In The Woods Wedding Photography

“In The Woods doesn't feel like a venue. It feels like a private family estate that was built specifically for weddings.”

That may sound strange when we’re talking about a 385 acre private wedding property complete with a lakeside chapel, luxury bridal suite, groom’s lounge, resort style pool, and one of the most all inclusive wedding experiences you’ll find anywhere in Georgia.

But throughout our conversation, the same theme kept coming up over and over again.

Family.

The venue was built by Catherine and her father, and the property has been in the family for decades. Many of the staff members have known each other most of their lives, and even the venue’s name comes from the Woods family name.

That family oriented culture shows up everywhere. It shows up in the way couples are treated, the way weddings are planned, and even in the relationships that continue long after the wedding day. During our conversation, Catherine talked about couples returning years later for anniversary trips, maternity photos, and family portraits.

Some venues feel like businesses.

In The Woods feels like you’re getting married on a family estate that just happens to be exceptionally good at hosting weddings.

The Hidden Strength Most Couples Do Not See

And Why It Is The Staff That Feels Like Family

One of the things that surprised me during our conversation was that Catherine rarely talked about buildings. When I asked what couples appreciate most after the wedding, her answer wasn’t the lake, the chapel, or even the property itself.

It was the staff.

Specifically, the relationships couples build with the people helping them throughout the planning process.

That starts with Catherine. It continues through the venue coordinators, Adrea and Matthew. It extends to the venue’s florist, DJs, caterers, assistants, and vendors who work together week after week.

The phrase Catherine kept returning to was “family.”

Not just because the venue is family owned.

Because that’s how she wants people to feel when they’re here.

The result is a wedding experience that feels personal. Not corporate. Not transactional.

Personal.

That difference matters more than most couples realize until they’re actually planning a wedding.

Catherine told me that one of the things she is most proud of is that the venue has never lost that family oriented atmosphere. Even after ten years of weddings, growth, and success, it still feels like a place where people genuinely care about one another.

And honestly, I think that’s one of the biggest reasons couples connect with this venue.

“The result is a wedding experience that feels personal. Not corporate. Not transactional. Personal.”

In The Woods Feels Different In Person

There are some venues that photograph beautifully. Then there are venues that are impossible to fully understand until you’re standing there.

In The Woods falls into the second category.

One of the things Catherine hears constantly during tours is: “I had no idea it was this big.”

And honestly, I understand why.

The property spans 385 acres. The roads wind through rolling hills and mature forests. The lake feels tucked away in its own private world. The chapel sits overlooking the water. The reception hall, cabins, pool area, and guest spaces are spread throughout the property in a way that feels intentional rather than crowded.

It doesn’t feel like a wedding venue built on to a piece of land. It feels like the land came first and the venue was designed around it.

Located in Rockmart, Georgia, In The Woods offers a setting that feels miles away from everyday life while still being accessible for Metro Atlanta couples and guests.

What’s especially interesting is that the property wasn’t originally intended to become a wedding venue. Catherine’s family owned the land long before In The Woods existed. Her father actually lived in what is now the Honeymoon Suite cabin overlooking the lake. When the idea of turning the property into an event venue came up, Catherine immediately saw the potential for weddings.

“There are some venues that photograph beautifully. Then there are venues that are impossible to fully understand until you're standing there.”

Why Couples Choose In The Woods as Their Wedding Venue

One of the questions I always ask venue owners is why couples choose them over the competition. Catherine’s answer was interesting.

Half the time it’s the property. Half the time it’s the feeling.

The property speaks for itself. The lake, the woods, the rolling hills, the sunset views, the chapel, and the sheer amount of space all make an immediate impression on visitors. The other half is harder to quantify.

Couples consistently tell Catherine that In The Woods felt comfortable, safe, and welcoming.

Like home.

That is not an accident. It’s the culture she has intentionally built from the beginning.

Many venues focus on impressing people. In The Woods focuses on taking care of people.

That difference shows up in every part of the experience.

“Many venues focus on impressing people. In The Woods focuses on taking care of people.”

What Makes In The Woods Different From Other Venues

The easiest answer is that it doesn’t feel rushed.

Most venues give couples a small window of time. They arrive, set up, get married, celebrate, and leave.

In The Woods gives couples the entire day.

Hair and makeup can arrive early. The bridal party can relax. Families can enjoy the property. Nobody is being pushed from one event into the next.

The relaxed pace changes everything. The wedding becomes an experience rather than a schedule. Guests feel it. Couples feel it. Families feel it.

And that’s a big part of why weddings here feel different.

The guest experience reflects that philosophy as well. Instead of simply parking and walking to a ballroom, guests are transported throughout the property on large shuttle carts. They move through the woods, around the lake, and between the different parts of the venue in a way that feels more like visiting a private resort than attending a traditional wedding.

Catherine laughed when she mentioned that some guests compare the experience to Disney because they’re constantly being transported throughout the property.

I actually understand that comparison.

The shuttles aren’t just transportation.

They’re part of the experience.

“The wedding becomes an experience rather than a schedule. Guests feel it. Couples feel it. Families feel it.”

Why Couples Keep Coming Back

One of my favorite moments during the interview had nothing to do with weddings. It happened when Catherine started talking about former couples who still come back years later.

Some return for anniversary weekends.

Others come back for maternity photos.

A few have come back with children for family portraits.

One of the coordinators recently attended a baby shower for a former bride.

That says a lot.

Most venues host a wedding and move on to the next one. The relationship ends when the sparklers go out and the final guest leaves.

That doesn’t seem to happen very often at In The Woods.

As Catherine talked about those couples returning, it became obvious that this venue means something personal to her. She helped build it alongside her father. The property has been part of her family’s life for decades. Even the venue’s name comes from the Woods family name.

You can feel that when you’re here.

The All Inclusive Experience

How In The Woods Separates Itself From Others

A lot of venues describe themselves as all inclusive.

In The Woods actually is.

When Catherine walks couples through everything that’s included, one of the most common responses she hears is: “Wait… that’s included too?”

The package includes wedding coordination, floral design, DJ services, bridal and groom suites, linens, china, glassware, flatware, centerpiece decor, candles, shuttle transportation, sparklers for the send off, ceremony setup, reception setup, and dozens of additional details that many couples don’t even realize they’ll need until they start planning.

What impressed me most is that despite all of that being included, weddings here don’t feel cookie cutter.

Every couple still customizes their flowers, chooses their linens, selects colors and decor, and creates a wedding that feels uniquely theirs. Some celebrations feel elegant and formal. Others feel rustic and relaxed. Some couples bring in lots of personal touches while others keep things simple.

The difference is that couples are making creative decisions rather than spending months coordinating logistics.

That is a huge distinction.

The planning process itself reflects that philosophy. Couples work closely with their coordinator months before the wedding, selecting decor, designing table layouts, meeting with florists, choosing menu options, and building a timeline for the day.

By the time the wedding arrives, most of the hard work has already been done.

As Catherine put it, the entire process has become a well oiled machine.

After hearing her describe it, I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.

“What impressed me most is that despite all of that being included, weddings here don't feel cookie cutter.”

The Grooms Actually Love This Place

One thing I laughed about during the interview was how easy Catherine says it is to sell the venue to grooms.

Honestly, she’s right.

Most wedding venues are designed almost entirely around the bride’s experience. The groom gets a room somewhere on the property and that’s about it.

At In The Woods, the guys essentially get their own side of the property, complete with a groom’s lounge, a resort style pool, an outdoor bar, access to the lake, and plenty of room to relax before the ceremony.

Some grooms even arrive early just to spend part of the day fishing before the wedding.

That’s not something you hear very often.

And honestly, it’s one of the most unique things about the venue.

The result is that both sides of the wedding party genuinely enjoy their time here rather than simply waiting around for the ceremony to start.

How a Day at In The Woods Actually Runs

The timing couples ask about

This is where the family feel turns into something you can see on a timeline.

Some venues give you two hours before the ceremony. Not here.

“You have it for the entire day.”Catherine

The bridal suite can be ready as early as 6 or 7 AM, and most couples do arrive that early with their hair and makeup team. Some groomsmen get to the property around 9 or 10 AM to use the pool.

There is no set window for the ceremony or reception either. If you want to get married at three, or at six, you choose, and the coordinators build the timeline around it. The last thing on the schedule is the sparkler send off at 11 PM, and plenty of Friday and Saturday weddings stay right up until then.

The coordinators put together an hour by hour timeline that you approve ahead of time. Catherine told me the coordinator checks in with the photographer to make sure each part happens when it should, and checks in with the outside vendors too, so the bride and groom don’t have to.

What You Still Bring Yourself

Most of the day is covered, but a few things are not. Photography and videography are the two biggest. Hair and makeup, a photo booth and other extras are also on you.

The venue does keep a preferred vendor list, so many couples use someone who has worked here before.

Catering is chosen through the venue’s four in-house caterers. Couples are invited to tastings with all four, or just one, and then pick a style like buffet stations or a plated dinner. It is priced per person, so 100 guests and 250 guests are very different totals.

Catherine said some brides arrive with little more than a dress and two or three small things. Others bring personalized signs and pictures, and she loves those weddings too. Guest book signs, card boxes, welcome signs and seating charts are available at no extra cost.

“It's the little things that people appreciate that you don't have to bring in.”Catherine

How Planning Works

Your first meet and greet with your wedding coordinator happens about four to five months before the wedding, even if you booked a year or two ahead. After that you’re in constant contact with them.

From there you do mock table setups, choose linens, napkins and runners, and pick your centerpieces. Then you’re invited to a sit down tasting with the florist to choose centerpieces, bouquets, bridesmaid bouquets and boutonnieres.

If you bring photos or a template of what you’ve pictured, Catherine says they almost always have something that fits.

One question she gets a lot on tours is what the hidden fees are.

“We are not trying to hide anything.”Catherine

Where the Best Photos Happen

We love this property

Catherine told me the dock is one of her favorite spots, and it’s one of ours too. It sits out on the water with café string lights all around it, surrounded by trees, and in the fall the leaves go gold at golden hour.

The chapel and the lakeside lane next to it are just as peaceful.

There is also a stone walkway that runs from the pool house up to the top of the hill. Sunset on those rolling hills near the entrance is one of the most secret photo spots on the property, and couples who only see it on a tour often miss it. We make sure to use it.

My own favorite is the little arched bridge. It looks simple in person, but if you get down low and shoot a wide angle from the ditch, it’s stunning.

Catherine added that photographers use a lot of the property, including the hills and woods that aren’t right next to the lake and chapel.

When to Get Married Here

Fall is the favorite for both couples and Catherine. From the end of September through the second week of November, the trees across the lake turn orange, red and yellow. It’s also by far the most popular time of year, so book early.

May and June have become favorites too. Catherine said Georgia has decided not to be so hot in June, and by April everything is already green and in bloom.

On guest count, the average wedding here is about 130 since Covid. Catherine says 250 is absolutely doable, but she likes the smaller 75 to 100 guest weddings because they feel family centered and intimate.

The most creative wedding she has hosted was a Halloween wedding four or five years ago, with purple smoke at the gates, Hocus Pocus impersonators and skeletons for bartenders. Her staff and vendors still talk about it.

The moment she says never gets old is when the bride walks through the gates, and you can see the emotion on her face, her dad’s face and the groom’s face.

And her advice for any couple is the same thing I tell mine.

“Don't let those little things bother you.”Catherine

What Couples Typically Invest at In The Woods

One thing I appreciate about Catherine is how transparent she is about pricing.

Peak season runs April, May and June plus September, October and November, and those are the most popular months. In peak season a Friday or Sunday package is approximately $14,500 and a Saturday is $16,500, a $2,000 difference. Off season packages run from about $12,500 to $14,500. Food costs are added separately based on guest count and menu selections, with most couples spending somewhere between $4,000 and $7,000 on catering.

That means most couples are investing somewhere in the neighborhood of $17,000 to $25,000 directly with the venue depending on guest count, season, catering selections, and the overall scope of the event.

When I asked Catherine what couples actually spend on their wedding overall, her answer was refreshingly realistic.

She told me that a reasonable estimate for the complete wedding experience, including the venue, catering, photography, videography, attire, flowers, and the other major wedding expenses most couples encounter, typically falls somewhere in the $25,000 to $30,000 range.

What stood out to me wasn’t just the number.

It was what is included.

Many venues start with a lower venue rental fee, but couples quickly discover they still need to find a coordinator, florist, DJ, decor, rentals, transportation, and dozens of other details that add up quickly.

At In The Woods, much of that is already part of the experience.