Venue Review! --Crowne Plaza, Atlanta GA--

Something that I've been wanting to do for FOREVER is venue reviews. We play so many weddings at so many different venues, and let me tell you, the venue the you choose for your wedding is EVERYTHING! You'll find a lot of client reviews online, but there are a ton of logistical aspects that the vendors deal with--things that the clients are often unaware of. Hopefully a vendor's perspective will give brides and grooms a better idea of things to ask their venue, as well as what to look for in a great venue.

My goal is to give a completely unbiased, honest review of venues where we play. The good, the bad, and everything in between!

To be completely clear, this is NOT a statement about any particular wedding that we have played at the venue, but rather an unadulterated review of the venue itself. 

First up, CROWNE PLAZA in Atlanta, GA.

All of the photos in this post are courtesy of AHP Photo + Video, and I chose this particular wedding to highlight because of how much I loved these photos! Seriously, your eyes are in for a real treat with these pics. Have you ever seen such a precious couple? AND THAT DOG OMG.

​Now then, on to the nitty gritty!

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Crowne Plaza Midtown, Atlanta GA

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PROS:

• Centrally located in the city
• Convenient for out-of-town guests or "destination" weddings. Not only would would it be easy for out-of-town guests to lodge at the hotel, but there would also be tons of fun things for guests to do nearby. (Tourist attractions, dining, shopping, etc.)
• Great skyline views of the city--lots of great opportunities for "rooftop" pics! Atlanta has a really beautiful skyline, and rooftop photos make for seriously stunning photos.
• "City" photos: Because of its location, this venue also provides a fun opportunity for folks to get some fun "city" photos down on the street. Scroll down to see some cute pics of these two strolling down the streets of Atlanta.
  

CONS:

• Parking: The parking situation at this venue is pretty bad. They do not validate parking for vendors--they just give a tiny discount on parking for vendors, not to mention that the discount is a huge hassle to even acquire. Parking ends up being $10-$15 per car (my memory is not perfect on the exact amount,)  which can really add up for vendors. There is an option to valet park, but it is $30 per car, so financially it's just not a good option.
  

• Logistics: It's also a bit of a logistical headache. The vendor parking lot is very difficult to get to, and it is an EXTREMELY long walk from the vendor parking garage to the actual ballrooms. And I mean that quite literally. It can easily take 30 minutes to park and walk to the venue. You have to walk through multiple different buildings, taking these sort of sky-bridge walkways between buildings, and then once you're inside the hotel, you have to then get to the proper floor, etc. We have a good bit of gear that we have to carry with us (music stands, instruments, etc.) so when venues make it difficult for us to unload our stuff and get it to the actual ceremony site, it is a big downside for us. Doing valet parking would make logistics infinitely more convenient and easier, but the financial burden of valet parking is a big consideration.

Take a look at that view though!!!!! 

• Lighting: Something that I notice with a lot of venues is that there are often a lot of windows, which is both a great thing, and sometimes a not so great thing, depending on which way the sun is coming in. The Crowne Plaza has tons of floor to ceiling windows, which is great except for the areas that end up being "backlit." I'm not a photographer, but I do know that it's difficult for photographers to get good indoor photos when things are backlit with the bright sun. If a photo is backlight, what *can* end up happening is that the subject of the photo is a silhouette  and whatever is outside the windows ends up being a white haze. AHP Photo +Video did an amazing job photographing this venue! Not all photographers could have done such a good job with these windows. (Sidebar: no matter the venue, floor to ceiling windows can sometimes get very hot!)
  

Gahh look at this preciousness! I HAVE NEVER LOVED A RING BEARER DOG AS MUCH AS I LOVE THIS PUP.

YESSSSS CITY STROLLING CUTENESS

I CANNOT HANDLE THE CUTENESS OF THIS BRIDAL PARTY. 

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Overall score: 5 out of 10. This venue gets a low score mainly because of the parking and logistical difficulties. Venues that make it more difficult for vendors to work are always going to get low marks from me!

Puppy score: 12 out of 10 for unbelievable cuteness and preciousness

If there is a venue that you'd like me to review, let me know in the comments below!