Between the dendrobium orchid adorned cake and the groom’s Star Wars inspired cufflinks, there are countless details to love about Morgan and Zach’s big day. Their April wedding, captured by the talented Seth Roberts Photography, was absolutely perfect from start to finish!

After their ultra romantic ceremony, it was all fun and games during the candlelit reception. From the candy bar to clowning around at the photo wall, it’s without a doubt that Morgan and Zach’s guests had a ball. Thanks to Seth Roberts, we are sharing a few of our own favorite moments from their wedding!

Congratulations to Morgan and Zach! Everyone at Historic Mankin Mansion is so honored to have been a part of your wedding day!

See you soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

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

A stunning Historic Mankin Mansion wedding with bohemian flair is exactly how we would describe Sarah and Ethan’s big day! From the sweet treats sideboard to Sarah’s gorgeous lace gown, all the intricate details of their wedding came together beautifully. We are delighted to share a few of our favorite moments, captured by Lori Allen Photography with you today. Congratulations to the happy couple! Enjoy!

To view more photos of Sarah and Ethan’s Historic Mankin Mansion wedding please visit our Facebook page or click here.

Kudos to Lori Allen Photography on all our hard work and for capturing these beautiful moments.

See you soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

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

Think back to the best weddings you’ve been to…surely they all had their own unique spin! We bet those weddings all had one consistent theme weaving throughout- keeping guests engaged and entertained.  Stay true to you and keep it special in your own way, but remember your guests should have fun too!

Photo Credit: Pinterest

When out-of-town guests arrive

Design a special welcome bag or basket for your out-of-town guests when they arrive to make them feel at home and give them a taste of what the area has to offer.  Include local goods like wines, breads or jams and brochures on local treasures and attractions.  Your guests will be impressed that you thought about keeping them entertained outside of the wedding events!

The ceremony

Keep it short and sweet (if possible), but don’t cut out cultural traditions! For any and all components you’re passionate about, take the time to explain what these traditions mean in your wedding program so guests know the backstory.

The reception

Undoubtedly the reception is the most entertaining part of the whole day! Take the opportunity to involve your guests in anywhere from activities to décor.  We love when our Historic Mankin Mansion couples use personal details on escort cards or display photos of your family throughout the reception. Want to have a photo booth area?  A fresh and special component is having your guests hold a chalkboard in which they can provide advice to the happy couple.  Lastly, and this is a simple one, just have some fun games for your guests!  Lawn games like corn hole and even “I Spy” can entertain guests for hours.

Happy Planning!

See you soon,

Paula & Martin Ramirez

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

How many weddings have you been to where you ended up throwing away the wedding favor because it was something you would just never use?  The purpose of the wedding favor is to thank your guests for coming, so make sure to not only think about what fits with your wedding theme and décor, but what your guests will enjoy.  Not sure?  Here are three “safe bet” themes!

Photo Credit: Pinterest

#1: The Edible Favor

Cookies, smores, and local homemade jam—the possibilities are really endless!  Think about what fits with your wedding AND what would appeal to your guests.  Did many of your wedding guests travel from out-of-state to attend your wedding? Show them what Virginia has to offer by incorporating local goodies.  If you want to really make sure nothing ends up in the trash, have a dessert or candy bar allowing guests to select what they really want to take home.

 #2: The Drinkable Favor

From specialty sodas with cute custom labels to mini Mimosa kits, don’t be afraid of giving your guests this useful (and tasty) favor.  Homemade lemonade also makes for a timely favor during the hot summer months.

 #3: The Plantable Favor

Particularly relevant for nature-themed or rustic weddings, the plantable favor is sure to be of interest for your guests, and provide you with the perfect opportunity to incorporate cute sayings like “let love grow” or “love blooms” on corresponding cards.  This wedding favor can be particularly wallet-friendly if you decide to give packets of seeds.

Just remember, it’s all about how you package your favor.  An everyday item can go from ordinary to extraordinary just in how it’s presented to your guests!

Happy Planning!

See you soon,

Paula & Martin Ramirez

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

There is nothing traditional about the wedding cakes trending in 2014.  Far from the wedding cakes of the past, we’re seeing today’s wedding cakes make a design statement all their own.  We at Historic Mankin Mansion are excited to see which of these trends our brides embrace in the coming months.  Incorporate one or several!

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Trend #1: The Naked Cake Perfect for spring and summer weddings, the naked caked doesn’t take itself too seriously.  Its “homemade” feel will add charm and appropriate cake décor to any rustic wedding.  Decorate with fresh flowers or fruit to complete the look. Trend #2: Colors Adding color to your wedding cake is an easy way to make it fit into your overall  theme and décor.  Metallics are popular in 2014, and undoubtedly will get a lot of attention.  Looking for something a little less bold?  Pastel wedding cakes are also popular in shades of peach, robin’s egg blue or mint. Trend #3: Ombre You’ve seen the ombre trend in hair and fashion, but now you can incorporate it into your wedding cake for an unexpected impact on your big day!  Select a subtle ombre or an in-your-face color array to make a big statement, the choices are endless. Trend #4: Texture You can add texture to your wedding cake in 2014 in a variety of ways. Depending on the look you are going for, your cake could have a vintage or rustic “homemade” feel like the naked wedding cake, or be very chic and glamorous with edible ruffles, lace or pearl detailing. Trend #5: The Non-Cake Wedding Cake Not a big cake fan?  No problem!  It’s your day; consider surprising your guests with a memorable dessert instead.  A big trend in 2014 for the non-cake lovers: pie!  Like the trend of having personal sized desserts (like cupcakes) for your guests?  Have individual-sized mini pies available for all to enjoy. Happy Planning! See you soon, Paula & Martin Ramirez Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort 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 spicing up our usual Richmond wedding feature by sharing a wedding video! It was an honor to be a part of Kristi and Kurry’s big day and we couldn’t be happier for them! Check out the video below to see some of the biggest highlights of their wedding, filmed by Starring You Films. (P.S.Grab the tissues, because this video is tearjerker!)

Congratulations Kristi and Kurry and thank you for choosing Historic Mankin Mansion!

See you soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

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

Champagne bottles were popped and the confetti was thrown in lieu of our 10 year anniversary, and thanks to Richmond Weddings, the celebration continues! In a recent feature, Richmond Weddings shared our happy milestone. We couldn’t be more grateful for this wonderful write-up and look forward to  hosting weddings and events for many years to come.

Thank you to Richmond Weddings for featuring Historic Mankin Mansion’s 10 year anniversary!

See you soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort 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’re delighted to share Diana and Luke’s beautiful Historic Mankin Mansion wedding with you today! There’s nothing we love more then being a part of a couple’s big day and Diana and Luke’s wedding absolutely took our breath away.  Bright blooms, charming groom, and a dress to die for – everyone in the office can’t stop swooning over these beautiful photos by E. Leise Photo Design. We know you’ll enjoy them as much as we do!

Everyone at Historic Mankin Mansion wishes Diana and Luke many congratulations and best wishes!

A special “thank you” to E. Leise Photo Design for making today’s Mankin Mansion Richmond Wedding feature possible!

See you soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort 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 can’t think of a better way to spend this Monday than by checking out Erica and Bryan’s wedding! From the plum inspired decor to their personalized details, what’s not to love? We are  grateful to have been a part of their spectacular wedding. Thanks to Amy Robinson Photography, we are showing off some of our favorite moments from their big day! Enjoy!

“There aren’t enough words to describe the amazing experience we had at Historic Mankin Mansion – from the very first visit to HMM all the way to the end of our magical wedding day – it was absolutely remarkable. HMM is absolutely one of the most beautiful venues in the Richmond area and having the incredible planning and coordination of every detail taken care of by HMM was amazing. Kate was there every step of the way to help us with even the smallest details. Martin did a great job as DJ and our guests danced all night long. Our wedding day was everything we wanted and then some.” ~Erica and Bryan

Thanks Erica and Bryan for sharing your Big Day with us!

See you soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

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

Mankin Mansion couples never cease to amaze us with all of the creative and unique ideas they plan for their wedding. Julie and Nik pulled out all the stops for their big day and we are thrilled to share their Richmond wedding with you!

One of our favorite details has to be the groomsmen’s superhero t-shirts (worn under their tuxedos) and their matching cuff links. Everyone in the bridal party was full of enthusiasm, which truly set the tone for Julie and Nik’s perfect day. Without a doubt, this darling duo had a lovely wedding and we couldn’t wait to share a few of our favorite photos. Just wait until you see how stunning Julie looks

Congraulations to Julie and Nik!

Many thanks to Seth Roberts Photography for sharing these beautiful photos with us!

See you soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

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