Wedding Treasures Part 1

Baytown's Hidden Wedding Treasures: Part 1

Sabrina Galloway-Tourism Visitor Outreach Specialist

To some weddings, dollar signs, love, and credit card debt are all synonymous. As a young girl who is happily in love, I can tell you that at some point they’ve all seemed like the same spiraling circle as I bounced each idea back and forth in my mind. Where can I manipulate my budget to still feel like a princess? Are real flowers really that great or can I head to Hobby Lobby and look over the silk or artificial selection? Planning a wedding may seem overwhelming and outrageous to some, but please realize something…

Weddings CAN be affordable. What’s even better is that we have some pretty great venues spots here in Baytown. Yeah, you heard me, Baytown’s got some awesome places to say I do at. There is a large rise in non-church based weddings for the more holistic wedding venues that are all inclusive. This means ceremony and reception all in the same place.

If you’re working on a budget and looking to save a few bucks on a venue, we’ve got it.

If budget isn’t a big worry for you, don’t worry we’ve had some $27,000 weddings right here in our little city at some picturesque wedding spots.

There are some very illustrious venues in the Baytown area. I’ve divided them based on themes—Country Chic and Outdoor Venues. It’s awesome to have so many options to choose from, especially when it comes to making your wedding as unique and all-about-you as possible, and still be close to home.

I’ll stick with the first theme for this blog, that way I don’t lose you among the tulle, big hair, and cowboy boots. If you want to go for a County Chic Theme there are three venues that match fairly well. The first may take a little more creativity and time, but I bet you could work wonders with it—Baytown Youth Fairgrounds. This venue not only has a large main building with a kitchen serving area, plenty of table and chairs, and a large enough space for a great boot-stomping time, but it also has an outdoor covered Pavilion. With some string lights, hanging decorations and some tulle in those ladder-accessible rafters it is surely a beautiful, airy venue. There’s plenty of parking, and it allows you a lot of flexibility with your guest list. Contact Mr. Danny Moore who can give you all kinds of information about past weddings, prices, and just how great the Fairgrounds are for a country wedding. 281-960-6614

Another great place for a country wedding is Oakland on Burnet Bay. The former plantation home of David G. Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas, provides a breathtaking view of Burnet Bay, the San Jacinto Monument, and the Fred Hartman Bridge. Along with rolling greenery, this venue provides a bay front wedding and allows for tons of tulle! This home is privately owned and used, so when you book with them you will receive inside knowledge, amazing wedding skills, and utter kindness from Mrs. Barbara. She’s a wedding planning veteran, with her 3 daughter’s weddings and countless others at Oakland. The guest list can’t exceed 140 so this would be the perfect place for a close knit ceremony and reception. Mrs. Barbara is the one to call about all the details, she's a doll! 281.838.0028

The last Country Chic wedding venue is a place that will surely take your breath away—The Plantation on Tabbs Bay. Not only does this site give you access to the whole property, but it also includes an overnight, after the wedding stay in the bridal suite for the newlyweds as well as continental breakfast. This bay-front property is all inclusive, minus the big vendors like catering, cake, and flowers.The combination of the gorgeous property, as well as the potential for a lawn ceremony, waterfront ceremony, pavilion ceremony in case of rain, and the exquisite multiple rooms that allow for the most treasured pictures of your wedding day, makes this venue high on priority lists. This airy wedding site is fantastic for Country Chic weddings, because of the ability to make it just what you want. The hosts of this fantastic venue are David and Linda Toler. You can contact them at 832.514.0681

As you can see, we've already got three amazing wedding venues right here in Baytown under our belts, stay tuned for all the other venues to come from your Tourism Intern--Sabrina Galloway.