Rachael C.
Yelp
Loooong post for those looking at wedding venues:
We recently got married this month at Cedars of Lebanon. We used the Cedar Forest Lodge for our ceremony and reception. The park also has a few others options for events/wedding as well. In addition to the event space, a group of us also stayed at their cabins for the weekend.
First off - for anyone looking to get married or even looking for an event venue, the Cedar Forest Lodge is really a great option. They recently completed floor renovations, so there price has gone up to $500 (I think) for the space which is still really affordable in comparison to some other venues.
The stone and wood building itself is really beautiful! The only nitpicky thing I would mention regarding the "look" of the Cedar Forest Lodge would be the bathrooms. Just dated, no issues with cleanliness. While not a deal breaker for me, just something to be aware of. The only other complaint I would have would be the time constraints of the rental space. We had to be all wrapped up and out of the building by 10pm or be charged an additional $150 per hour. Although I do understand that it being a state park this probably comes down to issues with potential noise, it is really the only thing that was a real concern for me when deciding on this space or not. Ultimately, the affordability of the space won out for me and we used the cabins as place for people to congregate after the reception.
We used 5 of their 9 cabins. For our weekend reservations, they required a 2 night minimum. Not sure if this rule always stands. For 2 days, the cost was about $280 per cabin. The cabins were perfect for what we were going for. The cabins were clean and simple with tons of windows which I loved (a few people found the many windows to be creepy). Furniture was comfortable and what seemed to be handmade table/chairs are very heavy/sturdy. Each cabin also had large porches with seating, picnic tables and grills. This is a state park so don't expect anything exceptionally fancy, etc. Cabins do have dishes/pots/pans/cutlery, but it can vary from cabin to cabin. Heads up, NO dishwashers. Oh and they do have a couple pet friendly cabins.
Over the weekend, we also went on some trails, played disk golf and played kickball in one of their fields. Not having any experience prior to our wedding at this park, they seem to have many other things to do there as well.
Another thing to mention... during my research prior to reserving Cedars of Lebanon, I had read a handful of complaints from people regarding the staff and reservation experience. The staff were accommodating when I requested an early check in on a few of our cabins. Over the last year, I probably called at least 10 - 15 times with various questions and went there handful of other times to look at the space, and I never had any issues. That may also have something to do with my expectations. The staff is by no means event coordinators. The park stays very busy with weddings (I think there Saturday availability stays booked far, far in advance), but the park is also busy in general - cabin rentals, camping, swimming pools in the summer, etc. If you are looking for the bridal experience of being doted on, this may not be ideal. Just something to consider.
I am also going to do reviews for the other vendors we used if you found this helpful:
Martin's BBQ, Party Providers in Lebanon for plate rentals, Men's Wearhouse for suit/tux, Unique Alterations, Suite M's alterations, Noble tailoring (Clarksville), Yazoo for keg, Import Flowers, Frugal McDougal for addt'l beer and wine, and Nashville Sound Rental for speakers.
Finally, please do not take my word for things regarding to the rules/pricing, etc. I do know that some things have changed since I reserved (price went up, for example) so some other things may have changed as well. I have heard that their requirements may have changed about serving alcohol. I had heard that a permit is required now (we didn't need for ours). Not sure the validity but heads up.
Hope this was helpful!