Amberly and Erick had a wonderful early fall wedding filled with fun details, read all about the wedding below from Amberly!

Our movie-themed wedding couldn’t have been better!  The mansion is such a gorgeous venue that we kept the décor subtle including photo-shopped movie poster table “numbers” I created to showcase our bridal party as “actors” in movies, popcorn favors, and our guest book of a photo-shopped Mr. and Mrs. Smith movie poster for everyone to sign.  We have so many great memories like the greatest Best Man speech ever that included a set of embarrassing pictures of Erick taped under everyone’s chair, the Best Man and MOH shot as their entrance to the reception, and crazy Uncle Willy’s unheard of “moment” during the garter removal (See photos).

The best part was how quickly Martin got the dance party started!  Our guests had a blast dancing to some great music!  I even learned that my younger brother can dance his butt off when we danced in the middle of a circle to “Devil Went Down to Georgia”.  It was really a very fun wedding enjoyed by all.  Our guests are still raving and asking if Erick and I can renew our vows next year so they can do it all over again!

Having the wedding weekend package really allowed us to relax and savor the whole experience. The memories we have of spending time with our closest family and best of friends for the duration of the weekend are so special.  This could not have been possible without Martin, Paula, Marylee, and the rest of the amazing staff at the mansion. 

So do you just adore this wedding and want their wedding 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.  The top three finalists will get one more feature and then the one with the most votes will win a $250 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery while our second place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery.

~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.

Photo Credit: Jason Collins Photography

Sure it is officially engagement season but we also like to think of this as wedding magazine season as well!

We’re thrilled to share that Richmond Weddings Magazine is hot off the presses this month and we were happy to share our expertise with the follow articles:

Balancing DIY & Hiring Professionals- Page 18
2013 Wedding Trends- Page 24
Pinterest your Wedding Planning- Page 124
Wedding Entertainment- Page 169

You can also find our Inspiration Shoot with PW Photography and Elegantly Yours Events on page 59. Here’s a sneak peek of one of our favorite shots!

Click HERE to find out where to pick up your latest copy. Our sincerest thanks to our friends at Richmond Weddings Magazine for the opportunity to contribute!

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.

Erin and Brian pink and blue filled wedding was fun had by all! We can’t get over the brides beautiful wedding gown with just a touch of sparkle on a pretty fit and flair silhouette. See the rest of the details below as well as a few words about the wedding from Erin.

On Saturday morning we were filled with nervous excitement and everything felt surreal. Upon my first sight of Brian at the end of the aisle everything felt so incredibly right and we both anxiously looked forward to taking this next step in our relationship.  Once the ceremony ended we took wonderful photos on the picturesque grounds surrounding the mansion and started the celebration with our first dance to “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin.

With our large number of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends cutting the rug, the dance floor became the place to be. From grand parents dancing to the “twist,” to the groom crowd surfing while playing air guitar, the experience was a blast.  As if the dancing wasn’t enough, the grooms sister jumped like Air Jordan, to clench the bouquet after the toss. The night had spectacular dancing, memorable conversations and enjoyable time with our family and friends.

We both agreed that the night honestly couldn’t have been any better or gone any smoother.  We both thank Martin, Mary Lee and all the other professional individuals that made our night better than we could have ever imagined.

So do you just adore this wedding and want their wedding 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.  The top three finalists will get one more feature and then the one with the most votes will win a $250 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery while our second place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery.

~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.

Photo Credit: Hayes and Fisk The Art of Photography 

Sara and Derek’s wedding is filled with beautiful vintage details that we just fell in love with! From the bride’s vintage inspired turquoise heels, the birdcage veil and a lace cap sleeve dress! Sara shares a few of her favorite things from her wedding below!

Derek and I got married on October 13th, 2012 at the Historic Mankin Mansion. It was a sunny, clear afternoon with blue skies. We had the best day celebrating with our closest family and friends. Every single detail of the wedding was specially planned. My mom, sister, and I spent countless weekends crafting, designing, and analyzing. Some of my favorite details were the handmade the bouquets of burlap, lace, and broaches created by my Mom, and the mirrored centerpieces crafted in the garage by WC. Everything came together seamlessly to be the vintage- inspired wedding I had dreamed of!  We feel truly blessed to have chosen to get married at HMM. Jocelene, Martin, and the rest of the staff orchestrated the day with professionalism and ease.  The other vendors were equally as amazing; Red Shutter Studios Photography (Rod & Tara), A Sharper Palate catering, and Pearls Cupcake Shoppe were some of our favorites. At the end of the day, we became Mr. & Mrs. Creger, and that was by far the best part of all!:)

So do you just adore this wedding and want their wedding 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.  The top three finalists will get one more feature and then the one with the most votes will win a $250 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery while our second place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery.

A big thank you to Sara and Derek for sharing their wedding with us and also to Red Shutter Studios for the beautiful images!

~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 love meeting newly engaged couples and this Sunday, January 13, we will be doing just that at the Richmond Bridal Showcase and we can’t wait to meet you!

The Richmond Bridal Showcase is located at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and will take place from 11am to 5pm. The bridal show will feature a fashion show that will showcase the latest fashions for brides, bridesmaids and mothers of the bride and groom. The Wedding Idea Gallery will introduce attendees to the top trends for floral arrangements, tablescapes, cakes and photography. With over 150 of Richmond’s finest vendors on hand this is the perfect one stop shop to plan your perfect wedding.

Tickets are available online and at the door for $10. Don’t miss out on exciting bridal event, we sure do hope we see you there!

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.

Elizabeth and Scott had a beautiful September wedding; we just loved sharing their day with them. Elizabeth shared a few of her favorite moments and details about her wedding, check them out below.

If I had to use one word to describe our wedding it would be, Amazing!  Everything went so smoothly and without a hitch (except us of course).  When we first toured the mansion, I was in love and did not want to look anywhere else for a wedding venue.  The mansion was beautiful, elegant, and classy.  It also provided a more relaxed environment.  It combined the vision that Scott and I had for what our wedding day should be.

The mansion staff was great to work with. They were able to make recommendations and guide us through the planning process.  We were very lucky to have such great vendors.  I can’t say one bad thing about any of them.  The flowers were by Mona Ray and were absolutely beautiful.  The arrangements were even better than I had expected.  In fact, I dried my bouquet and made an ornament out of the dried petals this Christmas. We loved our photographer, Mike Topham.  He and his assistants did a great job and managed to always get the shot without being “in the way”.  I used White House catering and they provided us with delicious food.  Our signature ‘pomegranate martini’ was a huge hit!  We are so lucky to have such amazing and talented friends.  A friend of ours made our gorgeous cake and another friend offered to make us a quilt guest book.  What a great idea!  My childhood friend Nicole McConnell did the bridal party’s hair and makeup. She made us look fabulous!! Thank You Nicole!  

One of the fun things we did was to have a flip flop bin on the dance floor. We also had a display with lots of old pictures of our families for guests to see when they entered the mansion.  A friend had made some great decorations that helped personalize the space for us. But most of all, the beauty of the venue comes from the mansion and grounds itself.

Thank You for helping us to have the wedding of our dreams!! 

So do you just adore this wedding and want their wedding 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.  The top three finalists will get one more feature and then the one with the most votes will win a $250 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery while our second place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery.

~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.

Photo Credit: Mike Topham Photography

We wanted to take a moment from our Best of 2012 series to share the great news that Historic Mankin Mansion has been selected by Virginia Living Magazine as one of the top Wedding Vendors of 2013!
You can find us in the latest issue under the Central Virginia category of “Venues: Weekend Destinations.” A special congratulations to our fellow wedding professionals who were also included in this honor.

We’d also like to extend our thanks to not only Virginia Living, but to our friends, colleagues and brides who support us every day. We sincerely could not do it without you.

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 kicking of the New Year with our Best of 2012 series Marisse and Jeff’s is our first wedding and we are excited to share it with you!

The color palette with lavender, white and touches of black fit perfectly along with the April wedding. Check out all of the lovely details below!

So do you just adore this wedding and want their wedding 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.  The top three finalists will get one more feature and then the one with the most votes will win a $250 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery while our second place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery.

Thank you to Daniel Min Photography for sharing these lovely photos will us.

~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.

The Richmond Wedding Expo organized by the wonderful Richmond Wedding Magazine is this Sunday, January 6, at the Downtown Richmond Marriott and we here at  Historic Mankin Mansion are excited to be a part of the day once again!

Doors open at 12pm and we cannot wait to talk to all of the eager brides about their weddings. Don’t miss out on the fun and be sure to register for the exciting door prizes that are up for grabs. Click HERE to register in advance.

We hope to see you there! Be sure to stop by, say hi and find out all that Historic Mankin Mansion has to offer you for your wedding!

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.

Photo Credit: http://www.richmondweddings.com

It’s that time of year again we are ready to take a look back on all of our weddings over the past year with our 3rd Annual Best of Weddings Series and we need your help!

That’s right, if you’re a 2012 Historic Mankin Mansion Bride or the wedding photographer who shot the wedding, we’d love to showcase your wedding loveliness!

Each wedding will be featured right here on our blog early next year and the top three posts with the most blog and Facebook comments will be selected as finalists.  Each finalist will then receive one more feature and the one with the most Facebook and blog comments by the deadline will be declared the winner!

This year, we are taking it up a notch by having amazing prizes for the wedding that is decided to be the best. The winner will receive a $250 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery while our second place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery.

We are looking for brides, grooms or photographers to send us photos and details from their weddings to feature in the contest. Here is what we need from you:

• 15-20 of your favorite wedding photos. Please note that images must be web ready (no more than 10 MB total) and can include watermarks. Please send the images via zip file on email  (or) send as a folder with your last name on it, via Dropbox.com.
• The Photographer’s name and web site so we may properly credit.
• Permission from your Photographer to showcase the images.
• A paragraph or two (up to 250 words) about your Big Day. Tell us about your favorite details and memories-or anything else you’d like to share about your wedding day.

Submission will be taken now through Friday, December 28 and should be sent to director@historicmankinmansion.com.

We look forward to featuring your wedding!

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.