Choosing a wedding venue is a lot more than just choosing the background for your photos. It’s the largest and most fundamental aspect of any wedding, and also the first choice any couple makes. It determines the date, and everything else is built on top of that. Choosing to have our wedding at the DoubleTree in downtown Tallahassee turned out to be the best decision we could have made for our wedding.

Planning and hosting our wedding during the pandemic was arduous and taxing to say the least. A very abbreviated timeline goes like this:
Oct 2019 - got engaged
Jan 2020 - signed contract with the Doubletree for a wedding on 2/14/21, estimating 130 guests.
Feb 2020 - COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, etc.
Most of 2020 - waited/hoped for things to get better
Nov 2020 - decided to proceed with wedding despite pandemic persisting
Jan 2021 - massive guest dropoff, down from 130 to 50
Feb 2021 - forecast for 100% rain and temperatures in the 30s on the wedding day
2/14/21 - the most beautiful, fun, memorable wedding we could have hoped for

There’s a lot that happened to pull everything together and make limoncello out of lemons on our wedding day despite colossal setbacks and a grim outlook only 48 hours before the big day. That magic (aka compassion, flexibility, empathy, dedication) came from our DoubleTree team. When the pandemic kept going and going and going, and the nature and scale of our wedding changed dramatically since we signed our initial agreement with the DoubleTree, we were braced for disappointment. We were expecting to be told in a dry corporate manner that our agreement had already been signed, that the pandemic was an act of God and not the DoubleTree’s problem. Instead, Jonathan, Chris and their team worked with us to salvage the pieces of the wedding we started to plan, and build a beautiful intimate wedding that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Never before in any customer or client experience have I felt so respected, valued, and listened to.

In addition to the people and everything they brought to the table, I want to talk about the actual tables and the space they’re in and everything that might be on them throughout the course of a wedding. The DoubleTree provides it all. We weren’t dealing with a linen vendor and a separate caterer, and another vendor for plates and silverware, and another one for the bar, another one for tables and chairs, etc. The DoubleTree provided us with nearly everything as part of our wedding package. This made our wedding planning process simultaneously less burdensome and more flexible. The flexibility required to navigate so many huge challenges and make our wedding the perfect day that it was would not have been possible if we were coordinating 12 different vendors. Despite the DoubleTree providing nearly everything, we didn’t feel like we made any sacrifices. Everything looked elegant and impressive. We chose the menu and their chef prepared it to mouth-watering perfection. The view from the balcony is second to none in Tallahassee. The bartenders and event staff were skilled, well-led, and very attentive to our guests’ needs. In addition, Jonathan and his team worked seamlessly with the outside vendors we did have.

We chose the DoubleTree for our wedding because it had a more urban aesthetic than everything else in the area. We were enamored with the view from Eve on Adams and the fun of having our friends all staying at the hotel. While those aspects of the Doubletree certainly factored into making our wedding celebration so unforgettable, the real secret sauce is the people there who did everything in their power to address and mitigate challenges that were out of their control and enable our wedding to be the perfect day it became. I could not possibly overstate how instrumental our DoubleTree team was in making it all come together for us. They were a source of solutions in a year full of problems. They were professional and organized in the midst of turbulence. They were compassionate and empathetic when it seemed fate was against us. When we think of our wedding, we will always remember the ways they helped us. We give any couple planning a wedding the highest recommendation to consider the DoubleTree as the venue and cornerstone of their once in a lifetime day.

An incredible venue - beautiful and chic for any event. Ours was a wedding reception and from top to bottom, it exceeded our expectations. Jeri Madden and Alex Hickman were tremendously professional and personal. Great space, fabulous food and top-notch service.

Our experience with DoubleTree and Jeri in particular was phenomenal. I fell in love with this venue when I went there for a conference and am so happy we were able to have our wedding there! We had our ceremony on the newly renovated pool deck, which had a beautiful view of downtown Tallahassee. We had our reception in the ballroom, which is one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever seen! From day one Jeri was so friendly, helpful, flexible, and supportive, and working with her was such a positive experience. And on the day of the wedding when there were some stressors due to non-DoubleTree issues, she was truly a lifesaver. Both before and during the wedding weekend, other staff at the DoubleTree were also amazing - being so helpful when we needed to look at a room for some measurements, drop off things for the wedding, and making sure our guests had everything they needed. The food was great - we got so many compliments on the food, the appetizers in particular. I truly have nothing but good things to say about this venue and the amazing staff!