Tag Archive for: love

You are here: / love /

Posts

Four Adorable Piedmont Park Love Stories

/in /by

Piedmont Park is a go-to destination for dates, couples photos, weddings and more. Parks have a special way of kindling relationships and creating lifelong memories. This Valentine’s Day season, the Piedmont Park Conservancy rounded up four absolutely adorable love stories.

A Park for All Your Special Moments

“My husband and I were dating back in Dec. 2012. We decided to make it “official” while we were on a date at Park Tavern’s skating rink. Since our first “Skate Date,” as we like to call it, the park has held a special place in our hearts. We have returned almost every December for a skate date since. We used to live in Buckhead and would spend weekends picnicking in the park wishing that we lived closer. In 2014, we took our engagement photos at the park and used them for our wedding save the dates. In 2015, we bought a Goldendoodle with our wedding money and started frequenting the dog park and sponsoring a bone each year. In 2016, we decided to move to Midtown and live near the park, which is where we are now, just two blocks away! We recently had our first child and amidst the pandemic world, found sanctuary walking our baby in her stroller around the park almost daily during my maternity leave and now as a family every weekend since I’m back to work. The park is my favorite place!” – Tyler Keenan

World’s Tiniest Ceremony

“I have been with my partner for six years, and while we were in quarantine, he proposed. But we didn’t want to wait until the end of the pandemic to get married. We decided to plan the world’s tiniest wedding ceremony for the month after. Come October 2, 2020, we were standing in Piedmont Park, overlooking the lake with the skyline as the backdrop. Our parents and one best friend were in attendance, and my now-husband’s best friend since childhood married us. It was the best day of my life, and every time we visit the Park, that lovely memory washes over me.” – Grace Dent

From Dreaming to Fruition

“My husband moved close to Piedmont Park right after we first started dating long-distance. We spent every other Saturday morning (then nearly every one after I moved to Atlanta) walking through with coffees, talking, dreaming and planning. Two years later, I took one of the first photos of my engagement ring in the park with the Midtown skyline in the background. After waffling between venue disappointments, we were again walking through when he suggested that we should be married at Piedmont Park. It was our favorite place, after all! We ended up shooting our engagement photos in the park a few months before the wedding, too. I love that we have photographs of just us bundled up in the sleepy, wintry park and of us with our family and friends enjoying a beautiful spring day. We still visit the Green Market and park just about every weekend – and now we bring a stroller, too. Piedmont Park is so integral to our lives here, and we’re excited for our baby to love it as much as we do!” – Anna Kay Cope

A Piedmont Park Game Plan

“When we first fell in love, she was in Houston and I was in Atlanta. I knew the other half of my heart was in Atlanta, so I set out to convince her that Atlanta was a place she’d like to move. We’d go to Piedmont Park every weekend she visited. We would walk down 10th street and enjoying some wine sometimes but it was always Piedmont Park. People watching in the valley, watching doggies at the dog park, and my secret weapon: the Botanical Garden. Once I unleashed it’s full power, she knew it was futile to resist. She moved to Atlanta, and we continued going to the park every week pretty much ever since. We were married in April 2018 at Park Tavern and all of our family from out of state remarked on how beautiful the view of the park was and how festive it was to have dozens of families in the valley enjoying a park as the back drop to our wedding party. I owe it all to Piedmont Park for being the best place I have ever known to go kill time until the end of the world with ones you love.” – William Smartridge

Looking to host your next date at Piedmont Park?

If you are inspired by these love stories and want to make a love story of your own, check out our self-guided tours and plan a picnic at one of our several lawns. The Piedmont Park Conservancy offers three venues perfect for weddings, proposals and anniversaries, and all proceeds benefit our nonprofit mission to preserve and enhance the Park.

Micro-wedding in Piedmont Park, happy couple, wedding in park

Love Shouldn’t Wait

/in /by

Love shouldn’t wait, and these beautiful couples couldn’t agree more.

While so many wedding plans were canceled this year, nothing was going to stop these couples from sharing their vows. 

Nancy Hallman and Chris Partido decided they didn’t want the Coronavirus to affect their wedding date, so they decided on having a smaller scale elopement with only a few close friends and family in attendance.

“We just couldn’t wait for another year,” says Nancy Hallman, “We didn’t want COVID to mess up our original date.”

Micro-wedding in Piedmont Park, happy couple, wedding in park

Another couple, Alex and Maureen Romoff were scheduled to have a large traditional wedding this year, but the pandemic halted these plans. Having to change original wedding plans is something that would normally cause stress and heartbreak, but the Romoffs took these change of plans as a welcoming surprise. After thinking about it further, they decided that a big wedding was not something they even wanted. 

“The whole production was not us… We decided to elope since we wanted a balance of romance, intimacy and practicality,” says Maureen Romoff.

Changing a wedding date and a venue is not ever taken lightly. The Piedmont Park Conservancy is honored that these couples chose the Park as their location to get married.

“We come here almost every day, and the Park was initially one of the places that attracted us to the city before committing to move to Atlanta from D.C.”, says Maureen Romoff. 

“Everything went smooth…it was perfect. I would do it all over again,” says Nancy Hallman. 

Love didn’t have to wait for these couples. A Piedmont Park wedding allows couples to experience a beautiful, intimate ceremony with close friends and family in an iconic, and historic waterfront setting. These perfect, small and special ceremonies are now priceless memories for these two couples, creating a connection to the park forever.  

If you are considering an intimate and romantic wedding, check out how you can have your ceremony at Piedmont Park.

Author: Olivia O’Brien

Ilyssa and Mike: The Perfect Wedding Destination

/in /by

Piedmont Park is more than Atlanta’s playground, it’s where memories are made.

Ilyssa and Mike first met through a mutual friend at a bar. A few drinks and laughs later, Ilyssa knew she was interested in Mike. From there, the rest is history.

With marriage quickly approaching, the couple needed to find the perfect location. They loved nature and spent a lot of time in New York City’s parks while dating. Mike even proposed at a park! “So in choosing a venue, Piedmont Park was the perfect place – a beautiful park in the middle of the city with lots of natural beauty all around,” said Ilyssa.

What was your favorite part of your wedding?

“Every single part of our wedding was complete magical!! If I had to choose one part, I think I would say the beginning of the wedding at Dockside: the bridal reception and ceremony. These parts were both outside with the beautiful lake in the background, the weather was perfect and it just felt so enclosed by so much stunning natural beauty,” Ilyssa stated.

Dockside is one of Piedmont Park’s most popular wedding venues. With vast trees and a stunning lake, this location is great for any romantic occasion!

The couple invited their closest family and friends to witness their union at this scenic location.

 What was it like to work with Piedmont Park Conservancy staff?

“It was a great experience working with Jane from Piedmont Park! She was always super helpful and attentive from the moment we started considering the venue to after the wedding too,” she said.

The staff at the Conservancy are dedicated to making each experience magical.

As the Director of Facility Rentals, Jane Rollo is responsible for answering any facility questions guests may have, especially the bride and groom. She assisted in making their wedding day special.

Will Piedmont Park play a role in your married life?

“Of course! We actually plan to move to Atlanta this summer and we cannot wait to spend as much time as we can walking, playing, picnicking and of course reminiscing in the park! We also hope to get a pup soon and look forward to bringing the dog to the Piedmont Park Dog Parks too,” she exclaimed.

The Piedmont Park Conservancy is grateful to be a part of this wonderful journey that Ilyssa and Mike will remember for the rest of their lives.

“If you are looking for a beautiful, natural venue in the heart of Atlanta, this is your place!! Highly recommended,” said Ilyssa. 

For more information about reserving one of our venues, or if you would like a tour of our venues, please visit: piedmontpark.org/weddings

Photo credit: The Decisive Moment

Author: Amari Woods

https://www.thedecisivemoment.com/

Ryan and Sammi: A Dockside Proposal

/in /by

Ryan and Sammi met as law students at the University of Florida. Friends at first, they grew closer when they both ended up moving to Orlando to begin their careers. Soon after, Ryan realized Sammi was the “one!”

With an engagement now on the horizon, Ryan set out to look for the perfect place to ask Sammi to marry him. He decided Atlanta would be an excellent option, a unique choice considering neither of them live in the city.

He scoured the net for the perfect place to propose, eventually deciding on Piedmont Park. Nestled in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, the Park offered a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Ryan wanted someplace that offered an air of seclusion, but wasn’t too much of a departure from typical outings in Atlanta’s midtown area.

Where in Piedmont Park did the proposal take place?

Ryan decided to propose to Sammi at Dockside, a lakeside location surrounded by a gorgeous array of trees.

“Aside from its undeniable beauty, the Dockside gave us an opportunity to have a fairly private moment in an outdoor setting,” he said.

The area was closed off and decorated with romantic standing flower bouquets and lit candles.

Sammi couldn’t believe how well Ryan had done at choosing a place that allowed them to feel like they were in their own little world.

“I’m still a little in shock at what a great job Ryan did at planning the proposal and what a gorgeous location he picked.  It was fairly private in that when we walked down the steps and onto the dock, the trees surrounding the water hid all the other people in the park.  It really felt like our own private moment.  And then when I said yes and Ryan stood back up, everyone who could see us through the trees clapped and yelled congratulations.  It was adorable!”

How did the Piedmont Park Conservancy help?

Jane Rollo, Director of Facility Rentals at the Piedmont Park Conservancy, was instrumental in helping to realize Ryan’s dream proposal. She directed him to Courtney Surber Paz, an Atlanta-area event planner, who assisted in coordinating the details.

“She helped me visualize the proposal setting, select and utilize the right florist to create a romantic proposal setting (and have the flowers moved back to our hotel room after the proposal itself), procure a driver, a violinist, and, of course, a photographer,” Ryan said.

Sammi was positively thrilled with the way the day turned out.

“Honestly, everything about it was amazing.  I was so surprised and overwhelmed in the best way possible, and the beauty of the park definitely contributed to that. It was the perfect proposal location.”

Final Verdict?

“We’re going to make a point of coming back to Atlanta, probably annually at least, to celebrate our special moment there. I cannot speak highly enough of my experience with the Park. From start to finish, the Conservancy staff helped Sammi and I have a wonderful experience in a wonderful setting. I trusted them with one of the most important moments of my life, and I was right to do so.”

If you are interested in renting out Dockside or another venue for your special day, or if you would like to tour wedding venues please visit: piedmontpark.org/weddings

 

Guest Post by Aliya Seymour