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 a 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
Great skyline views of the city--lots of great opportunities for "rooftop" pics!

CONS:
Parking and logistics are terrible! The parking situation at this venue is just about as bad as it gets. 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 get. Parking ends up being $15 per car, which really adds up!

It's also a bit of a logistical nightmare. 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 took us a full 30 minutes to park our cars and walk to the venue! You have to walk through multiple different buildings, taking these sort of sky-bridge walkways between buildings. 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. There is an option to valet park, but it is $30 per car, so financially it's just not a good option.

Take a look at that view though!!!!! 

The other thing that is tricky is the lighting in this venue. Because all of the walls are windows, it's difficult for photographers to get good indoor photos because everything is backlit with the bright sun. AHP Photo +Video did an amazing job photographing this venue! Not all photographers could have done such a good job with these windows.

The windows also get very hot!

Gahh look at this preciousness!

I CANNOT HANDLE THE CUTENESS OF THIS BRIDAL PARTY. 

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Overall score: 4 out of 10. This venue gets a low score mainly because of the parking and logistical difficulties. Venues that make it 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!