Venue #4: Old Dekalb Courthouse

At this point in our search, Old Dekalb Courthouse on the Square is my favorite venue.

Our trip to check it out started with a couple snags. We ran a little late for our noon appointment. (Comment from the fiancé: What my benevolent bride-to-be is so graciously omitting is that I had us take a couple wrong turns, which ran us late.) The vacant handicapped spot was quickly snatched as we tried to hurry inside. We also faced a minor problem when all the accessible entrances were locked. After we walked around the entire building to no avail, Rob finally had to call Stacey, our point of contact, to open the one of the accessible doors on the basement level.

Stacey first showed us features located on the basement levels. The venue included a bridal room for the bride to prepare for the ceremony. The bridal room included a spacious area for dressing and the largest bathroom out of the venues we have seen. On the downside, the bathroom had only one accessible toilet (i.e., with a raised toilet seat and grab bars) in the bridal area.

Stacey informed us that the bridal area can also be used for the couples to relax together for a few minutes prior to the reception. While I love the idea of having a separate area, I wasn’t impressed with the area itself. I got the impression that the only areas that are kept up in the facility were areas guests saw. The bridal area was worn down and old looking. All of the behind-the-scenes areas were also ragged.

We took the elevator up to the main courtroom, which is where the ceremony and reception are held. (Rob later pointed out that the lights on the elevator buttons didn’t seem to work.)

Although the non-public areas left something to be desired, this room is beautiful. I love the marble on the walls. The elegance of the courtroom nearly makes up for the lackluster appeal of the behind-the-scenes areas.

The open door on the left is the "Grooms Room"

Also, the courthouse did supply several little extra spaces that you could use for whatever purpose you pleased.

In the pictures, a small, mediocre “Grooms Room” or coat room (depending on how you want to utilize the space) is visible through the opened door.

Across the hall from the courtroom, there is another extra room with wooden floors. Stacey told us that some people employ that area as a buffet, cake, or gift room.

Down a flight of stairs (or elevator ride), is the lobby. Since the lobby is seen by guests, it is beautiful.

Lobby entrance

Stacey acknowledged the area is typically used for a cocktail hour while the courtroom is flipped from ceremony room to reception room.

After finishing the tour, we went to Stacey’s office to get paperwork with prices and their regulations. Prior to our visit, I looked online to view the availability of the courthouse for next summer. According to the website, the venue wasn’t available until August. Stacey confirmed that what I saw online was accurate.

Also, as a precaution, we asked if they would return our deposit/move our date without penalty if Rob, who is in the National Guard, happened to get deployed. . Right now, he doesn’t have orders to deploy anywhere, but given the fact that we are still in the middle of two wars, it seemed best to be proactive and get clarity on their policy regarding military deployments.

From Stacey’s reaction, it appeared as if this was a new dilemma for the venue. She said that while she would have to check with her boss to be sure, she thought we would still have to pay $200 to change the date. She mentioned that the paperwork involved would cost them money.

Her answer to this really made my mad. If we indeed wanted to book the venue, and her boss said they would not waive the fee, I would reconsider the whole thing. It eludes me how a former government building could be unsupportive (and I see charging a fee for changing the date due to deployment as unsupportive) of the military. It felt like a double penalty to me. Of course, this is all hypothetical. Still, in the event of a deployment, we would first have to postpone our wedding and the start our lives together while Rob heads to a dangerous area to serve our country. Then, we would be charged an extra fee on top of that? It’s extremely off-putting to me. I will have to get a definite answer on whether or not they will waive the fee before we decide to use this venue.

Yay!

• Beautiful public areas!!!
• Bridal area. I really like the idea of having a private area to have a moment together as a couple before greeting the guests.
• Outside area for photos (even if it is a somewhat limited).
• Huge restroom in the basement.
• Alcohol is BYOB .
• Tables and chairs included in the rental.

Nay…

• Charging a fee if the wedding had to be postponed due to a deployment.
• Unappealing non-public areas.
• Limited parking. Guests would have to utilize parking decks nearby.
• The venue charges an extra $1,000 fee if you don’t use their preferred caterer.
• Not available until August.
• I couldn’t exit through the main exit (there are stairs), which would make for an awkward exit at the end of the evening.