I’m starting a new section of the blog.  I’d like to offer local brides a guide of sorts; a photo/info guide to the many lovely vendors that Athens (and surrounding areas) have to offer to the wedding community.  I plan to visit and photograph as many local venues/vendors that I can.  I will offer my thoughts, as well as info provided by each vendor.  Along with, of course, many photos!  I hope to provide a free resource for any and all; something to give you an idea about what each business is trying to provide for brides and their events.

I started my journey (because this is going to take a while to accomplish!), with the newest Athens hotel; Hotel Indigo.  I chose them because, by nature, I’m a nosy person.  I wanted to see for myself all the coolness of this hotel and I wanted to find out all about the LEED Gold Certification* that they have achieved.  I like to consider myself a bit of a ‘green’ freak, so learning about their ‘green’ efforts was so much fun!

Emmy Bateman, the events coordinator, spent close to an hour with me – giving me the grand tour of the facility and answering any questions I could think of.  I don’t really want to repeat, word-for-word, everything you can find on their website, so I’m choosing instead, to include information here that, 1.) I think is super cool and 2.) is information that a bride planning her wedding might like to know.  

 

First things first; Cool Things I Learned:

1. There are hardwood floors throughout the whole place, including the sleeping rooms!  The only carpet in the  building is in the hallways.  And it’s the kind of carpet that is laid in squares, for easy replacement should the carpet get stained, etc.

2. They collect the condensation from the air conditioners and use that water to create a cool fountain and to water the flowers/plants.

3. Customer service is what they specialize in. You want it, they provide it.

 

For The Brides:

1. The courtyard can hold around 75 people.  You could use it for a small ceremony, a rehearsal dinner or a bridal shower.

2.  The Rialto Room and Private Club can hold about 300 people.  It has a full, beautiful bar and a stage for a band or DJ.

3. The suites are gorgeous.  I want you to get ready in them; they are full of beautiful, natural light and are beautifully decorated.

4. All catering and rentals are provided by Lee Epting Events.  For alcohol sales you deal directly with Indigo.

 

Now, for the pictures!

1. The courtyard. 2. The cool fountain, which is located in the courtyard. 3. The lobby. 4. Seating area in a sleeping room. 5. Aveda products available in all sleeping rooms.

The above collection represents some cool details from a few different places around the hotel.

Left: a beautiful shot of a sleeping room.  Don’t ya just love the green rug?  Right: a shot from a sleeping suite. 

This is a shot of the bar area in the private club.

 

Another shot of the Courtyard.

And last, but not least, this is the Rialto Room.  Most wedding receptions are held here.

 

 

*In the United States and in a number of other countries around the world, LEED certification is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. Achieving LEED certification is the best way for you to demonstrate that your building project is truly “green.” 

The LEED green building rating system — developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based, nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders — is designed to promote design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being.  ~http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/leed.asp