID, or plane ticket she contacted all bridesmaids and as many party goers as she could in search of the missing bag hoping someone had grabbed it. The staff asked her to leave because they needed to lock up and she did and continued her search. She returned later after checking the hotel and with other party-goers and begged them to please check the reception one more time. She was told it was late, they wanted to go home and she could come back Monday. That would have been great, except she was flying out of state the following day (sunday). The stress this caused was unnecessary and it completely ruined this bridesmaids night as well as created a lot of tension trying to find this bag with all of her information in it. Monday she called the venue, one of the employees had moved it into a box in a room that was staff only. She had not misplaced it - they had moved it, then refused to help and apparently communicating with each other to solve this problem was just too much effort. I am hoping this was a one-off experience and the staff was just having themselves A Night. I know it happens. But I was very confused that a venue that does 100s of weddings gets away acting like this.

ception spaces were both beautiful, and the venue takes care of most of the set-up for you. The food was also delicious, and we got many compliments on it from our guests. The venue is in a great location in downtown Columbus, and even our out of town guests found it easy to get to from their hotels. Considering how much the venue does for you, the price was more than reasonable. I would highly recommend the Athenaeum to anyone who needs to host a big event in Columbus.

cause we were able to utilize the different spaces available. Part of the reason for going back each time was the unbeatable price and more importantly, our guests raved about the atmosphere and the customer service. One of the absolute best things about TCA is the FOOD! Everything is made right on site and it is so delicious! Guests still talk about the meatball bar and the mini-pastries! The menu is diverse enough that we were able to have different appetizers and entrees at each wedding, with the exception of the meatball bar which was at all three! We would like to say thank you to Mark, Susan and Gina, they took wonderful care of us and our guests.

ay is over. I wanted to write to make sure all of you planning your events know that the CA was AMAZING in every capacity. They are efficient, affordable, flexible, friendly, helpful and on the day of the event were extremely attentive. My husband was so impressed how every time we turned around and needed something that one of the two attendants were there to get us whatever we needed. We had many comments from guests on how delicious the food was. We HIGHLY recommend the CA for any event and would use them again in the future.

rts from guests were the dance floor stage in the Large Theatre and the delicious food! Jackie was made our wedding process super easy. I never questioned whether everything would be taken care of. TCA is THE BEST wedding venue in downtown Columbus, if not, the whole state of Ohio!

o talk to them.

e to life. It also made things very convenient to work with a venue that did all of the décor, food and alcohol themselves. Its also really nice that the linens etc. counted towards our event minimum – unlike the hotels we looked at. We used one of their centerpiece options as one of our upgrades, and they were perfect. The food was amazing! We received so many compliments from our guests about the food – especially the meat balls. I hate potatoes, so I love that their buffet had a pasta option. (My MOH who went to the tasting with us raved about the mashed potato martinis, even though we didn’t choose them). Jackie very helpful and understanding when we were indecisive about our food options. Everything was so good, it was hard to choose. We also decided to have their donuts for dessert instead of cake – and those were a huge hit with everyone!! Everything went so smoothly at our reception – the staff really did an amazing job of making our day perfect!

am made sure all of my requests were executed perfectly and our wedding day was seamless. I was in constant contact with Jackie via email for the 9 months leading up to the wedding. She is very organized and I always felt like a priority to her even when I asked the silliest questions like how many candles I needed to fill the windowsill. Thank you TCA and to Jackie for providing excellent service and a beautiful setting for our magical day! We couldn’t be happier!

he vendors drop offs went smoothly. The bartenders were amazing and our guests loved the photo booth! The decorations were beautiful and tasteful and the whole night ran so smoothly!

and speak to someone else and they would have no idea what I'm talking about or contradict what I was told by my coordinator. They also provide a great packet of information and instructions but then look at you confused when you actually follow the instructions. I think too because they do so many weddings that they forget that for most people, this is their first one and forget to communicate some details and instructions. I was scrambling before my wedding to find some people to help set up the reception (because you can only enter the room 2 hrs before the start time) and then I went in 2 days before the wedding to drop of decor and mentioned that some people would be coming in to set up and the manager, again, looked confused. She proceeded to tell me that they will do all the setup. However, my coordinator never asked for any pictures, instructions, etc about how I would like to room to be set up. The manager also scoffed and said "Well we do 100s of weddings to most people just trust us," when I questioned the fact that I was never asked for details on how I wanted centerpieces displayed, etc. Well that is fine if you think that but you should never say that to a client. I thought it was rude and unprofessional. That's great that you have that experience and one of the reasons I chose the venue. But that doesn't mean that you know exactly what I specifically want for my wedding. On top of all that, I walked in for the rehearsal and was told I would have a completely different coordinator than who we had worked with the whole time. The new coordinator was good. The day went as planned. It was just odd that there was no communication or explanation as to why they sudden switch. Overall, I would still recommend this venue but just think there is room for improvement when it comes to communication.

of times and we emailed frequently. She kept me on track with the planning process and made sure I had my dream reception. We had our reception in the Ballroom. Our total guest count was 350 and everyone had enough space. The food was excellent! I keep hearing from our guests that it was the best "wedding food" that they have ever had! All the staff are very friendly and you can tell they are compassionate about what they do! You are all awesome and if I had to do it all over again I would do everything the exact same! I cannot thank you enough!

ated information, and our reception ran so smoothly thanks to them! The food is amazing - our guests keep raving about it! As far as weddings go, everything is reasonably priced for the great services and products you get.

as much fun as possible!

rall we had a great experience. I wish they allowed more time for the reception - that's my only gripe! It would be nice to be able to add on an extra hour or two for those who want a longer event. But Jackie was wonderful to work with and she helped the day of go smoothly! The food was really delicious - short ribs are where it's AT! I loved that Jackie had food waiting for us at our seats when we entered the reception and she went through the buffet line and filled our plates right away so we could eat while the other tables were in line. You can tell they have weddings down to a science - everything like clockwork and they know what they're doing.

ke with the facility and got a response back from the financial coordinator, the e-mail was completely inappropriate. Text was highlighted and in multiple colors that didn't necessary apply to the questions that I had asked. Also, the venue that I chose for the reception had cabaret tables however the linens were just draped over and looked very unpolished (I was shown cabaret tables that had the linens tied at the bottom as a model). The food was good and the service the day of was good so that is why I am giving it a 3. For a place to be all about customer service, there are definite areas of improvement.

answered questions for us quickly and patiently, any time we asked (and we had a lot!). She met with me and my husband, my parents, and even let us check out the room throughout the year. She was organized, friendly, flexible, and accommodating, and even helped my parents pull off an outrageous surprise during our reception. I would recommend the Athenaeum to anyone looking for a large wedding venue. Everything was perfect, the food was great, and the initial list of approved vendors was so helpful! Thank you for everything!

nsplants, too. Finding the Athenaeum was a godsend. We looked at several different rooms, but knew instantly when we entered the Large Theater that it was "The One." Gina was a great, down-to-earth resource who guided us through the numerous decisions to be made. When neither the Station Menu or the heavy Hors D'oeuvres menu was exactly what we wanted, she worked with us to choose options from both, as well as some "unseen" options that ended up working exactly how we wanted. We enjoyed the food ourselves (Gina and an assistant made sure that in the chaos we got tastes of the cocktail hour offerings and plates of selections from each of our Italian, Mexican, and American dinner stations, so we didn't have the issue of not eating that you hear of from so many other brides and grooms) and we've heard nothing but good feedback from our guests. The bar arrangements/pricing was also one of the big draws and saved us considerably versus other venues we had looked at. The Athenaeum has some pretty strict rules about timing of set-up, take down, cookie tables, etc. but in fairness, they tell you about it all up front. We had a few disappointments along the way. Scheduling of appointments was a bit of a pain -- we were able to make it work, but my husband had to take time off of work to be able to meet with them during their business hours. We had questions about the menu but unable to speak with the Chef at the tasting reception after we had specifically been told they'd send him over. And I was a bit frustrated at a "standard" response when we'd finalized the order for everything (Food, linens, decor, alcohol, etc.) and I was told that if I didn't make pay our account in full on the same day they wouldn't be able to place our order and we could be responsible for "rush" fees. I understand that this is "normal", but our outstanding balance was approximately 1% of our total bill, and I believe the situation could have been handled with that in mind. Ultimately, though, these situations were minor in the grand scheme of the Big Day, which was just about perfect in all of the other ways.

l is covered so your day goes exactly how you imagined it to be!

the process making it fun and easy! One of the many awesome things about the Athenaeum is it’s a one-stop-shop for many wedding essentials, including food, linens, table & ceremony décor and alcohol. This saved us a huge amount of time and stress! Lori made a number of suggestions to not only keep us within our budget, but to create an absolutely beautiful setting for our night. She had some really great ideas and we couldn’t have been happier with how everything looked. A number of our guests said they had never been there before and couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. We had several people tell us ours was the best wedding they ever went to and I will tell you: we did NOT spend an exorbitant amount of money! From the stringed lights overhead, to the character of the older building, to the perfectly set tables, it was stunning, elegant, and sophisticated without being “stuffy” or over the top. One thing that’s different from other venues: you are not invited to a food tasting until after you sign a contract. We trusted the reviews we read (and Lori!) which said they are known for their excellent food and not to worry about not having a tasting in advance. They were absolutely correct! We still went to the tasting, which was very helpful in our food selections. Everything we chose was absolutely delicious and the meal was very reasonably priced. One of our friends who is a very picky eater couldn’t wait to tell us she loved everything! We were not excited about one of the alcohol rules: if you order to little, there’s an upcharge to buy more the day of your event. If you order too much, you can keep unopened beer and wine, but not spirits. We didn’t like the rule about the unopened spirits, but they said the Ohio liquor laws do not permit them to let you take it. We followed TCA’s guidelines for ordering and were pretty close on the spirits. We had a lot of beer left and some wine, which was fine since we were able to keep it. Having enough alcohol without overspending was one thing we worried about, and it honestly turned out just fine. The overall cost of the alcohol was pretty reasonable considering our reception was 5 hours long with a full, open bar. We used a mix of TCA preferred vendors and those who were not and were really happy with all of them. If you choose a non-preferred vendor, my advice is to choose someone who is at least familiar with the Athenaeum. It is a big place, they have multiple events going on at the same time and have fairly strict rules for vendors related to load-in/load-out times, etc. This is necessary to keep things running smoothly for your event, as well as the others going on at the same time. Another recommendation: spend a little extra for the photo booth! We used TCA’s. The price was competitive with other vendors, everyone loved it and at the end of the night we had a memory book with notes and silly photos from our friends and family which is a really fun keepsake! I cannot overstate what an absolutely perfect night we had! The TCA staff did a superb job assisting us in the planning, keeping the night running smoothly and creating a truly beautiful setting and experience we will never forget. For value, quality and ambiance, I highly recommend them!

m to the final load out at the wedding - every single detail was executed perfectly by their staff. The food is exquisite! We have a very "foodie" family and everyone raved about our wedding food. We had a buffet style diner but the staff served my husband and I and made sure we had drinks at all times. :) We were actually able to enjoy ourselves at our wedding. Every time I stopped in to make a payment or drop off a contract, the staff made me feel like I was their only client, when in fact they do hundreds events a year. We did lots of research on several types of venues including DIY style, and the cost for 160 guests at the Athenaeum was one of the most affordable options. And they did most of the work!

l staff and venue takes care of most everything. You don't have to hire and coordinate a lot of different vendors, which is a blessing as you get closer to the day. Highly recommend, our wording was unforgettable.

for a comfy spot to open gifts and chat. I did not plan the shower my self, of course, but my family and friends that did said that the staff was very friendly and easy to work with. During the shower the staff was attentive and helpful. It's also a great location, right downtown and easy to find, with a parking garage nearby. I highly recommend this venue!

food was, and how beautiful the Large Theater was for both our ceremony and reception. Jackie graciously worked around my ever changing work and nursing school schedule when planning and showing off the venue to my out-of-state family. She also was instrumental in bringing our (or my �) vision together to every last detail within our budget. I especially want to point out TCA was beyond accommodating to dietary needs. As the lone vegetarian in my family, it was nice to work with a group of people who made my dinner with my tastes in mind and not just "the vegetarian option" you would expect of other places. They also accommodated a guest with over 20 allergies needs delectably.

had to plan a wedding in just under 6 months, with him on the other side of the country and me with a full time job and graduate school, so I needed a full-service venue that would make this process as painless as possible. TCA exceeded all my expectations! It was affordable compared to many other venues I saw, but included way more for the money than I expected, and it was BEAUTIFUL. I got so many compliments from guests about how gorgeous and elegant the venue was, how delicious the food was, etc. They were so easy to work with, and so professional, it made planning the wedding a breeze. They nailed my vision perfectly, and both my husband and I are so incredibly happy with how everything turned out! Also, while I am certain any coordinator on staff would have been capable, I worked with Gina and she was AMAZING, so helpful and professional, with great tips and recommendations- she really made what could have been a pressured and stressful process seem easy and fun, and I cannot speak highly enough of her service. I could go on forever, but will end saying I would recommend TCA to any bride, you will not be disappointed!!

o knowledgeable and helpful. There was not a single thing that went wrong on their end all day long and the staff made everything happen while disappearing into the background. The rooms were beautiful and gave us the most gorgeous photos. Definitely go to the tastings in order to decide on your menu. We ended up choosing the second most expensive buffet option because the prime rib and mashed potato martinis were must-haves. We are so terribly happy we chose the Athenaeum. They do have rules and the price is not the cheapest, but it is absolutely a value for what you get- a beautiful, perfect day.

as a customer, I decided to write this review. When the appetizers came to my husband and my table, they were cold and when we asked for a hot plate they said there were no more but she would double check. A lot of my guests did not even receive an appetizer. The kids meals we ordered were delivered to the wrong children even though I gave them the table that the children would be at. The Athenaeum would not refund us any more than $500 even though our total guest count was almost 20 people short of what they charged us for. My wedding planner had warned me of the tricks they like to pull and how much they would charge us for each little thing and I still decided to give them a chance. I wish I hadn't because my wedding day was much less than exceptional. It was rushed by the coordinator they assigned to me and the atmosphere was extremely unprofessional once the final payment was made.

ptional. Jackie was great about answering any questions that we had along the way and her expertise was much appreciated. My friend hired a wedding planner, but TCA is so organized that I didn’t feel like I even needed one! We were married in the Priory and had our reception in the Small Theater. What a cool venue! The Priory photographs really well and is perfect for a more intimate ceremony (we had just over 100 guests). The Small Theater is gorgeous with the twinkly lights hanging up everywhere- the evening felt magical and our photos are breathtaking. The décor is already so pretty that we only spent $150 for the tables which we used for artificial leaves and table numbers. In addition to the money we saved on decor, we also appreciated how reasonably priced everything was (food, alcohol, space rental) when we compared it to other venues that we looked at. Guests LOVED the food and they also liked that the dance floor was on stage. The stage isn’t so high that guests felt on display dancing there, but it’s high enough that everyone could see our first dances from their seats. The staff at TCA are exceptional. We gave them the items that we wanted placed on the tables and they did the rest. Everything looked beautiful and it was so nice just being able to enjoy the day without having to worry about anything because we knew we were in good hands!

sed the small theater and it couldn't have been better. The lights make it seem like a fairytale. The food was wonderful, not to mention the great bartender. Every staff member is so helpful and has a great attitude. Jackie and the rest of the staff made it so easy on me. I love them for making our wedding day perfect!!

rything on schedule on the big day, but without being strict or pushy with us on the timeline - it was a perfect balance of allowing us to have fun but still making sure we got in everything we wanted to do. There was a great variety of choices for food, drink and decorations, and the venue was also super flexible in allowing us to bring in our own decorative items to give our personal touch to the big day (and they even set up those extra items for us). Overall, I could not have asked for a more perfect venue and staff for our wedding day, and I wouldn't change a thing! Our guests absolutely loved it as well!

ctacular- linens, chairs, candles, centerpieces, lighting, etc.- everything came together in the most perfect way. Gina was absolutely incredible. She answered questions, offered suggestions, and kept us in the loop every step of the way. I could not have asked for a better TCA coordinator to help put our special day together. AMAZING. My husband and I went back to TCA after the wedding just to say 'goodbye'. She's truly wonderful. Compared to other venues, TCA is super affordable, especially considering the high quality of the food (seriously, guest are still raving about their meal), the event enhancements, and general packages. Things like cake cutting, set-up, menu card placement, etc. are all included AND TCA provides a healthy list of reputable vendors for flowers, photography, cake, and music. Working with TCA makes all of the planning so much easier and less stressful. I honestly could go on about how wonderful our TCA experience was for a lifetime. My husband and I are so pleased with how everything turned out and will certainly look fondly on our wedding ceremony and reception for many, many years to come. We've already joked that we'll be back for a vow renewal in 10+ years. Seriously. :)

places we had initially looked at for our reception. All the staff at TCA is very polite and professional (over the phone and in person). It was great to have everything in one place - food, alcohol, linens, centerpieces, etc. They literally take care of everything for you. We were even able to take the beer and wine back with us and had an after party. For our event, we worked with Jackie who was outstanding!!! She was very personal, organized, and accommodating. She made sure every little detail was in place and everything was perfect. The food at our wedding was phenomenal (even though we did not necessarily think that at the tasting). We did the platinum buffet. We had several people comment that it was the best food they ever had at a wedding. The donuts were a huge hit - would highly recommend! Absolutely everything was perfect, and we had such a fun time! Thank you so much Jackie and TCA staff!!! We cannot express our gratitude enough!

, answer all questions, and give insights on what works best in the space. From food, to decorations, to alcohol, to linens the Athenaeum worked with us to get exactly what we wanted. They went above and beyond to make our wedding perfect and we are so grateful! Our guests are still raving about how beautiful the venue was and how AMAZING the food tasted!! You will not be disappointed by this venue!

kie Kelley, to the customer relations manager, Lori Fiske, to the executive chef, Lynn Kirch and the GM, Susan Cassidy,and all who made this a night to remember, our many thanks go out! The room was splendid, the decor fine, the food delicious, and the atmosphere fun and elegant! It was a dream come true for the bride and groom! A fabulous time was had by all as reported by several of our guests!! We appreciate more than words can express how wonderful and memorable this day was made by all that you did!! God Bless you all!

he Macedonian Room which comfortably fit all 200 of our guests. We had our reception in the Olympian Ballroom which was the best choice we made throughout the wedding planning process. Not only is the room absolutely gorgeous, but it was also extremely spacious! We received many compliments from our guests about the beautiful set up. I am also extremely happy with the coordinating staff at the Athenaeum (big shout out to Gina!). There was not one thing that I had to worry about the entire night. The Columbus Athenaeum was the perfect venue for my husband and I. We recommend TCA to any bride who is looking for an elegant, spacious, and easy to plan venue.

ony, cocktail hour, and reception, along with how beautiful and unique the venue was. I was also told by several guests that it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding. I'm so glad I had my wedding there!

Theater and they help advise me so that everything would look perfect and it did. I'm so very glad I pick to have my reception here.

so many complements on the venue, food, and staff from our wedding guests. I would HIGHLY recommend this venue to anyone planning a wedding! You will not be disappointed! Thanks again Gina!! You are the best!

ig day. This venue is very unique and perfect for a downtown wedding. The food was soooooo good and the chef was able to provide amazing options for our guests with food allergies! We loved having our wedding here!

d the staff were fabulous to us and our guests and made sure that the entire night ran smoothly. We've received so many complements on the room, the food, the decor, etc. There isn't one thing that I'd change. Overall an amazing experience and day. Thank you Gina and The Columbus Athenaeum!!!

n if that meant TCA lost a few hundred dollars). The rooms are so stately that we used very little additional decorations. We received countless compliments on the food and atmosphere. TCA is upfront from the very beginning about rules and timing (when you're allowed in the room and when you have to be out). We also only used recommended vendors from the provided list from TCA. We did not want to risk a vendor new to TCA struggling with getting in and out of the room on time and causing us extra $$. We did not feel we needed to hire a 3rd party wedding planner since we had Gina and our DJ on site to keep everything running smoothly. Our banquet captain (Ben) did a great job and keeping my husband and I hydrated and taking care of anything we requested. We hand-picked 3 couples to help take decorations/cake/gifts home with them that night, and Ben worked with each to get them loaded out before our deadline. Overall, I would recommend The Columbus Athenaeum to anyone considering a Downtown Columbus wedding.

f town, so the proximity to the airport and ease of walk to the hotel were imperative. It was also nice to be near to other fun places so that out of town guests had places to see/things to do if they arrived the day before/early/stayed after. The venue was also great for us as we wanted it to have a bit of an city feel while also being "classic and elegant." The Athenaeum was just that! Planning:We actually started our experience at the Athenaeum with another planner who is no longer with the venue. I will say that she was much colder and a little more hesitant to do what we wanted. But it was all better when we got to work with Gina! She was fantastic! She really listened to what we wanted and gave us ideas on how to (affordably) achieve what we were wanting. She was also a great partner on helping us when we really didn't have a plan (i/e how much alcohol to purchase, food choices). She was very honest, and upfront. We knew that she wasn't just offering us the most expensive options, but the best options for us! The day of: One word, Amazing! The room was set up exactly as we had expected it to be. Everything that we provided (favors, thank you card, heritage table) was set up as we had advised. The room looked fantastic! Also, all of the events occurred on time and all of our guests seemed to get where they needed to go without any issue. The service staff were wonderful too! Although, my husband and I didn't get much time to eat, we were waited on hand and foot and never wanted for anything! It was also fantastic that the staff really handled all set up and tear down, we only had to drop of the additional things that we wanted to include and arrange for people to load gifts, excess alcohol and decor afterwards. Like I said: Amazing! Just a few things that I would call out: 1/ They host a lot of weddings at the same time. This made the rehearsal time for us a little different (mid-day the day before). Also, there are a lot of people attending other weddings around, but I will say that I only noticed this one time. Otherwise, they do a really good job of making it feel like it is only you! 2/I don't think that this differs from any other place that I looked into for the wedding, but you feel like you get charged for a lot of little things (i/e if you want floor length/different color table linens, you are going to pay for it). 3/They are also very strict with load-in and load-out times. It wasn't anything that we struggled with, but it doesn't quite give off an "at your service" vibe. None of the above kept us from enjoying our day! Like I have said, it was exactly (if not better) what we wanted. The people at the Athenaeum were wonderful and I would recommend this venue to others without hesitation.

inclusive venue! I would definitely suggest The Columbus Athenaeum to other brides or people looking for an event space. Our food was delicious and everyone complimented it all night, the space was beautifully set up, and the staff were quick to help the bridal party with anything they needed. I'm giving the Athenaeum 4/5 stars because there were some problems with our event, but they were minor. 1. The staff lost our cake knife & server, and we had to use theirs. They found it by the end of the night & returned it. 2. The alcohol ordering process involves the client choosing quantities of each alcohol, but the mixers are the Athenaeum's responsibility. They ran out of several juices and fruits during the event, and that was irritating since we didn't choose how many to order. 3. I also asked the staff to speak with my parents if we ran out of any alcohol because they were paying for the bar, and I didn't want to know if we were running out. However, the staff came straight to me once we ran out of wine. I went with the flow and pointed out my parents, I just wished I didn't have to worry about money during the event. The only other note I would say is the Athenaeum is very strict about timelines and rules. If you aren't willing to have a venue like that, then maybe look elsewhere. Even though a few minor problems happened during our event everything else was perfect!

sons, she hand-picked Gina Cristofani to be our new coordinator. Gina was fantastic! She met with us within days of the switch, put us at ease with her expertise and knowledge of weddings and our specific wedding plans, and was always quick to respond to any questions my husband and I or my parents had. We were able to bring all our decor items down for setup the week of, which was very helpful! My husband and I were even given the chance to get a sneak peek at our rehearsal of the Oak Room. The day before and the day of, she was on site, came to find me when I arrived at TCA, helped throughout the evening with getting us ready for the ceremony, getting our things downstairs, getting our guests down to the cocktail hour, and even came to find me before she left for the evening to see if there was anything else we needed from her or the rest of the staff. Everything was beautiful, and I wouldn't change a thing! They do have rules there and are sticklers for time, but we managed to abide by them just fine with no issues. The rest of the staff were equally as friendly and helpful - our captains at dinner were fantastic (1 saw me carrying my plate back from our stations and ran over to carry for me so I didn't spill anything on my dress!), they were constantly around making sure everyone had what they needed, and just very pleasant people to work with. Our decor went perfectly with the Oak Room, and we heard they are still talking about it! We had so many compliments from the staff - from the head chef to those helping us load carts into the service elevators to take to our cars at the end of the night. And the food was equally as fabulous! My husband and I knew we'd miss the cocktail hour due to pictures, but once we arrived we had our appetizer options (the meatball bar – which is a must!!, Spanakopita, Anti-Pasta platter options, and Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts) were waiting for us at our spots (which TCA told us they do for the Bride and Groom). All the station options we had picked we had personally tried at the tasting date and they did not disappoint! The head chef was there carving the Prime Rib, we had a pasta and mashed potato station, side items, the Chicken Beurre Blanc – all of it was delicious! Just like when we had sampled it all back in February. Also a plus is that the leftover wine and beer we were able to take home with us to use again in the future (since they are bought through the venue by the case). I know I will highly recommend TCA to any bride, and I know if we ever need a space (large or small) for a company function or other event, we'll definitely consider TCA. It wasn't the cheapest, nor the most expensive, but with what we got, it was definitely money well spent!! Thank you so much to Gina and the TCA staff! You were absolutely wonderful to work with, and thanks for making our wedding a dream come true!

t fit for us. We worked with Gina from beginning to end and she was such a great help. She was very knowledgeable about the space and the options the Athenaeum were able to offer. The food at the reception was also wonderful, so good! Overall, it was a great experience. I wouldn't change a thing!

everything from picking the menu to the decorations completely stress-free. She was a pleasure to work with! It was so nice to have TCA handle the food, decor and alcohol so I didn't have to find any outside vendors. The ballroom itself is beautiful so you really don't need a lot of extra decor, but they still have a lot of options to choose from. The food turned out great and several of our guests complimented about how good everything tasted. Overall, we were very happy and would definitely recommend TCA!

ally the Oak Room. We had a vision with the food, linens, flowers, decoration, etc. but it could not have materialized without your hard work and guiding hand. Everyone commented about the entire experience and we know they really enjoyed themselves as did we. Please share with Chef Len that the food did not disappoint. We had so many people tell us it was the best food they ever had at a wedding and I would have to agree. I wasn’t able to sample everything but it wasn’t from a lack of trying!!! I can still taste the prime rib - yummmm. The staff did their job seamlessly and we hardly knew they were there as they went about their work but responded quickly with any request. They were very helpful in getting us carts etc. and helping us get to the loading dock and in record time. When I looked at my watch with the last load it said 11:28. Even I couldn’t believe it. I can not think of a single thing that went astray or was an issue. That is quite a feat. Again, thank you so much for the effort you made and how easy you were to work with.

process. Every time I email my event manager, Gina she gets back to me super quick. She's been really helpful with recommending vendors, day of timeline, and pretty much anything else wedding related! I'll be sure to leave another review once our event is over, but so far I have nothing but great things to say about the Athenaeum!

ing very easy and were always professional. They have a lot of helpful paperwork outlining all of the options for food, set-up etc. The room was beautiful, and I loved that the food was in one area (not seen in the main area where we ate) and that there was a separate area for cocktail hour. Ive received rave reviews on the food and I agree! It was great, we went with the shortribs and apricot porkloin! Our appetizers were a big hit too- bacon wrapped water chestnuts, meatball bar and brie bites! It is annoying to have to clear everything out the night of the wedding, but I put an aunt/uncle in charge and they went to the Renaissance, picked up my car, and filled it with everything from presents to cardbox and the floral arrangements. That made things really easy. We were married close by at St Johns The baptist church, room block at the renaissance and rehearsal dinner at due amici- our guests loved that everything was close! TCA was an awesome pick and Im so glad we had a huge party there!

hard time making decisions and she was never at a loss for words in helping me to chose things! I also liked that she explained why she liked and didn't like things! She knows the venue so well and will let you know what works and doesn't work. We got married in the Priory room. I switched out the chair covers to Ivory and it really brightened the room and made it feel very "churchy"... We chose to have the wedding here as everyone was from out of town and the convenience made it easier on all. We had our reception in the Grand Ballroom. It was simply amazing. From the photo booth, to the linens. My guest are still raving! And my photos are FLAWLESS!! 6 weeks later and I'm still getting compliments on how wonderful the meatball bar and bacon water chestnuts are! If you are looking for the unique venue with a wonderful, helpful staff- Look no further, ladies! And request Danielle, although, all the staff were amazing!

in helping us with the transition, and our reception was more beautiful than I ever expected. The staff was organized and took all of the stress out of the small details of planning, and had everything covered for us. We saved so much money on our bar with the way TCA has you preorder all alcohol. The food was great and we even got to meet the chef who helped us in our selections. We were so lucky our original venue closed because nothing could ever compare to the reception we had at the Athenaeum!

Large Theater. The staff was very professional and Gina did an outstanding job making all of my visions come to life with how I wanted our wedding & reception to be. They literally handle everything for you in regards to set up, which makes wedding day stress minimal! Our friends and family can't stop telling us what an amazing time they had. Everything from the food to the linens was perfect. This is by far the perfect wedding venue because it has multiple rooms depending on your price range and guest count. You can't go wrong! The food was delicious and above our expectations, we chose the Ruby buffet with a few upgrades to allow more options for guests and it was easier on us to not have to keep track of who wanted which entree! If we had one complaint it was that the night went too quickly! You can't go wrong with this venue!

tion!! Ann was our event coordinator and she was absolutely incredible! I am a very Type A person, and she was so organized, always responding to my emails within hours, answering any and all of my questions, and going above and beyond and match our vision of what we wanted our reception to be! When the day of the wedding came, Ann was right there, making sure that everything went smoothly and seamlessly, and it did! With her helping me plan the reception, there was no need for an outside wedding planner/coordinator. Our reception was absolutely stunning – our guests could not stop telling us how beautiful the ballroom looked! It perfectly fit our vintage, classic theme. The pricing is very reasonable as well! TCA has a pretty long and detailed contract, and they have many rules about anything and everything you could think of, so just make sure you read through everything prior to signing the contract and ask as many questions as you can think of!! We never had an issue, but only because we always asked Ann about décor, our cookie table, flowers, etc. beforehand! The best part of booking our reception at TCA was its location – our ceremony was at the Columbus Museum of Art (maybe 6 blocks down the street from TCA) and our hotel room block was at the Renaissance Hotel, which was right across the street! There was no need for shuttle service before/after the reception because everyone was able to walk to and from. It was so convenient! Also, the food was outstanding. Every single person who came to our wedding told us how delicious the food was!! My only complaint was their time restrictions. Our reception ended at 11:00 pm, and we had to be out (and by we, I mean every single person, vendor, decoration, etc.) by 11:30 pm or else we would be charged $100 for every 15 minutes you go over (which I think is absolutely ridiculous). We were able to make it out by 11:20 pm, but that wasn’t the type of stress I wanted at the end of my wedding day! We couldn’t book any later than 11 pm or else I would have just added an additional hour from the get-go. Regardless of this, TCA helped my husband and I create the perfect reception and one unforgettable night! I would definitely recommend this venue to anyone planning a wedding!!

and everyone had a blast at our wedding and reception! The venue is gorgeous (we chose the large theatre for both the wedding and the reception) and everyone was commenting on how beautiful and unique the setting was.

tor, Gina, to handle all the little details. We used the Macedonian Room for our ceremony and it was beautiful and fit all of our 180 guests. We invited 275 and the room holds 200 and is the largest ceremony room they have besides doing both ceremony and reception in the same larger reception space together. You only get 30 minutes to rehearse and the time is given to you (typically 3-3:30pm on Friday for a Saturday ceremony so party members had to take off work) and have strict time constraints and in the contract it states you will be charged $100 for every 15 minutes you go over on both rehearsal and reception times so just be leery and plan ahead. We had no issues with this and the vendors for the reception that are on their list know about this and plan accordingly as well. Our reception was in the ballroom. It was gorgeous and the food was delicious. We had ice cream sundaes and hot chocolate for our cocktail hour and everyone loved it. My only complaint was that it was pre-scooped and it was all melted, and there was a great variety of toppings. The guests loved this sweet treat and our "eat dessert first" mentality. The captain didn't seem to know that there were drinks pre-selected to have at the head table for toasts right away and came out to ask before we walked in what we wanted to drink. I told her those arrangements had already been made and there should be drinks there for the whole party. There was a lull and miscommunication between when speeches were going to be done and when dinner would be started. 10-15 minutes passed and no one was eating or talking so I said lets start eating but it didn't seem like the food was ready to be served. There were no attendants at the mashed potato martini bar (an upgraded cost) and people had no idea what the glasses were there for and just put the potatoes on their plates instead. We had a sparkler exit arranged with lighters and sparklers dropped off with our decor and my husband went to the coordinator to find them because they weren't anywhere around the reception space under a table or anything and they were locked up in the office and the lighters were still packaged and not ready, so he spent time on that. People didn't get cake as it took so long to get it served after our cutting. We also had a family member who has epilepsy have a seizure at the reception due in part to the heat of the ceremony room. Our family had it handled and the staff asked if they needed to do anything. We asked for a chair and water and never got them or any other check to see if he was okay and they seemed very unprepared for anything like this to happen. Luckily it wasn't a bad seizure and he was able to enjoy the rest of the evening but I was not impressed how the staff handled the situation. We also had memory photos of loved ones at the ceremony that were supposed to go to the reception and no one got them and my MOH set it up instead. Gina was fabulous with her communication and planning. It's a pretty venue with great food, but I don't think for the thousands of dollars we spent the service was what it should have been & staff was not up to par and my husband and I should not have had to lift a finger for the $$ spent.

y it! We had both of ceremony and reception there and both rooms were beautiful! Thank you Gina!

ing that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding - the station package with the mashed potato bar is a must! We had our ceremony in the Priory with the reception in the Small Theater - definitely great to have them right across the hall from each other, given that the majority of our guests were from out of town, so almost zero travel time between ceremony and reception. Also, if you ask, they can give you wi-fi for the day if you need to Skype the wedding to those who can't be there (we had to for my mother-in-law, who was in the hospital). Would definitely recommend!