Let's take a tour...

After an exhausting search for our venue, I was pleased as punch to have our names penned in Carlouel's calendar for our wedding date! So…would you like a tour? Follow me please…

Guests will drive up to the front entrance, and the valet will park their car (unless of course, they are traveling via limo or other transportation!).

As guests enter the front door, they walk into this entryway…

The couches will be removed. I’m imagining some white pillar candles on the mantle of the fireplace on the left, and our guestbook will be displayed on a circular table in the center of the room

Turn to the left, and you will enter the room where the ceremony will take place…

In front of this beautiful stone fireplace (ignore the tables, it will be set up with rows of chairs for the ceremony)…

Don’t you love the cute light fixtures?

I will admit, I am a bit disappointed that there isn’t a mantle on the fireplace…I was hoping to set up an array of different sized white pillar candles on a mantle in lieu of flowers, but now it looks like we’re going to have to be creative with the décor!

Since we are having our ceremony indoors, after it is over, our guests will move outdoors by the pool for the cocktail hour! Carlouel is right on the water in Clearwater, so everyone will have a fabulous view of the ocean, boats, etc. as the sun begins to set!

Guests can stand on the lawn, or sit at a table by the pool, while hors d’ouevres and drinks are served.

I love the idea of some photo ops with the bridal party/family on one of the boat slips…if only we had a boat to go with it!

After an hour of munching on appetizers, our wedding guests will walk back into to main room for the reception!

During the cocktail hour, the staff at Carlouel will flip the room where the ceremony was held and turn it into a beautiful reception site! Where the chairs are for the ceremony, tables of 8-10 will be assembled.

Some tables will run into the next room, which has a hardwood floor…perfect for dancing (note: the floor will be clear, unlike in the pictures here)!

Carlouel will set up the tasting stations for dinner in an adjoining room, so the serving equipment, stations, etc won’t be eyesores in the middle of the reception.

Directly across from the entrance to Carlouel is their private beach that you access by this boardwalk…

I don’t know how I will incorporate the beach in some aspect of the day…perhaps for a sendoff with sparklers?

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Do you drool over your venue? What type of setting were you looking for?