If you are looking for a beautiful piece of history in which to host your Dallas wedding then look no further than the Surrey House just North of Dallas in McKinney, TX!
This historic house was built in 1910 and as stated on their website, "has outlasted a century of tornadoes, fires and other natural disasters to become one of the most well known wedding facilities in North Dallas."
It's located just 30 minutes north of Dallas in the historic district of McKinney, TX (just one block south of the Downtown Square) and sports a gorgeous wrap-around porch, gazebo, bridal cottage, and garden.
One of the most popular features of the Surrey House is the Surrey Carriage which is brought out specifically for events and can be used by the newlyweds for pictures.
I've had the incredible opportunity to photograph several weddings at the Surrey house and I love the variety of ways it can be arranged and decorated depending on the time of year and desire of the couple. To show you some of the different variations I have seen here are three different set-ups I have personally witnessed at this beautiful venue: Colby & Bernadette's Wedding Colby & Bernadette had an outdoor Wedding followed by a combo indoor & outdoor reception. They were married in October while the Summer heat was starting to wane, but it was warm enough outside that the cool air conditioning was a blessed respite. See below how they decorated the gazebo and backyard for their wedding:
Inside the Surrey House they had beautiful floral arrangements displayed at both the sign-in table and at the couple's table with pretty garlands above the fireplace. I loved the colors of their flowers against the dark blue tablecloths. The atmosphere of the entire house was light, bright and romantic.
Below you can see the inside the Bridal Cottage where the bride and her wedding party, and the groom and his wedding party got ready for their big day ahead!
What a beautiful and sweet wedding. These two lovebirds met in high school, and had a short engagement before getting married at the Surrey House. Their excitement and sweet energy for the wedding day was so contagious.
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Sarah & Seth's Wedding Sarah & Seth were married in the early Spring; because of the colder weather their wedding and reception were held inside the Surrey House.
Ballrooms 1 & 2 of the Surrey House were positioned so the rows of chairs faced the front of the house. As you can see below, the aisle that the bridal party came in through the back door and walked through both ballrooms before arriving before the officiant at the front window.
Sarah and Seth took a simplistic approach to their wedding décor, which was a blessing for the Venue Coordinators as they had a short amount of time in which to turn the ballrooms from ceremony ready to reception ready (i.e. 40 minutes - the amount of time it took us to capture their family and couple portraits).
Some other unique spots that we did some unique Wedding Photography on Seth and Sarah's big day was a First Touch inside the Bridal Cottage, and a Night Shot with the entire bridal party in front of the gazebo in the backyard (including a fun 'boys only' photo). If you haven't heard of a First Touch, it is an intimate moment between the bride and groom before the Wedding Ceremony where they gather on either side of a wall or doorway so they can't see each other and reach out their hands and read their vows in private. A Night Shot is a fun stand-out photo that is taken after it gets dark, typically outside, with off-camera lighting. Take a look below at the images we captured and tell me what you think!
Seth and Sarah were so much fun to work with and really trusted me to capture some fun and beautiful moments on their Wedding Day at the Surrey House. I loved being able to capture the Surrey House through their eyes and experience this day!
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Damon & Nita's Wedding Damon & Nita were married at the height of Spring so they made the decision to hold both their Wedding and Reception in the backyard of the Surrey House. Luckily the weather cooperated and it was a beautiful wedding! Nita decorated the front of the Surrey House with some beautiful ferns and lanterns which was such a welcoming sight for their guests as they walked up to venue. When you walked out to the backyard, the gazebo at the back of the property really caught your eye with it's floral arch and multiple bouquets of antique roses, baby's breath and eucalyptus. Take a look at what I mean below:
It was so fun being outside for the entirety of the wedding and reception (definitely not something I would suggest doing in the middle of summer, but in November or March, it would be breath-taking!) Nita and Damon loved the wrap-around porch and requested their family and couple portraits be taken there at the front of the house. I love how the light hit this area as it was setting and would definitely recommend having your pictures taken here.
Nita & Damon's Wedding was such a fun affair! These two LOVE to dance. It was so much fun capturing pictures of them cutting up the dance floor with their friends and families. The outdoor dance floor was a magical and fun place while these two were on it !
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I hope you can see from the images above just how fun and unique a Wedding Venue the Surrey House & Gardens is. I have had such a wonderful time capturing the weddings of such wonderful couples there over the past year and hope you consider it when deciding on the venue that would best suit you and your fiance's needs.
Here are a few more details about the Surrey House & Gardens that you may be interested to know when deciding between all the Dallas Wedding Venues available to you:
The Specifics
**The starting rental fee for the Surrey House & Gardens is $850-$1,850 depending on the day of the week you are looking to book the venue.
**Should you decide to hold a rehearsal before your wedding or reception the Surrey House will accommodate a rehearsal by appointment with a $50 fee.
**Along with your rental you can also request the Gazebo and Bridal Cottage for an additional $200 (perfect for those getting ready and married onsite).
**Your reservation of Mars Hill Farm includes:
-banquet halls,
-serving halls,
-back deck,
-yard & gardens,
-parking area,
-sound system,
-warming kitchen,
-wrap around porch,
-tables, chairs, and tableclothes. **It can host up to 150 guests. **You may bring your own alcohol, however you a TABC certified bartender is required to pour the drinks. The venue will provide with a list of eligible bartenders if you need a recommendation.
**To get started on reserving the Surrey House & Gardens for your Wedding or Reception simply send them an email at event@surreyhs.com
If you decide to go with the Surrey House & Gardens for your wedding or event I promise you will NOT be disappointed! As you can tell from these images, not only will you have a wonderful time but your wedding and reception will be absolutely stunning!
-Sarah Mae
Photography of Sarah Mae