Today, we’re back with our Best of 2011 series, where we get to revisit some of our favorite weddings from last season. Today, we’re thrilled to share this lovely submission courtesy of Quarterman Photography!

Such a lovely couple who clearly enjoyed having fun on their Big Day. And didn’t you swoon a bit with these flowers?

Now remember-this year’s blog series is going to be a bit different as each wedding will be featured on the Historic Mankin Mansion Blog and the top three posts with the most blog and Facebook comments will be selected as finalists.  Each wedding will receive one more feature and the one with the most Facebook and blog comments by the deadline will be the winner!  This year, we’re taking it up a notch as we will be hosting a contest along with it for a complimentary overnight room stay at the Mansion, as well as a gift certificate to one of Paula and Martin’s favorite restaurants in town.

So do you just adore Kate and Chris’ wedding and want them to win? Simply comment on this blog post and let us know why you love this wedding so much. If you’d like to score an extra point for the couple if you visit our Facebook page and comment under the Facebook post in which we share this fabulous feature.

Thanks to Roshan and Dale Quarterman of Quarterman Photography for sharing this lovely Historic Mankin Mansion Wedding Day with us!

See You Soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Today, we’re back with our Best of 2011 series, where we get to revisit some of our favorite weddings from last season. Today, we’re thrilled to share the wedding of Heather and Brandon! This was our very first wedding of the year and was a great start to the year to come.

As Heather and Brandon told us-

HISTORIC MANKIN MANSION – AMAZING

My husband and I met through mutual friends. It was literally love at first sight. We were engaged a year and a half later. I immediately started looking at different venues online and found Mankin Mansion. It was once again love at first sight! The grounds are gorgeous with brick pathways and candlelit lanterns everywhere.  From the wedding planners to the grounds-men, the staff is simply delightful! Our wedding was the first one for the year! May I say we were not expecting 16 tornadoes to touch down in Virginia. We moved our ceremony into the tent and it was magical! They made it out as if we were royalty. It could not have been any more intimate. Thank you to all of the staff at Historic Mankin Mansion for making our wonderful day AMAZING!

Now remember-this year’s blog series is going to be a bit different as each wedding will be featured on the Historic Mankin Mansion Blog and the top three posts with the most blog and Facebook comments will be selected as finalists.  Each wedding will receive one more feature and the one with the most Facebook and blog comments by the deadline will be the winner!  This year, we’re taking it up a notch as we will be hosting a contest along with it for a complimentary overnight room stay at the Mansion, as well as a gift certificate to one of Paula and Martin’s favorite restaurants in town.

So do you just adore Heather and Brandon’s wedding and want them to win? Simply comment on this blog post and let us know why you love this wedding so much. If you’d like to score an extra point for the couple if you visit our Facebook page and comment under the Facebook post in which we share this fabulous feature.

Thanks Heather and Brandon for revisiting your Historic Mankin Mansion Wedding Day with us!

See You Soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Today, we’re back with our Best of 2011 series, where we get to revisit some of our favorite weddings from last season. Today, we’re thrilled to share the wedding of Liz and Rick, which was submitted to us by Seth Roberts Photography!

Now remember-this year’s blog series is going to be a bit different as each wedding will be featured on the Historic Mankin Mansion Blog and the top three posts with the most blog and Facebook comments will be selected as finalists.  Each wedding will receive one more feature and the one with the most Facebook and blog comments by the deadline will be the winner!  This year, we’re taking it up a notch as we will be hosting a contest along with it for a complimentary overnight room stay at the Mansion, as well as a gift certificate to one of Paula and Martin’s favorite restaurants in town.

So do you just adore this great wedding and want them to win? Simply comment on this blog post and let us know why you love this wedding so much. If you’d like to score an extra point for the wedding, visit our Facebook page and comment under the Facebook post in which we share this fabulous feature.

Thanks Seth Robert Photography for revisiting your Historic Mankin Mansion Wedding Day with us!

See You Soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Today, we’re back with our Best of 2011 series, where we get to revisit some of our favorite weddings from last season. Today, we’re thrilled to share the wedding of Megan and Brandon! Just WAIT until you see these lovely wedding details.

As Megan told us-

After a long, year-and-a-half engagement, I married my best friend at the Historic Mankin Mansion.   On October 1st, 2011, Brandon and I stood in front of our dearest friends and family and vowed to love, comfort and honor each other. It was almost 11 years ago that I met Brandon, and knew in my 15 year-old heart that he was forever the guy for me. Now, my dream had finally come true: I was marrying my best friend. Our wedding was nothing short of perfection. I had a vision of what I called early on “vintage meets modern romance,” (with some thoughtful DIY touches thrown in for good measure, of course). I knew from day one I wanted grey (I think it was a successful color, and now I’m borderline-obsessed with it for EVERYTHING). Mary-Catherine understood my vision from the beginning, and felt like a friend we’d known for years. I needed her reassurance on more than one occasion, but most importantly she made the whole process of planning what it should be: fun!  She, as well as Paula, Martin and the entire HMM staff couldn’t have done a better job throughout our long journey, and our wedding day was no exception. We felt like they ‘had our back,’ in a sense, should something go wrong. With so many emotions and excitement going on, it was comforting to know they had everything under control.

I knew from the minute I discovered this venue online that it was “the one,” and while driving home from our first tour, as my parents, Brandon and I discussed what we should do, I promised them “we will not regret our decision if we choose Mankin Mansion,” and I was right. Today, I couldn’t be happier with the man I love, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to marry him at the Historic Mankin Mansion. Brandon and I, as well as my parents would like to thank the HMM staff for their tireless efforts, and for making our wedding such a magical and unforgettable experience. With that, I’d like to say get ready, because a lot of single ladies at my wedding fell in love with your venue!

Now remember-this year’s blog series is going to be a bit different as each wedding will be featured on the Historic Mankin Mansion Blog and the top three posts with the most blog and Facebook comments will be selected as finalists.  Each wedding will receive one more feature and the one with the most Facebook and blog comments by the deadline will be the winner!  This year, we’re taking it up a notch as we will be hosting a contest along with it for a complimentary overnight room stay at the Mansion, as well as a gift certificate to one of Paula and Martin’s favorite restaurants in town.

So do you just adore Megan and Brandon’s wedding and want them to win? Simply comment on this blog post and let us know why you love this wedding so much. If you’d like to score an extra point for the couple, visit our Facebook page and comment under the Facebook post in which we share this fabulous feature.

Thanks Megan and Brandon for revisiting your Historic Mankin Mansion Wedding Day with us!

See You Soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Today, we’re back with our Best of 2011 series, where we get to revisit some of our favorite weddings from last season. Today, we’re thrilled to share the wedding of Danielle and Michael!

We knew from the first time we met with the couple that this was going to be a party filled with fabulous music and personal touches to pay tribute to the heritage.. and boy were we right!

As Danielle and Michael told us-

We could envision our wedding the first time we visited Mankin Mansion.  Dusk settling over the brick gazebo, the lanterns lighting the pathways with a soft glow …the scene was enchanting.  The actual day was even better.  As we were welcomed by the smiling face of our wedding planner, we knew we wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.  All around us were each of the little touches we had spent months planning, come to life:  the orchids on each table, the collage of our families in the parlor, the songs we had chosen with friends in mind.  Music is very important to us both, so to make our Salvadoran guests feel at home, we asked Martin, Mankin’s DJ, to include some of our favorite Latin songs.  He arranged a perfect mix, just as we had anticipated.

The grounds themselves offered the perfect setting for an evening to celebrate the joining of two families.  Grandparents sat near the gardens quietly telling their stories, young cousins put the life-sized chess board to use, and friends congregated around the gazebo where cocktails were being served. For weeks afterward, countless guests told us it was the best wedding they’d ever been to’… and we couldn’t agree more.

Now remember-this year’s blog series is going to be a bit different as each wedding will be featured on the Historic Mankin Mansion Blog and the top three posts with the most blog and Facebook comments will be selected as finalists.  Each wedding will receive one more feature and the one with the most Facebook and blog comments by the deadline will be the winner!  This year, we’re taking it up a notch as we will be hosting a contest along with it for a complimentary overnight room stay at the Mansion, as well as a gift certificate to one of Paula and Martin’s favorite restaurants in town.

So do you just adore Danielle and Michael’s wedding and want them to win? Simply comment on this blog post and let us know why you love this wedding so much. If you’d like to score an extra point for the couple if you visit our Facebook page and comment under the Facebook post in which we share this fabulous feature.

Thanks Danielle and Michael for revisiting your Historic Mankin Mansion Wedding Day with us!

See You Soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

As we mentioned in our Wednesday blog post, with the New Year fast approaching we here at Historic Mankin Mansion have added a few additions to our lovely Mankin family, which we are just ecstatic to share with you!

Like Gina, Marylee may be a familiar face to you as she  was our wedding planner before she decided to take some time off to spend time at home with her sweet little girl. Well, we were just thrilled when Marylee told us she was ready to come back and start planning Mansion weddings once again!

Marylee is already back in action, having planned some weddings for us last Fall. Now, it’s onward and upward as we welcome back Marylee with open arms. Here’s a bit more insight into Marylee and what gets her excited about weddings–

Why did you decide to join the wedding industry?

Marylee: I was working in corporate events and wanted to do something more intimate. It was the best decision I ever made. I have to say I have the best job in the world to be able to see brides and grooms enjoy the happiest day of their life.

What is your favorite part about planning weddings?

Marylee: I love getting to know the bride, groom, and friends and families of the Bride and Groom, and also seeing the details that are so different for every wedding.

What are some of your favorite wedding memories?

Marylee: I have two one is my own wedding at Historic Mankin Mansion. And standing in the back with tears in my eyes listening to the brides and grooms say their own vows.

Are there any recent wedding trends that caught your eye?

Marylee:”Going green”, personalized DIY decor, dessert tables

What are you most looking forward to in the 2012 wedding season?

Marylee: Enjoying the wedding day with all the 2012 brides and grooms!

We look forward to the same thing as well Marylee- cheers to 2012!

See you soon,
~Paula and Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Today, we wanted to take a moment to share good tidings with our friends and colleagues.  2011 has been an amazing year filled with great B&B guests and fabulous weddings, and we just can’t wait to see what the new year has in store for us. Wishing you and yours a holiday filled with peace and wonderment.

Happy Holidays,
~Paula and Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

We are just thrilled to share our recent feature on Honeydew Event’s Vendor  Vail! We had a great time chatting with Honey about the Mansion, as well as sharing some fun pictures from our shoots and events.

Between now and Tuesday, December 20, at midnight, please visit the feature and try your chance at winning a complimentary overnight stay at the welcome!

Check it out here. Thanks Honeydew Events for the opportunity!

See you soon,
~Paula and Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Photo Credit: Bob Schnell Photography

That’s right- we’ve officially joined the Pinterest craze! What is Pinterest you may ask? It’s a highly addictive (if you ask us!) way to keep track of all things lovely and trendy. More and more, we’re finding our brides combing Pinterest for wedding inspiration, so we decided to set up our own set of boards here.

We’re taking things in a bit of a different direction though. Instead of pinning all of the swoon worthy pics already on Pinterest, we’re going to go ahead and showcase some of the amazing Mansion wedding images that we’ve enjoyed collecting over the years. So far, we have boards deciated ot:

• Wedding Details- From yummy shoes to centerpieces and cake, we have it all covered!
• Our Brides- gorgeous shots of our lovely brides
• Weddings at the Mansion- Just like it sounds.. some fabulous photos from our amazing weddings!
• The Mansion- The Ins and Outs- We’ve snagged some of our favorite shots from around the property
• Press- Ok, maybe we had to brag a little.

If you are a Mansion bride and don’t see any of your wedding photos on there, feel free to direct us to an online spot (like the photographer’s blog) so we can pin some favorites or email us at director@historicmankinmansion.com with some of your favorites.

Visit us today on our Pinterest boards!

See you soon,
~Paula and Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

The always lovely Maymont is decked out for the Holiday Season and is inviting everyone to enjoy in the festivities.

The Victorian Holidays program has a wide variety of activities that incorporate the elegance of the 1900’s with gorgeous décor and events. The Mansion Holiday Tours are on Tuesdays- Sundays until January 6 for $5 a person. With the mansion decked to the nines with opulent decorations that will make you will just gawk over and fun and games for the children to play it’s a happy holiday for everyone in the family. The Deck The Halls Workshop is a new addition this year that will take place Saturday, December 3, at 9am and 12pm for $40 a person. You will learn special techniques to making wreaths, mantle adornment and door décor for you to take and deck your halls.

An Old-Fashioned Christmas will take place Sunday, December 4, at 12pm on the beautiful Carriage House Lawn for a bona fide Victorian party. Ladies and gents will be dressed the part greeting the guests to the party. Gifts and games of 1893 are available for purchase Belowstairs. Festive music will float through the air along with the scent of delicious food and drink. With a roaring fire and carriage rides, it couldn’t be more picture perfect. Santa Clause will make a stop by the mansion at 2pm in the afternoon to share in the jolly spirit. We hope you and yours are having a wonderful holiday season, and that you partake in the Maymont merriment.

For More Information: http://www.maymont.org/Page.aspx?pid=324

See you soon,
~Paula and Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Photo Credit: http://thriftyrichmond.blogspot.com