With the combination of family, friends, good food, great music, and an open bar, there’s little Southerners love more than a wedding. And spring is the high season—nobody is eager to stuff himself into a tuxedo in August. From vineyards in Charlottesville to historic homes in Charleston to private clubs and museums in the Crescent City, choice venues book up well in advance. If you’re looking ahead to spring 2017 nuptials, consider these four new Southern event spaces—but do it fast.
The Barn at Champions Retreat
Evans, Georgia
Christened at this year’s Masters, the Barn at the Champions Retreat—a picturesque private golf club just outside Augusta with a trio of nine-hole courses designed by three of the game’s greats: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player—is both rustic and refined. The 10,000-square-foot space with rough-hewn pine walls, custom chandeliers made from repurposed glass bottles, a grand brick fireplace, and a full-service kitchen can seat 250 people for dinner and hold 400 for cocktails. On nice nights, guests spill out onto the patio.—championsretreat.net
The Cedar Room
Charleston South Carolina
The Holy City is arguably the South’s most popular wedding destination, with dozens of event venues dripping with charm. Now, you can add the Cedar Room to that list. Twin rows of columns line the 7,500-square-foot space, which is part of an old cigar factory that dates back to 1881, and floor-to-ceiling windows mounted in the building’s original brick walls offer magnificent views of the Ravenel Bridge arching over the Charleston harbor. There’s a built-in bar and a bridal suite, and Mercantile and Mash (of the city’s Indigo Road restaurant group) provides top-notch food and beverage service.—thecedarroom.com
The Cordelle
Nashville, Tennessee
Built in the 1800s in downtown’s Rutledge Hill neighborhood, this charming restored Victorian retains many of its original architectural details. The owners added a great hall off the back of the historic home with a soaring truss ceiling and a west-facing wall of windows and glass doors that let you easily take the party outside. A hundred-year-old hackberry tree shades the Cordelle’s lush 4,000-square-foot garden and courtyard. The chic second-floor loft acts as a bridal suite or staging area.—thecordelle.com
Whit’s Inn on the Creek (Camp Lucy)
Dripping Springs, Texas
The newest event space on Camp Lucy’s sprawling family-owned Hill Country spread, Whit’s Inn is housed in a stunningly revamped barn nestled on the banks of Onion Creek. The team behind Ian’s Chapel and Sacred Oaks—two other Camp Lucy venues—designed the barn with rehearsal dinners in mind. The spacious room can seat up to a hundred guests at long farm tables. There’s also a built-in bar, first-class food, picture windows that overlook the Lone Star State landscape, even a living wall of rich green succulents.—camplucy.com
