Working with the Galveston Historical Foundation to help secure our venue, the legendary 1859 Ashton Villa was a breeze and thrilled that the resources support the upkeep of such an important historical building. The Foundation was incredibly easy and fun to work with and we cannot imagine getting married anywhere else. Thank you! - Kelci and Joseph Z.

As soon as my husband and I set eyes on this venue, we knew it was the place we just had to get married. Going through the Galveston Historical Foundation for venue rental was so affordable compared to other wedding venues and it made us happy to know our money would give back to the community and the overall preservation of historical sites. The 2020 & 2021 years were incredibly turbulent, and so we experienced quite a few hiccups on the way-- COVID19, the Texas ice storm, etc threw all of us for a loop but GHF was so incredibly understanding and flexible throughout the whole process. While we originally had plans for an outdoor ceremony and reception at the Elissa, last minute issues ended up causing us to relocate our reception to the 1859 Ashton Villa (another absolutely GORGEOUS venue), therefore we had only our ceremony here. This ended up working out perfectly because the venue is much better suited for smaller events; given that the site is an important working dock, the construction cannot be hidden easily and there are firm timelines for set-up, so you have to plan your event and layout space accordingly. We ended up doing wedding party and parents seated on the ship, older guests seated below on their pier, and younger guests went up to the balcony and watched from up there.
One unfortunate surprise was that the restaurant next door has an outdoor area that continuously plays loud music even when nobody is seated outside; as a result, radio music played throughout our ceremony and likely would have played through our reception as well if we had ended up having it there. When we asked if they would mind turning it down just for a few minutes since no guests were eating outside, they flat out refused. However, this isn't the Elissa's or GHF's fault at all. Honestly when we did our own walkthroughs of the venue it did not cross our minds that this would be a problem until we got there the day of and a rap song was blaring lol. If you are set on this venue, perhaps arrange something with the restaurant beforehand or make sure your DJ has absolutely amazing equipment that could possibly drown it out. Another heads up is that the ship occasionally flips directions every once in a while; there a lot of really pretty pictures where the ceremony is against the ocean view, however on the day of our wedding the ship was facing the restaurant building instead. This is another thing that due to the nature of the venue just cannot be controlled.
Our day was still beautiful and special despite all of its challenges. We have gotten so many compliments on what a unique and memorable venue this was, and I also had an amazing time doing my bridals here as well. I will forever be grateful for the Galveston Historical Foundation and my husband and I are excited to become lifelong members. Check out all the venues they have to offer!

I had to contact them 2 weeks after Ike because my first wedding was 6 weeks after Ike (2008). I hadn't mailed the invitations, and we didn't know if it was still standing. I didn't know if my contact was okay or if her family and staff were okay. But she was amazing. She asked if we still wanted to get married there even though the building was perfect. I said of course. I had picked it because it was gorgeous, fit my needs, and I wanted to give my money to an historical society. All the rest of their properties sustained damage, so they really needed my business. She told me to come see it to be sure, and she was right, the building was perfect. It is an historical building because it survived the 1900 storm, and they raised it after that.
Tips: The kitchen is small, so make sure your caterer knows what's up. The beautiful windows cast weird shadows, so make sure your photographer is familiar with it in advance. The tape on the floor stays on the floor. No balloons, no rice, no sand, no flames (historical building!). Be sure you reserve the park from the city so you have the parking lot to yourself and no loud music outside and the outside areas clear for photos. Generally they will want to put the DJ on the stage, not the ceremony because it is too easy for people to fall off of it. Also, if you have a summer wedding, don't put the cake in one of the bay windows on the sunny side! It will start to get warm and the frosting will start to melt and slide. Just set a table against the inner railings or along the side where it won't get direct sunlight. Chair and table rental was very inexpensive. Rules were reasonable and laid out clearly in advance before booking. 100% recommend to people all the time.