On the Venue Hunt

Ok, so wedding planning is completely overwhelming, even with a year and a half to plan. Now that I've sorted out my graduation and job hunt, I've finally found time to start getting to that planning thing. Unfortunately, Jeromy went from studying for the CPA exam to tax season at a new firm, which meant that work was the only thing on his mind.

So I carefully waded into the venue hunt on my own. And let me tell you, it's a scary place.

We are pretty specific with our venue needs. We know we want to get married outside, so the venue has to have a pretty backdrop for our nuptials. We know we want to have the ceremony at the same place as the reception, so the venue has to have space and accommodations for both. We know we want to be married in or around Lafayette, since this place is now our home.

As it turns out, our needs seem to be a bit too specific for our area. There's only a handful of places in the Lafayette area that have an outdoor ceremony spot that won't cost an arm and a leg (and another arm and another leg).

Here are the three I narrowed it down to:

Vermillionville

Location: Broussard, LA
Description: Opened in 1990, Vermilionville is a living history museum and folklife park that promotes and propagates the cultural resources of the Acadian, Native American, and Creole cultures – from the time period 1765 to 1890. The park sits on a 23-acre site on the banks of the Bayou Vermilion with 19 attractions, including seven restored original homes with more than 13 local artisans that provide demonstrations on a variety of essential crafts performed by the early settlers.

Acadian Village

Location: Lafayette, LA

Description: LARC's Acadian Village Lafayette's oldest authentic vision of life in 19th century Southwest Louisiana and a showcase of historic homes alongside winding bayous depicting the unique Acadian architecture of the time. A blacksmith shop, general store and two event venues are also located in the village. LARC's Acadian Village exists as the fundraising arm of LARC, a 501 c(3) non-profit organization that provides vocational and residential services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. All revenues generated from event venue rentals, group tours, school field trips, fundraisers and retail sales benefit LARC.

The Victorian

Location: Broussard, LA

Description: Listed on the National Historic Register, the Victorian was built in 1911 and is to date the largest Victorian house in Acadiana. Though the property is not an actual Plantation, the variety of unique areas add a sense of scale and depth reminiscent of one. The home was built by Paul Billeaud, who had the largest sugar cane mill in Louisiana at the time. Restored in 1994 and renovated in 2012, the property is now designed to function as the most beautiful and accommodating wedding and event venue in the area. For groups from an intimate 25 guests to nearly 800, the property has a dynamic set of venue spaces that can work together as one cohesive event, or independently as intimate areas. With endless amenities and full ADA access, this property can accommodate all your guests special needs.

I have absolutely no idea which one we will end up with, but now that tax season is over, Jeromy gets to jump in on the planning and help me decide which place will be where we tie the knot!