The question has been popped, and the ring sized—all that’s left to do is start planning your wedding! With so many choices in the Central Texas area and around the country, choosing an event venue is one of the most daunting tasks in the planning process. Located in the heart of downtown Austin, the Blanton Museum of Art is available for evening special event rentals—and we love weddings!
Interested in getting married at the Blanton but don’t know where to start? We have you covered! Your first (and most important!) step is determining how many people you will have at your wedding.
The Rapoport Atrium, famous for its beautiful Stacked Waters installation by artist Teresita Fernández, comfortably seats up to 150 at tables or up to 300 for a standing reception. Brides have the option of extending seating onto our upstairs mezzanine, but for a more intimate experience we recommend planning to seat no more than 150 guests.
We understand that keeping that count down can present quite a challenge when it comes to making sure no family member or friend gets left out. Many couples are opting for a more relaxed reception that incorporates mixed seating with some cocktail tables and a few traditional round tables with seats reserved for family and elderly guests.
Knowing your guest count is also a key factor when selecting a caterer. Choosing the right caterer for your day may seem like a daunting task, but here at the Blanton we’ve done the ground work for you and already vetted a list of pros! All of our approved caterers have solid reputations and go through a contracting process with us, so you can be assured that they’re familiar with our unique venue and are trusted to provide top notch quality food and service. Our current list includes:
- Austin Catering
- AT&T Center
- Blanton Café
- Contigo
- Crave
- Kurant Events
- Pink Avocado
- Rosemary’s
- Royal Fig
- Word of Mouth
What is included? Our $5,000 venue rental fee includes the use of the Rapoport Atrium, outdoor loggia, and “get ready room” for your wedding party, along with a catering kitchen and back of house area for event staff. It also includes 2-3 venue managers, security for the building and custodial staffing. The rental price is based on a four-hour event with an additional two hours for set up and an hour to break down. If you think you need additional time for your event, you can arrange additional time for $500 per hour.
While we don’t have any furniture in house, we work closely with a couple of great local companies. Both Premiere Events and Marquee have some useful online tools to assist with your planning needs, but keep in mind that your caterer is typically happy to handle the rentals for you.
We also include a complementary portrait session in the museum on a Monday when we are closed to the public. This can be a fun way to take your engagement pictures or bridal portraits in an intimate private gallery experience. It’s also a great opportunity walk through the space with your photographer in advance of the big day so that special shots can be planned.
Do I need an event planner? While hiring an event planner is not currently required for a wedding at the Blanton, we highly recommend it. If a full service planner is not in the budget or you’re more of a DIY bride, do yourself a favor and consider a day-of coordinator to handle the moving parts on your wedding day. Not only can a planner help to reduce your stress, they will take the pressure off of well meaning friends or family members and make sure all the details are handled while you enjoy yourself. Our staff will of course be on hand to assist with logistics and provide additional support.
How do I decorate in a museum? One of the benefits of choosing the Blanton is that you don’t need to bring a lot of décor. A few personal touches, perhaps some special linens, and pretty floral arrangements are all you need to customize the space to your tastes. A couple things to keep in mind when planning with your florist is that we unfortunately cannot allow any potted plants inside the museum—this is to protect the stunning artwork that will surround you on your wedding day. Balloons, confetti, glitter, and votive candles are other prohibited items, but we suggest LED lights as a great alternative! While bringing in supplemental lighting is not essential, it is a great opportunity to further personalize the atmosphere. Consider a monogram for the floor or wall, up-lighting in your chosen colors, and disco lights to get the party going.
What else should I consider? An important and often over looked element to consider when planning is your power needs. Photo booths, bands, DJ’s, lighting—it all takes power. Determining the electrical needs ahead of time allows us to help you plan your layout and make sure everything runs smoothly on the day of the event.
What are some more resources I can use to help me plan? The International Special Events Society directory is a great resource for finding vendors like planners, photographers, cakes, DJs, florists and even invitation designers. Also, make sure to ask the vendors you hire for suggestions on folks they enjoy working with. For more wedding inspiration photos at the Blanton, visit our Pinterest page or click on the photos above to link to the photographer’s websites.”
Interested in learning more? Contact our friendly events team for more information and to check availability:
Stacey Hoyt CSEP, CMP
(512) 475-6516
Hello!
My fiance and I are coming into Austin from Houston tomorrow evening, and hoping to look at a few venues we’re interested in on Monday. I wanted to see if you had any more information on weddings at Blaton, as well as touring times.
Thank you,
Annie