We booked Shirley Acres about a year and a half before our wedding, and overall, we had a beautiful wedding day. We chose them for the gorgeous garden setting, value, and convenience of an all-inclusive venue, especially since we were initially planning from out of state.
Stacie was amazing when we booked, and around six months out, we had our welcome meeting with Marissa and specifically requested her as our coordinator. Everyone was very responsive whenever I reached out, but I do wish the planning process had been more proactive. I often felt like I was the one keeping track of when food selections, cake, florals, and other appointments needed to happen rather than being guided through those milestones. By the time our wedding came around, I was also navigating all of this with a newborn, so having to manage those details myself added another layer of stress.
The grounds were another disappointment. The gardens weren’t well manicured for my bridal portraits, and even on our wedding day, there were vines growing out of the hedges right beside the altar. My bridesmaids also found themselves cleaning graduation tassels up off the outdoor pathways that had been left from the previous night’s event & pulling weeds. Considering the garden was a major reason we chose the venue, and we specifically wanted somewhere our wedding party wouldn’t have to help with cleanup, those details were frustrating.
I was also initially very nervous about the florals because my trial bouquet looked nothing like the inspiration I had provided. However, they completely turned it around for the wedding! My wedding-day bouquet, florals, and décor were absolutely phenomenal and exactly what I had hoped for. The food was wonderful, and our cake from MEB Cakes was incredible!
Our biggest day-of frustration was timeline management. We repeatedly heard, “We’re on y’all’s time,” but weren’t made aware that we were falling significantly behind. Photos and our private time after the ceremony ran long, including needing to take time to feed our baby, and we completely understand that affected the schedule. What we didn’t realize was how far behind we had gotten until my maid of honor came to us during pictures because guests were complaining about being hungry. I really wish our coordinator had come to us sooner and explained that we were about an hour behind and that continuing at that pace would cut into our reception and dance floor time. Had we known, we would’ve had the opportunity to adjust. We ultimately lost a bit of dance floor time
We also had one issue with the DJ. “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” is one of our favorite songs, and during our planning call, I specifically explained that although we wanted it played, I didn’t want any attention drawn to my husband’s military service. When the song came on, the DJ made an announcement thanking veterans for their service anyway. I’m sure it was well-intentioned, but it was uncomfortable because it was the one thing we had specifically asked him not to do.
Overall, I would still recommend Shirley Acres. Our wedding was beautiful, there’s a ton of value in what’s included, and many aspects of the day exceeded our expectations. My biggest advice to future couples would be to stay on top of the planning milestones yourself, clearly communicate your priorities, and keep an eye on your timeline on the wedding day.
📸: Moments of Grace Photography
