Venue Shopping: Independence Grove

Ah, Independence Grove. I wasn't expecting to like you because of your awful website and pictures that look like they're from 1980. But I gave you a chance because of the amazing reviews that people have left.

Upon entering, it's a little confusing since it's a very long path from the entrance. You just keep on driving until you hit the Visitor Center. Already the building is proving that the old looking images does not do it justice. Lovely stone walls and lots of windows make it look more modern.

The Room: We met with our event coordinator who walked us through the building and showed us half of the Audubon Hall (the other half was being used). We were able to get a good idea of it since the other half is basically the same. I believe there are four "rooms" that make up the ballroom. Since our numbers range from 140-150 guests, they suggested to close one of the rooms off so that it's more intimate. That was great for us because we could use that extra room for the tea ceremony.

Food and Beverage: For a Saturday, there's a $1,750 rental fee for the Audubon Hall and $18,000 food and beverage minimum. The awesome part is that their wedding season doesn't start to mid May so if you shop early, you can book early May or April and lower the minimum to $12,000. Unfortunately, we were shopping in late April/early May and those dates (for next year) are already booked. Like all places, there is a service charge on top of that and gratuity is not included in this one. They show you a sample tipping percentage and it's not bad at all. One of the things that really sold me was how they said that food is prepared on the spot. No sitting in heaters or warmers and getting dry. Dressing hits the salad right before they take it out so that the lettuce is always fresh and crispy. Entrees are cooked and finished before serving.

The Ceremony: You can choose between two areas for the ceremony.

• The Native Garden comes with a $750 fee that's non-refundable if it gets rained out. Wireless sound system is extra $275 since they need to set it up in this area. Each chair they need to setup is $3.50 each. In the case of rain, it gets really confusing. The $750 is non-refundable and you would use half of the Audubon Hall. I believe there's a $350 reset fee but you don't have to pay for chairs if you're indoor?
• The North Patio is smaller and more intimate. It's in the corner next to the Audubon Hall. The sound system is already hooked up here so I don't believe there's an extra charge. There's lots of shade here because of the wooden pillars above the space (I forgot the word for this). I was a bit paranoid that a bird would poo on the guests but that's probably because a bird just pooped on my head a couple of days ago... It's still $3.50 per chair and a $250 rental fee to use this space. In the case of rain, I do believe that the $250 rental fee is refundable and there is a $350 reset fee but I don't think you need to pay $3.50/chair anymore? Confusing... I know.

Extras:

• Linens are not included in the price so that will be another fee. They have a crazy assortment of linens so you can go regular to super fancy. They also have a ton of colors to choose from.
• There is a bridal suite that's pretty nicely sized. Nothing fancy.
• It's $250 for a ceremony/rehearsal coordination which is an awesome deal. I don't believe they'll do everything a "Day of" coordinator would do (like help with decor, coordinate reception...etc) but they do help with the ceremony. 
• It's $150 for a golf cart (4 hours) to drive you from the Visitor Center to the Native Garden to take pictures. You may not think that you need it but remember... you will be wearing heels and most likely a BIG puffy dress and it will probably be hot out.
• The standard chairs are hideous but it's only $4/chair to upgrade to a beautiful wooden Chiavari chair with ivory pad. That is a great deal!

Final Thoughts: I really liked this place. It was nature-y like I wanted and the space is beautiful. The chair upgrade fee stood out a lot since I would be paying $12 for this chair somewhere else. The $250 wedding coordinator also stood out a lot since I could probably get a friend to help coordinate the other things instead of spending $1000 on a Day of. The biggest con was that there are no "nice" hotels nearby. The closest one is 1.5 mile away and is a Holiday Inn. After that, it's 4-5 miles away and still not the best hotels.

All in all, I chose not to go with this place because of the hotel situation and because I asked the event coordinator some questions and never heard from him. I've since been in contact with another even coordinator several times and booked another venue.