The Asbury Seminary was just OUTSTANDING! We couldn't be happier with how beautiful it is there, how helpful the staff was, how relaxed the atmosphere was, and how yummy the food was. They made the process so easy even for a bride planning from far away. I can't tell you enough good things about our experience.

Overall we are happy we chose Weddings at Asbury. They provide a ton of extras that most other venues do not. They provided a wedding director, who I can't imagine going without. They provide napkins, tablecloths, plateware and utensils. They take care of the cleanup as well, which is awesome. I don't remember seeing any other vendor that was so inclusive. It was a huge blessing for my family to have less to worry about after the wedding. One big reason we chose Asbury was because the ceremony and reception location are walking distance; guests do not have to worry about directions or getting lost or waiting forever for the bride and groom. As a whole, definitely a memorable day!

My advice would be to be very thorough and detailed in explaining what you want. We were told we would have a guest book table at the ceremony, and that day a guest book podium was what was given to us to use...which didn't lend well for the book we had chosen, and by that point was too late to change. I would also be very clear in dealing with timelines. The staff was usually very friendly and organized, but we felt rushed alot. When pre-ceremony pictures ran late, we were rushed out because "guests were arriving," and we didn't get all of the shots we wanted. A good solution would have been to move to an outdoor or other location to finish getting family photos... but again we were rushed to our dressing rooms. Always have a backup plan and plan things way earlier than you think you need; even earlier than you are advised. Extra time is better than not enough.
We were told that rehearsal would take 45 min but we were given a 1.5 hr time slot. It took the whole 1.5 hrs. We were told we wouldn't need signs to direct guests to each location or parking. I thought the campus was kind of confusing for most people but trusted the director that we wouldn't need any signs. In actuality, we had a multitude of friends and family calling us on our wedding day asking where to park, where the building was, and where the specific chapel was; and had people going to the wrong chapel, parking far away, and getting lost.
Another big thing is be aware of things going on. On your wedding day, things are moving very quickly and it can be a stressful time. When our friends toasted to us, we were never told where our complimentary sparkling juice was...there was so much going on that we didn't see it and never raised our glasses to toast...as soon as our last toast speech was made, our director guided us to the cake to cut it (no one ever raised their glasses for the 'cheers' part). It was fine, it flowed, but when we got our wedding photos back, there was a picture of the champagne bottle in a cute bucket; that was when we realized we never even used that...didn't even know where it was. They would not allow my mom to take it with her after it was over, when she realized we hadn't even used it.
Also, there weren't many drink refills. There was a ton of dancing, which means thirsty guests, but we had several people tell us they could never get a drink. Several times I went to get a drink and there wasn't even any water. Our cheese and cracker tray was never made or set out, BUT they did refund us for that.

I know that things happen, and the director can't be superwoman. Just be thorough with any detail you want, no matter how small. And be generous with allowing time for things.
I wouldn't change our venue at all...we had a wonderful wedding. We are grateful for everything that everyone at Asbury did for us. They went above and beyond every other place I had seen. I'm sure way more things would have gone wrong without the help of all the staff at Asbury. And I know that there was a lot of work done for us behind the scenes that we can never know the extent of it. AND very affordable with all they include.

My daughter's wedding and reception at Asbury were fabulous! The contact person at Asbury, Kari Watts, was extremely helpful and easy to work with. They also provided a wedding coordinator, Christine Endicott, to help with rehearsal and the day of the wedding. She was very professional and organized, and worked well with the other wedding coordinator I had hired. I would definitely recommend this venue for a wedding and reception!

Asbury Seminary is a wonderful place to get married AND celebrate. Estes Chapel is beautiful and requires very little decoration. The dining hall is also a wonderful choice for a large reception. They do almost EVERYTHING to setup for you AND they clean, which is HUGE. The staff are exremely friendly and helpful. The food was great and one of the best prices we found. I would definitely recommend to anyone.

We had just the ceremony at Asbury, not the reception. Estes Chapel is a gorgeous chapel, with great acoustics for music. We received compliments from the musicians as well as the guests.