Finding *the* Venue- Part I

One of the first items on our wedding checklist was finding a venue. Even though we had about 15 months until the wedding, I was concerned about limited availability the longer we waited. My search began on the web (actually this is how most of my planning began) where looked for venues in Austin and its surrounding areas. We really wanted to find a place that had indoor & outdoor gathering areas. One of the first venues I fell in love with was the Allen House:

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Yes, I'm a sucker for old houses. The Allen House is nestled in heart downtown Austin and, although I loved the atmosphere, it would not have been large enough to accommodate our guests. So, alas, we continued our search.

After much thought and consideration, we decided to look further south Austin (our usual stomping grounds). I came across Tuscan Hall, located in the hill country about 20 mins. southwest of Austin:

photo by me

photo by me

Added bonus: the Chapel Dulcinea, a free wedding chapel located within walking distance from Tuscan Hall that overlooks the hill country *swoon* (Although I should note that since it is free, it is usually booked a year+ in advance- they were booked for our wedding date in October '09 when we visited in August '08)

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The hall accommodates about 200 people, if the indoor and outdoor space is used. However, we were a little uncomfortable about the location. This would have been perfect for a morning or afternoon wedding, but we didn't want our guests traveling late at night down winding, unlit country roads to get home. And so, the search continued.... How many reception/wedding sites did you look at until you found *the* one?