Chico’s newest wedding venue Irongate Garden Inn is officially booking weddings for the 2019 & 2020 season and we couldn’t be more thrilled that we will be spending a lot more weekends there planning amazing weddings. Owners Krista and Neal worked so hard to make this property perfect for weddings and they took the time to connect with the local wedding professionals to gain feedback on what our couples need. We wanted to show you some of our favorite elements of the venue!

The stone courtyard has given us #allthefeels since the first time I walked through the property and I just knew that wedding magic was going to happen here. In fact this courtyard has seen many weddings under former management years ago, but what is most amazing is that Krista and Neal have brought it back to shine even brighter than its’s former glory.

The beautiful landscaping and paths around the property make you feel as if you are in the secret garden tucked away, and what better for a first look photo! We were honored to plan the first official wedding at Iron Gate Garden Inn, photos captured by Samantha McPherrin Photography

Flowers by Little Red Hen Floral & More // Images by Samantha McPherrin Photography

If you’re engaged and looking for an outdoor wedding venue in Butte County please contact us and we can arrange a site visit for you. We would love to help you bring your ideas together for your wedding day!

~ Happy Planning!

Our tips for keeping your wedding budget in check

If we had to name one thing that can really cause stress it wouldn't be hard to guess that the Budget topic is first on the list. Why? Because it is often skipped over in the excitement of being engaged and the couple or the families of the couple choose a wedding venue off the bat without realizing how that impacts the rest of the budget moving forward.

Looking at sites like The Knot and Wedding Wire, you will see an estimation of 50% of your total budget going towards the cost of the venue. What varies greatly is what the venue actually provides. If your venue doubles as your ceremony and reception venue and includes amenities like tables and chairs, you probably in good shape.

Our advice is to A) Discuss the budget and be realistic on how much you are comfortable putting away or who will be contributing. B) Meet with a wedding planner who can put these numbers into perspective for you based on the area C) Create two spreadsheets based on your top two venues and break down how the budget would be allocated in both scenarios.

Wedding planning is fun we promise, but it does come with some reality checks and for good reason. We strongly believe in planning for the experience and not for the "stuff" or you will definitely go over budget and feel like you are being over taken by the whole process.

We use a planning dashboard to help our couples through their planning and budgeting so that we can track costs and keep all of those items in check. By tracking deposits, payments and final balance it keeps the financial aspect much more transparent.

What has been the most stressful aspect of planning for you? Just getting started? Contact us today for a complimentary consultation for wedding planning and how we can best help you.