The Market at Grelen

ace and they want to come back. Amanda, the wedding coordinator of the Market was incredible. She was very accommodating all of our needs and was on top of everything. She was so pleasant to work with. Every direction that you turn was the great photo spot. We did not want to leave for the reception because we were having too much fun taking pictures. I would recommend any couple who is looking for a charming and beautiful place where you can enjoy the nature and the landscaping of Virginia, this is the place to go for!

rain which encompasses their tent pad, to the more noticeable features such as access to their trees and plants from the nursery - the experience at the Market at Grelen is TOP NOTCH and one that I thoroughly enjoy planning with all my clients. If you're looking for a unique venue that is an authentic expression of the Virginia countryside - look no further than the Market at Grelen. They've built quite an impeccable event venue! Orpha Events loves to work there!

all over the venue. I knew the day of the wedding there would be no stress or logistical issues. The Market at Grelen is a one of a kind, beautiful and unique venue that made our wedding day absolutely perfect!!

e most important factor and decision you make for ensuring you have a wedding that you love. It provides the backdrop and sets the tone for the type of wedding you want to have and remember forever. The Market perfectly matched my vision for a romantic, secret garden wedding that was outdoors but was still elegant and sophisticated feeling. And with the numerous locations for photos, my photographer was having more ideas for photos than we had time for! The greenhouse, gardens, berry fields, sheds, barns, grooves and numerous other locations we never even saw exceeded our expectations for photo opportunities! We had our ceremony between the 2 large trees right beside the tent which was perfect for having our DJ play music as we walked down the aisle and also to use a microphone for our officiant since it can sometimes be hard to hear outdoor ceremonies. The close proximity to the tent was also very helpful for our elderly guests who wouldn't do well walking long distances. The backdrop in our ceremony pictures is absolutely stunning! Rolling hills, fluffy clouds and greenery as far as you can see! We chose to have the clear top on the tent and it was spectacular when the sun went down. Everyone was taking pictures of the stars and sunset through the tent and it provided the most wonderful romantic feeling to see the colors streak across the sky as I danced with my new husband! The stone flooring was perfect for dancing, easy for our older guests to walk on, and gave it a very sophisticated feeling without it feeling formal. The Market provided the dinner tables, chairs for the ceremony (which were moved inside for dinner) and wine barrel/wood bars for the buffet and deserts all of which perfectly matched the feel of our wedding. The bathrooms were provided by the venue since we had fewer than 100 guests which was incredibly nice to have real bathrooms to use during the wedding! (sometimes it's the small things you appreciate most!) Sarah the venue coordinator was very helpful, although the communication was at times slower than I would have liked. However in her defense, we had a very long engagement so our wedding venue point of contact changed three times, which may have contributed to the (at times) last of communication between parties. She was incredibly helpful and efficient with helping to arrange the tent with tables, bars and umbrellas the best way possible to seat everyone, picked a beautiful arbor for our ceremony, placed plants around the tent to help add to the romantic feeling and was an excellent point person for our caterer and photographer to go to with questions during the reception. She made our wedding day easier and had a very relaxing demeanor which was much appreciated before I walked down the aisle! Lastly, we had a very large wedding party so we decided to rent Spotswood Lodge for everyone to stay at for the wedding weekend. What an absolutely amazing house!! It was wonderful to get to spend so much time with our closest friends before and after we got married. The house was beautifully decorated, comfy, the beds were soft and the grounds stunning! I couldn't have been happier with my entire experience at The Market!

d talking about the pros/cons of Grelen vs other venues around Charlottesville. I chose The Market at Grelen because of my love for gardening and local produce. The first time I visited I knew I made the right decision. The taste level of the woman who buys products for the Market aligned 100% with mine. I knew that any aesthetic choice they made for me I would love, so I let them chose the plants for the ceremony, basic set-up, etc. Their tables and chairs are so beautiful that table cloths, etc aren't really needed. I ended up using some natural rattan charges so the white plates stood out from the white stone tables. Our guests were so pleasantly surprised by the natural beauty of the venue and loved the laid back nature of the ceremony and reception. While the venue provides a laid back vibe, there is so much attention to detail. I was so lucky to have beautiful natural/in-season plants at the ceremony, the topiaries by our ceremony, etc. I chose their gorgeous succulents for our table centerpieces to which they added amazing wooden/metal lanterns. There were a few logistics to overcome such as a costly rain plan (tent which thankfully I didn't need, but still had to put a deposit down on), lighting (lots and lots of votives), and help with setting the tables (mostly because I went with a BBQ vendor who didn't provide all of the staff that another catering company might have). Overall my husband, my family, friends, and I all thoroughly enjoyed the unique nature of The Market at Grelen and were so happy to have this as the setting for our wedding and reception.