John Van Riper
Latest Reviews
Grey Rock Mansion
Beautiful venue that lacks a few things here and there. The wedding we attended was great and I believe everyone had a good time, but the venue really prevented a good flow and the temperature was uncomfortable for a good portion of the wedding.
Let’s start with the outside, the gardens are pretty and well manicured and the venue can accommodate a decent amount of people for an outdoor event. However, there is absolutely no shade for any of the guests. On a hot sunny day this can make for a miserable experience for the guests and even the wedding party during the ceremony. Along with that several of the guests were stung by bees and a number of us were getting eaten up by mosquitoes. Chalk that up to it being near the end of summer on a hot day.
The mansion interior had a really awkward flow. The tent and the “ballroom” are completely separated from each other with a ramp being the only access point between the two without having to go outside and around the mansion. This made for lengthy delays in between events happening between each room with everyone having to shuffle back and forth. On top of that there wasn’t a ton of room on the ramp for people to get past each other and of course made for a collection spot at the top of the ramp. Depending on how many guests are at the wedding, the tent can also feel cramped with people almost being on top of each other. The air worked great in the tent and was very comfortable, but the air circulation throughout the rest of the venue was very poor and it was extremely hot a majority of the time.
The exterior of the mansion was beautiful and has a very serene backdrop for photos. The circular drive way allowed for proper traffic flow and easy drop off and pick up of guests. The parking lot and driveway itself had several potholes and grass/weeds growing through the asphalt that is overdue for some repaving. There was also a weird smell (kind of rotten and fishy) coming from the vents from what I assume was the kitchen area. This smell was the first thing that you smell when you arrive at the venue in the parking lot and it lingers out towards the front.
Overall, the venue is pretty, very convenient to get to and we did have a good time. Giving it a scored I’d say it’s a 3.5-3.75, but since google doesn’t do half stars I rounded up. For those looking to rent the place: keep in mind the amount of time you’re given to set up, tear down, get ready, etc. they were very strict with these hours with absolutely no leeway what so ever. This is very important when talking to your vendors. They also started tearing down the venue before the official end and forced several people out of the tent. Keep in mind how many people you plan on having as I believe the numbers they have listed that it can accommodate, it would be extremely crowded. I believe we were around 100 and at times it felt cramped. Nice venue but it has some qwerks that if you’re ok with you will have an excellent event. Just posting from a guests point of view. Thank you!
Let’s start with the outside, the gardens are pretty and well manicured and the venue can accommodate a decent amount of people for an outdoor event. However, there is absolutely no shade for any of the guests. On a hot sunny day this can make for a miserable experience for the guests and even the wedding party during the ceremony. Along with that several of the guests were stung by bees and a number of us were getting eaten up by mosquitoes. Chalk that up to it being near the end of summer on a hot day.
The mansion interior had a really awkward flow. The tent and the “ballroom” are completely separated from each other with a ramp being the only access point between the two without having to go outside and around the mansion. This made for lengthy delays in between events happening between each room with everyone having to shuffle back and forth. On top of that there wasn’t a ton of room on the ramp for people to get past each other and of course made for a collection spot at the top of the ramp. Depending on how many guests are at the wedding, the tent can also feel cramped with people almost being on top of each other. The air worked great in the tent and was very comfortable, but the air circulation throughout the rest of the venue was very poor and it was extremely hot a majority of the time.
The exterior of the mansion was beautiful and has a very serene backdrop for photos. The circular drive way allowed for proper traffic flow and easy drop off and pick up of guests. The parking lot and driveway itself had several potholes and grass/weeds growing through the asphalt that is overdue for some repaving. There was also a weird smell (kind of rotten and fishy) coming from the vents from what I assume was the kitchen area. This smell was the first thing that you smell when you arrive at the venue in the parking lot and it lingers out towards the front.
Overall, the venue is pretty, very convenient to get to and we did have a good time. Giving it a scored I’d say it’s a 3.5-3.75, but since google doesn’t do half stars I rounded up. For those looking to rent the place: keep in mind the amount of time you’re given to set up, tear down, get ready, etc. they were very strict with these hours with absolutely no leeway what so ever. This is very important when talking to your vendors. They also started tearing down the venue before the official end and forced several people out of the tent. Keep in mind how many people you plan on having as I believe the numbers they have listed that it can accommodate, it would be extremely crowded. I believe we were around 100 and at times it felt cramped. Nice venue but it has some qwerks that if you’re ok with you will have an excellent event. Just posting from a guests point of view. Thank you!
Sunken Garden
Nice little (very sunny) spot in the park with lots of flowers.
Tennessee State Museum
This is one of the best state museums I’ve been too in recent years. Tennessee is so rich with history, both good and bad, that it was quiet an experience to go through it. It was great going through the timeline exhibit that broke down everything over the past 250+ years and highly recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about history. If you’re in the area, get some culture beyond just Broadway and enjoy the Air Conditioned, well laid out exhibits. It’s free!