Venues We Love | Houston Wedding Blog

Venues We Love: InterContinental Houston…Plus Weekend Getaway Giveaway

Venues We Love: InterContinental Houston
Photos: Nhan Nguyen Photography ~ Venue: InterContinental Houston Hotel

If you attended January’s I Do! Bridal Soiree, you got a chance to witness, first-hand, the majesty of the InterContinental Houston Hotel’s Legends Ballroom. As the site of our spectacular 2012 runway show, the Legends Ballroom dazzled with its 18-foot ceilings and elaborate chandeliers. With all eyes focused on the runway, many of you may have missed the venue’s many other fabulous features—so let’s just lay them out for you, shall we? First off, there are the ballroom’s regal cherry-mahogany walls, which imbue a sense of grandeur befitting even the most elegantly formal wedding occasion. Then, just beyond the ballroom’s doors, in the glass-walled foyer (a favorite pre-function space), there is that incredible spiral staircase—perfect for your grand entrance as a newly minted Mrs. Add to that a gracious and ultra-efficient staff, and some of the finest culinary talent in the country, and the fact that the Legends Ballroom can accommodate a wedding reception for up to 800 of your nearest and dearest—while a couple of smaller, but no less luxurious, ballrooms can host more intimate groups—and, well, InterContinental Houston catering manager and wedding expert Chantal Lavin says it best: “The location, ballrooms, culinary team and staff make the InterContinental Hotel Houston the choice for sophisticated and savvy brides.”

Want to learn more about available dates, or schedule a visit? E-mail Chantal, or click here.

Oh—and here’s something else the InterContinental Houston has besides beautiful ballrooms: spacious, stylish guest rooms with insanely comfortable beds and city views for miles. The kind of room you’ll luxuriate in with the love o’ your life when you score one of our TWO two-night, weekend getaways, which include a Friday & Saturday night stay, plus a lazy, lavish breakfast in the The Restaurant—the InterContinental’s global-cuisine dining destination.

To Enter: E-mail us with your name, fiancé’s name, wedding date and reception venue. Please do NOT enter more than once—duplicate entries will be deleted. Entry must be emailed BY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012. Two randomly selected winners will be notified, and announced on Facebook the following week. Good luck!

Venues We Love: Messina Hof Winery

There was a time when a Houston gal would have to make her way to California wine country (fiancé, friends and family in tow) if she fancied a vineyard wedding. Not so anymore—not when she’s got 100 acres of wine country splendor right here in her own backyard.

We’re talking about Messina Hof—the toast of Bryan, Texas, and a wine- and food-loving couple’s dream location for the celebration of a lifetime. A little Italian, a little German, and very proudly Texan (the winery and its wines have won countless local and national honors, including “One of the USA’s Finest Winery Experiences” from “Bon Appetit” magazine), this combination working vineyard, restaurant, tasting bar and villa is a standout in a region of really amazing places to tie the knot.

Picture this: saying your vows at sunset on a verdant private estate, beneath a flower-bedecked gazebo beside a sparkling spring-fed lake—then celebrating with sumptuous food and, of course, divine wines, overlooking 42 acres of vineyards aglow in the moonlight, whilst dancing the night away, surrounded by the people you love most.

And Messina Hof’s awesome for bachelor/bachelorette bashes, engagement parties, bridal showers and rehearsal dinners, too. What, we ask, is NOT to love? And if you haven’t yet entered out Messina Hof Private Wine Tasting for 20, well, what, we ask, is stopping you??

Venues We Love: Magnolia Hotel Houston

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 22^nd-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.

Venues We Love: The Majestic Metro

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!

Venues We Love: House of Blues

Just the words “Foundation Room” are filled with hip, VIP mystique and a promise of exclusive, upscale, elegantly wicked fun. So of course the Foundation Room at House of Blues is a perfect spot for special wedding-related soirees. But there’s so much more to love about House of Blues than its Foundation.

For instance, did you know that HOB’s intimate Elwood Room is a great setting for an afternoon shower? “And guys don’t mind the couple’s shower when they can hang in The Jake Bar Lounge,” promises House of Blues special event sales manager Lauren MacQueen. How’d you like to “party like a rock star in our Big Mama Suite?” MacQueen wants to know. You can, you know, at your ultra-exclusive bachelor or bachelorette party, behind closed doors, with an overhead view of the legendary House of Blues stage. For an unforgettable engagement celebration, book the Bronze Peacock room, which features “playfully sophisticated decor and a dedicated stage for a band or DJ,” plus a cool outdoor terrace, perfect for setting up a cigar bar or hookah lounge. Or treat guests to a morning-after-the-wedding “Gospel Brunch”–there’s no more enjoyable penance for the previous evening’s celebratory hijinks. And that aforementioned Foundation Room? Inspired by the Near East and featuring Persian carpets, beautiful chandeliers and an eclectic display of art from HOB’s private collection, it’s a near perfect mixture of sophistication and peacefulness. Naturally, the food, drinks and service are fabulous, too. Rehearsal dinner, anyone?

Of course, for the ultimate rock ’n roll wedding, there’s no venue more fitting than HOB’s legendary Music Hall. “The bride and groom take center stage as guests view the ceremony from The Mezzanine,” then the entire entourage joins the stars of the show downstairs for a lavish reception on the main floor. For details on how you can hook up HOB for your wedding-related celebration, call 832.667.7757 or click.