Barr Mansion & Artisan Bllrm

My husband and I booked Barr Mansions for our November 11, 2010 wedding. When the fire happened I was a little nervous about the back-up plan, but once I went to the food and cake tasting I saw how amazingly beautiful it was I knew that it was still going to be the wedding of my dreams. I was blown away at how well Barr Mansion handled the whole thing. They were absolutely wonderful in every aspect. Everyone and everything at Barr Mansion was fabulous and exceeded my expectations. Everyone was very friendly and more than willing to help out in any way they could. As a bride planning a Texas wedding from Florida it was nice to know that I could rely on anyone there the ease my stress. Rick was fantastic. He was easy to get a hold of, and if I had any questions or concerns he was right there ready with answers. On the day of the wedding he was very attentive and on schedule. He knew exactly what I wanted for my wedding and executed it perfectly. Nothing went wrong the day of and it was everything I had dreamed of. Working with Abby at STEMS was so pleasant! She knew exactly what I was looking for and with my lack of knowledge for floral created the most beautiful display of flowers. My bouquet was so gorgeous I wanted to keep it forever, and the girls bouquets were the perfect simple touch. As for the guys boutonnieres they were simple and elegant with the most beautiful flower. The centerpieces were better than I could have imagined, and all the extra touches of floral really made my wedding into everything I had dreamed of. I have gotten so many complements from our guests and I can't thank Barr Mansion enough! I would recommend Barr Mansion to any bride, my experience was just fantastic! more

Amazing - everyone at the wedding was pleased with the attentiveness of the staff, the timeliness of drinks and food, and the air of fun professionalism. A+. I read this morning that there's been a fire on the property, so I wanted to emphasize the great staff, and the beautiful tent they set up for us. Brides planning on getting married at Barr Mansion this summer: never fear. Barr staff will make the event gorgeous with or without the original building set-up you imagined. My mother and I had a great experience before the wedding with preparation. I can't remember a time an email wasn't answered in 24 hours or a phone call wasn't returned. Everyone was very accessible and accommodating. And when we were on site to make decisions, we never felt rushed. Rick was fantastic. Particularly memorable to me was his cheerful attitude, especially in the face of a hand injury he received a couple of weeks before our wedding. He helped me (and my charming, yet full-o-questions mother) with paring down all the questions to the few real decisions we had to make. He made it all easy. The cakes were beautiful. So gorgeously decorated - both - and tasty! I can't wait for our first anniversary to have a taste again. The Lemon wedding cake with citrus icing was a dream. Going ""organic"" does not sacrifice any flavor, presentation, or fun. ""Great work"" to the chefs. We are generally impressed by everything that comes out of Barr's chapel-kitchen. Pros: Beautiful grounds and gardens; fabulous, professional staff Cons: Kind of hard to find at first - but worth it more

Very affordable and the backdrop of the home and everything about the place pays for itself so you don't have to spend a ton of extra money on decorations. With us both being in the hospitality business working crazy hours we were looking for easy. I loved how I was able to do my cake, food, flowers and decorations all through the Barr Mansion. Pros: Everything from the ambiance, the staff and the food more

My husband and I married at Barr Mansion in July 2009 and could not be happier with the entire wedding and reception. The grounds are stunning - so creative and lush - you feel like you are in a slice of hidden Austin. Every little corner has some sort of beautiful plants or rock garden. The organic catering was unbelievable - our guests continue to complement the food as the weeks go by! The staff knows everything you need and helps from start to finish. We used the floral service as well - our wedding was absolutely stunning! Barr Mansion and Artisan Ballroom is a wonderful value. We can't thank them enough! Pros: Food, flowers, grounds, staff more

We got married there in April and it was everything I could wish for and more! From the perfectly manicured landscaping, to the loving staff and the great food. First of all, I am convinced you will not find a more visually appealing venue. It has tons of places for guests to wander and lots of different places to take pictures. The staff was wonderful! They listened to your ideas and turned them into creative masterpieces. I worked with Abby and I cannot rave enough about our flowers. They were stunning. The food tasted great and best of all it is organic, so you don't have to worry about a fondant covered cake. You get a real cake with real icing that tastes better than anything you can make at home. Pros: visually stunning, great staff, wonderful food, organic Cons: none! more

I got married at the Barr Mansion on May 16, 2008, and I could not have had a more perfect wedding. The staff was wonderful: they were always quick to respond to my questions, not pushy for me to use any of their ancillary services and instead provided plenty of information on photographers, musicians, etc at all price ranges, and my wedding coordinator was perfect (who is included as part of the deal at no extra cost at the Barr Mansion, as is the cakes and table settings). I never knew where he was or what he was doing, but everything proceeded perfectly, and he was never pushy or intrusive. At the end of the night when everyone was having a blast dancing, he let us stay a little late because the food had come out a little bit late (although no one noticed this). The food was excellent and unique; it is all organic, and It is nice that they do the food there, as it is one less vendor you have to find on your own. The cakes are included and they did a yummy chocolate layered cake covered in chocolate shards. As for a beautiful place to get married, you cant beat this. The grounds are green as can be and the flowers were all in bloom in May. Because of the beautiful scenery, our pictures turned out great. The barn is beautiful with all the lights. They have a back-up indoor site to get married in case it is raining on your day. The best way I can describe the feel of the decor is natural, eclectic, and rustic with a touch of an eastern feel. So many people were asking ""Wow! how did you find this place?"" We had sparklers for when we left the wedding, and the staff handled setting it all up. And, as per our request the car had boxes filled with food, cake and leftover wine for us to take to the hotel. To sum it up: great people, great food, gorgeous and unique location. Pros: Food, scenery, unique location, great outdoor wedding spot Cons: Can't think of any more

My husband and I were married at the Barr Mansion on Labor Day weekend in 2008. We had a wonderful experience with the facility and with the staff at Barr. We couldn't have wished for anything else and the day was so special for us!! Our out if town guests from New Orleans raved about the food and incredible atmosphere! It was intimate and private for the ceremony, just what we wanted....and then the reception was a fantastic party! Abby assisted us in planning all of the details and made the day run smoothly. I highly, without hesitation, receommend the Barr Mansion for your wedding venue! Pros: Beautiful atmosphere, great staff, detailed wedding coordinator more

I cannot say enough good things about these people. During the planning sessions they were always available, helpful, very clear about all expenditures and details. I felt like I was friends with all of them throughout the whole process. They were even helpful in making suggestions to help me reign in expenses to fit my budget. My planning sessions with Rick and Abbey were incredibly well organized and helped me to gain a sense of control and order to my understanding of how the big day would run. Pros: organization; tasty food; beautiful picture spot; attention to detail; fresh, organic produce and meat Cons: pricey, but you get more than what you pay for more

My husband and I can't say enough positive things about Barr Mansion. We would not change one thing about our November 2008 wedding in large part due to the hard work and dedication of the Barr Mansion staff. Their professionalism, attention to detail and clear mission to serve their client, in this case an out-of-town bride and groom, was absolutely flawless. These folks went through every single wedding related detail with us remotely, graciously tackling several iterations of cakes, bouquet/floral arrangement ideas and even a last minute change in ceremony details through email no less. Barr staff understood that we couldn't make the trip to Austin to discuss these critical details and took it upon themselves to make this work for us rather than making us work for them. The venue is dreamy; it's the perfect place for an elegant but unpretentious and intimate wedding. Our guests raved about our food, cakes and floral arrangements and were so thankful that Barr staff went out of their way to accommodate all of us. Countless wedding guests commented that our wedding was the most beautiful they?d ever been to. We couldn?t have done this on our own?it was made possible by Barr Mansion. We toured numerous Austin wedding venues and none captured the essence of Austin, its kind and laid-back people and natural beauty the way Barr Mansion does. We give them infinite stars. more

To quote one of my guests... "" there is some major wedding envy going on in here"". It was PERFECT! It couldn't have gone any smoother and it was wooonderful being able to do most everything at the Barr Mansion (thought not required to). They were so willing to work with everyone's unique cases, were very patient and professional, and were happy to meet me and walk around the grounds with every family member that ever came in town and ""wanted to see the place."" Having wedding planner on hand for the day of was especially helpful. Pros: reasonably priced, accomodate varying sized events, great food, ethically responsible to say the least Cons: I wish I could go there to eat again... They should open a restaurant! more

My wife and I live in Chicago, and we were married at Barr last Memorial Day weekend. We could not have been happier with the wedding, and even speaking as the Groom, I was blown away by how beautiful the the facilities were, and how accommodating the staff was. We received more comments of amazement from our guests than I could have imagined, which meant a lot considering most of our guests flew in from all over the country. Working with Abby was terrific, and that was really important to us considering we had to arrange everything from long distance. We were also able to bring in our own liquor, which to me was really important. We wanted to have a variety of liquors and other beverages without running up a huge bar tab, and we were able to stock up at Spec's and return everything we didn't use. The staff at Barr even mixed up and served our customized signature drinks, as if they had professional mixologists working the bar. In reference to another post, sure, they do collect a deposit, and they probably will not refund the deposit if you cancel your event, but that is going to be the case with just about any place. Non-refundable deposits are just that, non-refundable. That does not make them crooks. I hope that fact does not cause anyone to miss out on having their event at a great place like Barr. more

My husband and I held our wedding at the Barr Mansion in November 2008. From the very first time we visited I knew it was the perfect location. The grounds are gorgeous and the staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. Abby anticipated every question and concern we had and made us feel relaxed on the big day. Our guests raved about the venue, the food, and the staff. I couldn't have picked a better place in Austin for my wedding! Pros: Experienced coordinators, delicious food, beautiful grounds Cons: A little ways outside of Austin more

I booked a wedding for Feb. 20th with Barr Mansion and paid a $4000 deposit on Nov. 5th, 2008. Due to unexpected circumstances my fiance and I had to cancel our wedding on Dec. 5th, 2008. The owner refused a refund of any part of the deposit, siting that the contract held that all deposits were non-refundable. Pros: nothing comes to mind. Cons: What a bunch of thieving jerks. more

Barr Mansion is a beautiful venue, the perfect place for a wedding. The outdoor gardens are lush and green, and condusive to an outdoor ceremony. The indoor ballroom is intimate, perfect for about 150 people, and has magical lighting that lets you know you're somewhere special. The original mansion is open for bride and groom parties to get ready before the big day. Pros: Beautiful venue, lush green private grounds, many services available Cons: Fire ants, food is expensive and no tastings are available for your specific selections more