I'm baby poke bicycle rights kinfolk cronut woke shoreditch jianbing copper mug meggings helvetica vibecession try-hard yuccie austin.

NOTE —

If your blog post's featured images are fairly low resolution, you may want to delete the top image canvas. Your blog will still look gorgeous, but the top banner section looks best when you upload an image that's 2500px on the long side. You can also use our fave TinyJpeg to make them small so your blog posts still load quickly! 

bride and groom on the grand outdoor staircase at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

Wedding Venues

A Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding with Southern Charm

November 11, 2022

If you’re looking for a gorgeous wedding venue in Atlanta, look no further than having a Cator Woolford Gardens wedding, one of the area’s most remarkable hidden gems. This beautiful event space is not only a stunning location to host your big day but also a meaningful impact on the Atlanta area by using event rental proceeds to support the Frazer Center’s ambition to foster inclusion and diversity in the community. 

bride and groom in the garden at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

About The Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

1815 S. Ponce de Leon Ave NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30307

Nestled right in the middle of Druid Hills, Cator Woolford Gardens in Georgia provides a rare glimpse into what 1920s Atlanta was like. This historic estate is a lush oasis, one of the only remaining remnants of this period of Atlanta’s history. As one of the only viable estates still standing, Cator Woolford Gardens offers couples a unique site for a stunning wedding. 

wedding details at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

This sprawling estate was once the home of Cator Woolford, one of the founders of Equifax. The Italian-style gardens serve as a fantastic wedding venue with many elements of classic beauty and historic Southern charm. This venue and event space also has a meaningful mission. Proceeds go to support the Frazer Center, a nonprofit that supports people of all abilities and disability levels to form a more inclusive community. 

bride and mom getting dressed at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

Details of the Grounds

Event spaces include the Pavilion, Colonnade, Courtyard, East Lawn, Events Tent, Main Garden, and Meadow. 

The Pavilion, Courtyard, & The East Lawn

The Pavilion features an original white marble archway and columns combined with twinkling hanging lights, creating a romantic wedding visual. It can be used as a wedding party suite and has air conditioning, original marble, two restrooms, wood floors, and oversized mirrors. This space can hold up to 25 people. Couples can also utilize The Library as a changing area for the wedding party. 

wedding ceremony at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue bride and her dad walking down the aisle in a garden

At the foot of the grand staircase sits the Courtyard, a stone area that makes the perfect space to hold a seated dinner reception for up to 180 guests. The East Lawn is an alternative reception dinner setting and is peaceful and serene. 

flower girl during a wedding at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

The Events Tent, The Colonnade, Main Garden, & The Meadow

The white Events Tent is complete with a striking chandelier and a gorgeous space for a reception of dinner and dancing. The tent features two chandeliers and four fans. It is the perfect space for cocktails or a seated dinner of up to 75 guests. 

The Colonnade blends the natural beauty of the estate’s gardens with Italian-style architecture, like towering pillars that echo the architectural details of the grounds. For cocktail hour, the Hollow is a great spot that can hold up to 75 guests. This rustic, woodsy area is also a great space to take photos. Surrounded by lush floral landscaping, the Main Garden houses the estate’s sweeping ceremony lawn. It even contains some of the original plants from the property. The Meadow is a circular, manicured lawn area used for ceremonies in the round or pre-ceremony cocktails. 

bride and groom on the grand outdoor staircase at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

The maximum capacity for garden weddings is 180-200 guests. Couples can utilize The Atrium as an indoor space with 3,000 square feet and air conditioning. It features floor-to-ceiling windows, vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, and globe-string lights. This room also features a mosaic mural by Athos Menaboni made with Murano glass. The room can accommodate 150-180 guests. 

bride and groom sharing a kiss near the stone wall at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

Photography Opportunities

With 39 acres full of mature plants, Cator Woolford Gardens is a botanical paradise just miles from downtown Atlanta. The sights and colors of the garden change with the seasons, featuring dogwoods, roses, rhododendrons, laurels, daffodils, azaleas, and more. The outdoor gardens are enchanting, but the venue’s indoor event space is also beautiful, with 3,000 square feet of event space that features vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. 

bride standing in the doorway at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

Some favorite locations include:

  • The lush greenery of the gardens
  • Stone pathways surrounded by trees, bushes, and flowers
  • The outdoor tent for the reception
  • Romantic string lights, tile pathways, and trees framing the reception area
  • Grand outdoor staircase
  • The towering trees in the outdoor ceremony space

groom holding his bride's shoulder at the Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding Venue

Wedding Details

Cator Woolford Gardens wedding packages include tables, chairs, a site manager, an event crew, food and alcohol servers, music amplification capability, security, parking for up to 90 vehicles, and golf carts. Elopement and ceremony-only packages are also available at this venue. Couples can rent the venue for 6-9 hours, any day of the week. Maximum capacity is 180-200 guests. 

Couples can utilize the venue’s all-inclusive rentals, including tables, chairs, and outdoor tents, for weddings of up to 180 guests. Couples can choose from the property’s sprawling outdoor garden areas or the venue’s light-filled indoor atrium. Ample accommodations include an air-conditioned wedding party suite and exclusive access to the venue grounds on the wedding day. 

The rental cost includes site managers, expert staff, and security personnel, making this a simple, all-inclusive option where wedding planning is a breeze. Couples are responsible for booking their own outside vendors. 

Cator Woolford Gardens Wedding

From 1920 all the way to 2020 and beyond, Cator Woolford Gardens is a magical, lush oasis that houses Italian-style gardens combined with classic beauty and Southern charm. With indoor and outdoor spaces available, the Cator Woolford Gardens wedding venue celebrates the beauty of nature and historical details while offering an intimate hideaway from bustling city life. With its philanthropic endeavors, Cator Woolford Gardens is an excellent wedding venue and a pillar of the Atlanta community that strives to promote inclusion and diversity in society. 

For more Atlanta wedding content, click on the blog links below! While you’re here, make sure to view more of my Atlanta wedding portfolio, and let’s chat about your day!

+ Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DON'T MISS 

TOP POSTS

FAVE ELOPEMENT LOCALES

Read post

ORGANIC DETAILS

Read post

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Read post

FEATURED IN VOGUE

Read post

BEHIND THE LENS

MEET DEVON

Photographer, artist, father, occasional potter, inspired by music, good light, and you.

That's me and my wife on our wedding day. It was great, except for the part where we were stressed the whole time that there wasn't enough time for photos. Humblebrag scenester tumblr plaid narwhal offal tofu authentic hell of umami vaporware. Williamsburg sartorial put a bird on it craft beer YOLO. Quinoa austin woke, celiac iceland portland raw denim hella truffaut. Ennui fam flexitarian glossier.

MORE RESOURCES + POSTS

The portrait Shoot Style guide

WEDDING DETAIL TRENDS FOR 2024

TIPS FOR THE BEST GOLDEN HOUR PHOTOS