The Founders Inn and Spa is a hotel with a ballroom for couples’ weddings in the Virginia Beach, Virginia area. This classic venue, with elegant and vintage touches, features an outdoor garden area as well as a magnificent ballroom. Features includes the stunning brick building of the hotel itself, a massive pond with a fountain in the center, and the gardens at night — illuminated by twinkling lights. This venue is located almost halfway between Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Virginia, just off of Interstate 64.
Facilities and Capacity
Couples can host up to 1,000 guests for their wedding at this stunning venue. Outdoor ceremonies can be set up in the garden with the dynamic fountain and pond in the background. For couples who want a more traditional appearance, the ceremony can be arranged with the brick facade of the mansion in the background. The brick patio of the gardens make for sure footing during the wedding ceremony, and for guests in their folded white chairs. Couples in the garden will find themselves surrounded by flowering plants and carefully sculpted topiaries. Inside, the colonial elegance of the venue makes an excellent setting for cocktail hours and receptions. Couples will find opulent carpeting, white columns, and rooms with ceilings two stories high. During colder months, or when facing inclement weather, couples can use the interior of the hotel for their wedding ceremony as well as their reception. In addition to ceremonies and receptions, couples can host other wedding-related events at this venue year-round. This includes bridal showers, elopements, engagement parties, and rehearsal dinners.
Services Offered
Couples will find everything they need for their wedding at The Founders Inn and Spa. The versatile staff at the venue takes care of everything from event planning to in-house bar and catering services to setup and cleanup. Couples can relax in their bridal suite as the wedding comes together before their eyes. Couples can also choose to stay the weekend at this hotel with the overnight accommodations provided. For the same reason, it is a convenient location for out-of-town guests. All guests will find onsite and valet parking, as well as shuttle service to this venue. Other services offered by this venue include:
Cuisine
Full bar service awaits couples at this hotel. The Founders Inn and Spa employees professional and well-mannered bartenders for a couple’s wedding. These bartenders can serve any type of alcohol at an open, limited, or cash bar. Catering can be served in the following styles for a couple’s cocktail hour and reception:
Accommodation
The colonial style of this hotel can be felt in every one of the 240 guest rooms in the building. These rooms feature stylish amenities such as comfortable beds, wireless Internet, and flat-screen televisions. Couples and guests who choose to upgrade to suites will find rooms with fireplaces, parlors, and more. The guestrooms and suites at this hotel are spread across three locations on the property: The Main Building, the James River Lodge, and the York River Lodge.
81 Reviews for The Founders Inn and Spa
Recommended by 89% of couples
5 User photos
Hannah · Getting married on 10/24/2020
Amazing Venue
Absolutely, love the venue and the service. So much so that we booked our wedding here!
Sent on 06/05/2019
The Founders Inn and Spa's reply:
Hi Hannah,
Jennifer · Married on 01/04/2020
Wonderful staff and venue!!
I just got married on Jan 4th and Founders was our "home base" for the entire wedding weekend...and it was PERFECT. I had a great wedding coordinator at Founders named Christine and she was extremely professional and easy to work with. Almost half of our 80 guests stayed at the hotel for the 'wedding weekend' and the rooms were beautiful and the staff was wonderful. (My bridal party and I also used the Flowering Almond Spa services and they were excellent!) The holiday decorations made the hotel even more stunning and the Swan Terrace restaurant was the perfect place for our "small-ish" reception. And the food was SO GOOD (especially the crab stuffed sole - wow). Founders also provided a wonderful bridal dressing room (where a lot of my out of town family and friends hung out on the wedding morning!) and brought in a tray of appetizers and champagne for us after the ceremony. At least 20 of us gathered for brunch on Sunday morning back in Swan Terrace - and it was again fun, with great food and excellent staff! I will always have a very fond place in my heart for Founders and see us definitely returning there for anniversaries! I would highly, highly recommend having your wedding and/or reception at Founders!! Jennifer T., Fredericksburg, VA
Sent on 01/23/2020
The Founders Inn and Spa's reply:
Hi Jennifer,
Amanda · Married on 11/09/2019
Perfect wedding!!
I had the most beautiful wedding over the weekend. The venue was absolutely gorgeous! They had their lights in the bushes for Christmas time which created the perfect background for pictures as well as a beautiful scenery outside the swan terrace windows which Is where I had my reception. The food was AMAZING! Serving staff were so nice and made sure we had everything we wanted. The night of our wedding we got a complimentary wedding night hotel room which had a fireplace going and snacks and champaign waiting for us. I loved how this venue included the catering. This made things easier for me when planning since I was planning alone while my husband was deployed. For the price, you get an amazing wedding. So glad I chose this place!
Sent on 11/13/2019
The Founders Inn and Spa's reply:
Hi Amanda,The Founders Inn and Spa Price Rates
The Why Wait package includes an one-hour pre-reception and three-hours of dinner and dancing as well as overnight accommodations for the newlyweds! Include your wedding ceremony in our beautiful English Garden with weather back-up in our Sky-Lit Atrium! Package Price: $70 Per Person | Rental Fee: $800 (Prices Exclude Taxes) Only Valid for New Customers | Wedding Must Take Place by December 31, 2020. Don't Miss this Limited Offer! Contact Us Today! 757.366.5716
The Founders Inn and Spa would like to thank and support our first responders, active and retired military members for all they do! Newlyweds that are one of the above may receive $1,000 off their wedding ceremony at The Founders Inn and Spa with a purchase of a wedding reception of 50 guests or more. This offer is valid for new wedding inquiries only.
10 Endorsements
The Founders Inn and Spa has a brilliant team and so many beautiful opportunities to capture the most scenic weddings ever! All of the events I've participated in here has been very well organized. I also love that if there is rain, the beautiful interior creates an alternative that is desirable! It's a one of a kind space.
The Founders Inn is one of the most beautiful venues in Hampton Roads. It's staff is always very professional and accommodating and the courtyard is setup extremely well so that even the most amateur photographers can take beautiful pictures.
There are very few venues that offer everything that The Founders Inn and Spa offers. The venue is beautiful, inside and out, the staff is amazing and very focused on the needs of their clients and the layout is perfect for a wedding. If you are looking at hotels for your wedding and you want somewhere your guests can stay and actually enjoy themselves throughout the weekend, this is the place. Want to have a beautiful outdoor ceremony and an awesome reception in a well decorated, climate controlled ballroom, this is the place. Finally, the food...it's amazing. We always enjoy doing events there but when we get to eat there, holy cow, it's awesome! Book a tour today, you will fall in love!
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