Modern, urban, chic. But also relaxed, gracious, welcoming. With qualities like these, it’s no wonder “Condé Nast Traveler” magazine named the Magnolia Hotel Houston one of the top new 100 hotels in the world. International accolades are nice, sure, but what’s even nicer for brides are the Magnolia’s two distinct wedding locations, “each with a uniquely different feel,” says social catering manager Natalie Monk. First there’s the refined and sophisticated ballroom, which can accommodate 180 guests for dinner. Then there’s the Magnolia Club, which has a “lounge feel and relaxing vibe,” and walls filled with inspiring artwork. Monk says the space, with room for 250 celebrants, “is perfect for the couple looking to entertain their guests in a one-of-a-kind setting.” Top that off with a wedding-night stay in the hotel’s 22nd-floor, 1,500-square-foot Ross Sterling Presidential Suite (below)—sweeping city views, separate private bedroom, living room with fireplace, marble bathroom and full-size kitchen and bar included—and you’ve got, perhaps, the perfect wedding weekend. For more info call 281.657.2664 or visit the Magnolia at Weddings in Houston.
Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category
Venues We Love: Magnolia Hotel Houston
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
Houston Real Wedding: Sheila & Bilal
Monday, May 9th, 2011Well, it’s finally happened. The highly anticipated Westin Houston Memorial City has opened for business…and welcomed its first wedding. OK, so remember when we told you about Deborah and Joe, the adorable Houston couple who was slated to be the first couple to hold their wedding celebration at the new Westin, and, as such, got the chance to sign the walls and floor of the hotel? Well, it looks like another couple actually ended up being the FIRST first Westin Memorial wedding couple. Deborah and Joe will still wed at the Westin. But first-wedding honors go to lovely bride Sheila and her handsome groom Bilal, who signed on after Deborah and Joe but tied the knot before them. Got it?
The important thing is that Sheila and Bilal celebrated their wedding, rich with Pakistani tradition, and a whole lot of Houston pizzazz, along with nearly 500 of their friends and family. The bride wore five different outfits during the course of the ceremony and reception—a lavish event that closed a weekend-long wedding which began in Dallas and worked its way south. Check out the photos from NICO Photographers—gorgeous, no? Congratulations, Sheila and Bilal. And welcome, Westin Houston Memorial City!
Venues We Love: The Majestic Metro
Monday, April 25th, 2011
The bride is always the star of the show, no matter where she weds. But at The Majestic Metro, she can actually see her name up in lights. That’s because this historic Houston gem retains all of the theatrical grandeur of its former days as the Ritz theater, which opened in 1926 as a vaudeville/movie house. The alluring Downtown site no longer screens talkies, but it does feature the plush decor and ornate interior flourishes one associates with old-time cinemas (along with the state-of-the-art sound and lighting one typically does not–bonus!). We love that couples can bring in the caterer of their choice, we love the vast dance floor, and we LOVE that aforementioned marquee, where a bride and groom can enjoy top billing on the day they premiere as Mr. and Mrs.
All photos: J Cogliandro Photography (except top image, bottom right)
Like the idea of a spotlight wedding–but fancy yourself more rock star than film siren? Check out this recent post on another of our favorite Houston wedding hot spots!
Westin Memorial City’s First Wedding Couple Leaves a Permanent Mark
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
There will never be another Deborah and Joe. And there will never be another first wedding at the soon-to-open Westin Memorial City. Naturally the folks at the fabulous new Westin wanted to commemorate this sweet Houston couple’s very special status…by having them graffiti the walls and floor. Huh??
OK, so it wasn’t exactly spray tagging. But the couple was given a nice little marker and the chance to write their names and wedding date on the ballroom wall and the floor of the guest room where they’ll be spending their wedding night this coming May. “That way they will be a part of the hotel forever!” says Westin publicist Brittany Zucker. Check out Deborah’s bridal hard hat—so cute!
You won’t be able to take a pen to the walls at the Westin Memorial City (at least, not legally), but you CAN book this absolutely beautiful hotel for your wedding. We’ve got lots more details on the new Westin’s wow-worthy architectural features, design elements and ballroom space in this issue of the Wedding Buzz. Or visit the hotel virtually at Weddings in Houston.
Venues We Love: The Grove Houston
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
If you’ve visited Discovery Green (and if you haven’t, spring is a great time to check it out), you’ve probably caught sight of The Grove. The 10,000-square-foot glass, wood and steel restaurant—designed by Larry Speck, former dean of architecture at UT Austin, with interiors by Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group partner Candice Schiller—is a sight to behold. AND it’s the site where this month’s giveaway winner will be enjoying a very, very nice dinner with a very special someone. So make sure to get ON that if you haven’t already, Houston bride.
But did you know that The Grove is also an amazing place to have a foodie-friendly rehearsal dinner, engagement party or full-on wedding (three private rooms, room for 250 guests, outdoor ceremony space—everything you need)?
We love that this stunning space “happens to be among the most eco-friendly places in all of Houston,” as catering director Tatiana Escobar puts it. She points to The Grove’s on-site tomato and herb garden, and the restaurant’s use of “eco-friendly materials made from corn, sugarcane or coconut fiber,” along with its commitment to strict recycling and composting practices. Of course, green is great—but eco-friendly, architecturally captivating AND famed for its fabulous food? That’s even better. Escobar says that just like regular ol’ restaurant diners at The Grove, wedding guests take full advantage of chef Robert Del Grande’s “exquisite American Rustic menu featuring a range of tantalizing appetizers, salads, seafood, rotisserie specialties, steaks and decadent deserts,” and The Grove’s “stylish and precise service.” Yum. For more info call 713.337.7321 or visit The Grove at Weddings in Houston.
Welcome, Weddings in Houston 2.0!
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
It’s here! It’s finally here! We’re so excited to announce today’s launch of the new Weddings in Houston web site. As we promised, everything you love about the old site–Houston’s top wedding vendors, 360-degree virtual tours of Houston’s finest wedding venues, inspiring Houston Real Weddings, Houston’s hottest bridal and wedding events, in-depth articles and advice on just about any wedding topic you can imagine–remains. It’s all just a whole lot fresher, more convenient and easier to use.
Plus, we’ve added some awesome extras, including social media buttons that allow you to share info with friends at a click. Just booked your wedding at one of our featured hotels? Click the handy Facebook button on the property’s Weddings in Houston vendor page and update your friends. Found a fabulous centerpiece idea in one of our articles? Instantly e-mail it to your Houston wedding planner or floral designer. And about those articles–now you can search for them by topic. Just type a keyword or two into our article search, and you’re off and running.
You’ll also find more of the good stuff–more Houston wedding vendor categories, more photo galleries, more videos. We’re a whole lot faster, too.
See what we mean? It’s your beloved Weddings in Houston, only better.
Venues We Love: The Lancaster Hotel
Friday, February 4th, 2011
The Lancaster Hotel isn’t just home to The Bistro—the upscale American cuisine hotspot where this month’s giveaway winner will be enjoying a romantic dinner with her hubby-to-be—it’s also Houston’s only member of the esteemed Historic Hotels of America. What that means for a discerning Houston bride like yourself who may decide to wed at this stately theater district property is magnificently preserved architecture and décor, inside and out.
How you choose to use the classically European-styled space for your wedding day is up to you, but catering manager Adrienne Dedeaux-Solomon often recommends the lobby’s sweeping staircase for bridal portraits, and a pairing of the lobby and the adjacent Bistro for a reception of up to 150. What’s more, the venue’s dedicated staff can “plan all of your festivities, from the rehearsal dinner to in-room massages for your bridal party,” Dedeaux-Solomon notes. Plus, your visiting guests can take advantage of any number of the 93 “tastefully appointed rooms and suites” at this gem of a property, which travel guide “Frommer’s” has designated one of its “Favorite Romantic Historic Hotels in the USA.” A little bit of Houston history, a whole lot of national prominence, and all the attentive, every-little-detail-counts service you’d expect from a boutique hotel experience—that’s what you’ll find at The Lancaster. For more info, call 713.228.9500.
Venues We Love (And Are Going to Love Even More in About Five Months): St. Regis Houston
Thursday, December 9th, 2010
We’re already fans of The St. Regis Houston’s refined elegance and perfectly posh River Oaks location. We adore its incredibly attentive, detail-oriented service, overseen by the charming and gracious (not to mention incredibly sharp and creative) Tobias Rimkus, director of catering.
And when May rolls around, we’re going to have even more to love about the St. Regis Houston…1,200 more square feet to love, that is, plus luxurious new ballroom décor and furnishings, and brand-new, state-of-the-art electronics, sound systems and flexible lighting capabilities. That’s because in May, the St. Regis will unveil its gor-ge-ous $7 million ballroom and pre-function renovation, courtesy Dallas-based architectural and interior design firm ForrestPerkins. Brides will find space to accommodate more than 280 guests for a formal ceremony plus dinner—imagine making your entrance via the ballroom’s dramatic stairway, then greeting your guests for cocktails on the ballroom’s outdoor terrace, overlooking the lush greenery of Briar Oaks.
The St. Regis is accepting wedding bookings for dates starting May 22. And hard-hat tours will kick off once structural work is completed (you can check in with Tobias Rimkus at 713.840.7600 for updates). For now, check out these design boards for a glimpse at the rich color palettes, fine furniture and beautiful lighting you’ll be seeing live when doors to the reno’d space opens this spring.
Venues We Love: The Phoenix Special Events Facility and B&B
Friday, September 24th, 2010
Planning a wedding can be a stressful experience. Your wedding weekend shouldn’t be one. We love that The Phoenix Special Events Facility lets you buy out the entire site, including rustic-elegant event space, plus three charming bed-and-breakfast guest rooms, for an entire four days, at a very pretty price.
That means that you get from Thursday to Sunday to put the final touches on, fully enjoy, and even recover a little bit from your special day. And if you want to have all your wedding-weekend events in one place, you can do that, too. And what a place it is: 75 acres of picturesque countryside in Weimar, a mere 80 miles from Houston. You can enjoy a private pre-wedding celebration with your nearest and dearest, and the next day exchange your vows beneath a canopy of leafy oak boughs beside a sparkling lake, then dine and dance the night away, even treat your guests to a spectacular fireworks show, before retreating with your new hubby to the comfort of your private guest room. Without ever getting in a car.
The Phoenix is very accommodating to vendors, too—bring all your own, or use theirs. Owner and event coordinator Bruce Koehn is on hand to help you plan everything from start to finish, or simply help ensure that all runs smoothly on your big day. If you’re looking for comfort, relaxation and oodles of Southern hospitality for your Houston-area wedding, you really oughtta check out The Phoenix. Call Bruce at 979.733.0304 to schedule your visit—and tell him you found The Phoenix on the Houston Wedding Blog!
To Do This Week: The Bell Tower on 34th Open House (Today!), The Villa Rinata Open House (Tomorrow!)
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010There’s still time to RSVP for two totally fabulous Open Houses at two top Houston wedding venues. So do it. Now.
Photo by Evoke Photography and Video
This evening from 5-9 p.m., The Bell Tower on 34th welcomes to-be-weds and friends to sip, snack and mingle with vendors in an atmosphere of Old World elegance and grandeur. Which includes a 30-foot-high water wall. Wow!
The Bell Tower on 34th Bridal Open House
Wednesday, September 15
5 to 9 p.m.
901 West 34th St.
Houston, TX 77018
For more information and to RSVP call 713.868.2355 or e-mail
Tomorrow the Mediterranean-style Villa Rinata (Lordy, do we love those carved-stone arches and bubbling fountains—TOO romantic) invites brides and grooms to an oh-so-intriguing Masquerade Ball Open House. Be there for the magnificent décor, great music and unveiling of the venue’s brand-new Jewel Collection menus.
The Villa Rinata Bridal Open House
Thursday, September 16
5 to 8:30 p.m.
2840 Chimney Rock
Houston, TX 77056
For more information and to RSVP call 713.334.7765 or e-mail
