General Information about Ravenwood Golf Club Weddings in this Venue Vendor Review
Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to film wedding videos at Ravenwood Golf Club. As a wedding videographer, I had the pleasure of capturing a celebration at this venue and was impressed by its picturesque landscapes and attentive staff. It's even featured on another blog post for Rochester's top venues! Ravenwood Golf Club offers an elegant setting for weddings, combining personalized service with exceptional value.
Ravenwood Golf Club, located in Victor, New York, is on the south east outskirts of the metropolitan area of Rochester, New York. With a quaint downtown full of locally run shops and restaurants, there is exploring to be done in the area. Located just outside of The Fingerlakes Wine country, nearby wineries include 20 Deep Winery and Song Hill Winery, and Casa Larga Vineyards (also a wedding venue!). and local beweriess, such as No BS Brew Company and Stumbling Monkey Brewing Company there is much to see and do!
Venue Details
Situated at 929 Lynaugh Road, Ravenwood Golf Club is easily accessible and provides ample complimentary parking for guests. The venue features meticulously maintained grounds, including a championship golf course and beautifully landscaped gardens, offering a variety of scenic backdrops ideal, for videography. The lush greenery, and vibrant flora enhance the visual storytelling of any wedding film. With the clubhouse perched on the hill overlooking the golf course, this wedding venue is no stranger to stunning wide shot sunset opportunities.
Getting Ready Spaces
Bridal Suite
A newly revonated bridal suite was recently finished for the 2024 wedding season can hold up to 8 individuals comfortably. This is a perfect area to have hair and makeup done in privacy, located right off the also newly renovated bar area. The previous area that was the bridal suite can be utilized as a landing pad for the bride, groom, and wedding party.
Ceremony Spaces
Outdoor Ceremony Option
The expansive 2,700 sq. ft. garden area which features a hybrid indoor seating in the pavilion and a slightly elevated outdoor ceremony space adjacent to the Black Raven Banquet Room serves as a popular choice for majority of ceremonies held at the venue.
With its manicured lawns and colorful flower beds, this space provides a romantic and serene environment, often including an arbor to compliment the backdrop. A ceremony held too early in the day will have direct sunlight cast on the ceremony scene, causing harsh shadows and squinting eyes, as there are not trees tall enough to cast blanketing shadows. However, the natural lighting during late afternoon ceremonies is particularly favorable, casting a warm, golden hue that enhances the cinematic quality of the footage. Utilizing this space earlier in the day for other photos such as a first look or bridal party can be easily accomplished as long as it is partially cloudy or overcast.
Note with all of the images, both edited and unedited, to show you difference in what types of lighting you may have in the indoor seating verses outdoor ceremony area, depending on the time of year, time of ceremony, and overall weather.
Although challenging to switch in between the drastically different lighting scenes of the vantage point from the ceremony looking inwards to watch the bride walk down the aisle, to turning around and looking out onto the ceremony scene, this task is well worth it and doable for a skilled videographer.
During cocktail hour, the chairs are efficiently removed from the space by the attentive staff to reveal a large dance floor and mingling area, with a bar located on the far right wall.
Reception Spaces
The Black Raven Banquet Room
This spacious 3,000 sq. ft. room accommodates up to 250 guests and offers breathtaking views of the golf course through expansive floor to ceiling windows. The room's neutral color palette and elegant decor provide a versatile canvas for various wedding themes, featuring large circular tables for your guests to sit at.
Enormous sliding glass doors open directly to the garden and a 2,700 sq. ft. covered pavilion, allowing for seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, and making the different spaces flow into one. From a videography perspective, the ample natural light and open layout facilitate dynamic and unobtrusive filming.
Since toasts and speeches are often in the latter half of the wedding day, keep in mind that the backdrop to where the sweethearts table is located is typically in front of the large windows facing into the banquet room, which are west-facing. This can cause the person giving the speech, along with the bride and groom, to become backlit if done before sunset.
Here are two of the solutions: know how to shoot backlit (left image) or have your speeches after sunset (left image).
Therefore you have four options: (1) it is key for your videographer to have the expertise to properly expose their subjects in backlighting scenarios. Or (2) you can simply have your speeches and toasts occur after sunset (which is easier accomplished the further you get into the fall season), or (3) choose another exterior wall to place the sweetheart table, or (4) choose a different location for the bride, groom, and speech giver to be during this portion of the reception.
The Birdseye Room
This slightly smaller space at 800 sq. ft. with large windows as a backdrop is fantastic to consider for 45 guests or smaller weddings, and can even be considered for a bridal shower, rehearsal dinners, or the post wedding day brunch.
Notable Features for Videography
Scenic Backdrops: The venue's golf course and landscaped gardens offer numerous picturesque settings for capturing intimate moments and stunning visuals. Sunset shots on top of the rolling greens or near the charming garden pathways, including a golf course pond, all add a magical touch to the wedding film.
Clients & Videographers: Keep in mind these areas are accessible via golf carts that the venue provides upon request, where more locations are available after the course has closed. If you want to take pictures out or near the course with your bridal party or for portraits, make sure you buffer in additional travel time to and from the locations.
The ceremony space can be perfect for photos prior to the ceremony of the weather is overcast (left). There are also plenty of stunning outdoor picture and video opportunities on and around the course (middle & right).
Architectural Elements: The Black Raven Banquet Room's design includes elegant fixtures and a spacious patio area with cozy fire pits, providing additional spots for creative videography, especially during evening receptions.
Audio Considerations
Acoustic Environment: The indoor spaces, particularly the Black Raven Banquet Room, boast favorable acoustics that ensure clear audio capture for speeches and musical performances. The room's design minimizes echo, contributing to high-quality sound recording.
Ambient Noise: While outdoor ceremonies offer beautiful visuals, it's important to consider potential ambient noises, such as wind, rain, or distant traffic. Utilizing high-quality microphones with deadcats (yes, they're actually called deadcats) and/or windshields can effectively mitigate these challenges, ensuring crisp and clear audio.
Staff and Coordination
The team at Ravenwood Golf Club, including Event Sales Manager Cailyn Calcagno and Wedding & Event Coordinators Bridgette Yeaple and Katie Love, demonstrate exceptional professionalism and dedication.
Although I have only ever worked with Bridgette, she has an insane attention for detail and is a warm and lovely presence. With some venues it's a toss up as to whether you'll see the wedding coordinator, but not with Bridgette. She's very hands on and is always looking to include all vendors in timeline updates/changes, and is available throughout your wedding day. She willl even make it possible to transport a whole vintage couch out onto the golf course landscape if that's on your wishlist! Her proactive approach and attention to detail significantly contribute to a smooth videography experience.
Collaborating closely with the staff ensures that all aspects of the event are well-coordinated, allowing for seamless capturing of key moments.
Client Testimonials
Couples (and other wedding vendors included!) consistently praise Ravenwood Golf Club for its outstanding service and beautiful setting. Reviews highlight the exceptional quality of the food, the attentiveness of the staff, and the overall ambiance of the venue. One reviewer noted, "Decorated beautifully, food was superb and the service top notch." I haven't had a bad meal from Ravenwood yet.
Final Thoughts
Ravenwood Golf Club stands out as a premier wedding venue that offers a harmonious blend of natural beauty and elegant facilities. For videographers, the diverse settings and supportive staff create an environment conducive to producing captivating wedding films. Couples seeking a venue that enhances both the visual and emotional narratives of their special day will find Ravenwood to be a top notch choice. You can see examples of videos I've produced for a beginning of May, beginning of August, and mid November weddings.
Recommendations for Videographers & Clients
Site Visit
Videographer: It's advisable to conduct a thorough site visit prior to the event to identify optimal shooting locations and assess lighting conditions at different times of the day. Or buffer in considerable time before your start time to explore the venue and grounds. At a minimum, reach out to the photographer you're working with and confirm they've shot at Ravenwood before and know the grounds well. And for goodness sakes if you know it's going to be sunny, bring an ND or VND filter!
Client: If you're planning on having photos and videos taken out on the grounds or golf course, it's encouraged to explore and choose during the day times in which you'd like to do so. Look for areas not in direct sunlight and shaded. Or, make sure your photographer or videographer are very familiar with all the locations of the grounds, and have a discussion prior to day of. This will allow you to give the Ravenwood staff advanced notice and permission to enter the grounds or golf course during certain times, to have golf carts available, and to give you the most amount of time to take gorgeous footage.
Equipment Preparation
Videographer: Given the expansive outdoor areas, having portable and versatile equipment, including stabilizers and wireless audio systems, will facilitate smooth transitions between indoor and outdoor filming. Find your camera adjustments for lighting prior to the ceremony for looking into the pavilion and looking out onto the ceremony, as they will be very different.
Client: when vetting your wedding videographer and wedding photographer, make sure they have equipment that is capable of handling inclement weather (hood caps and water tight camera & lens bodies). Also confirm with the videographer they have deadcats or ways of filtering out wind or rain if audio is going to be recorded outdoors. Make sure you discuss with them their experience in shooting in multiple lighting situations, along with their process for getting the best footage possible when a subject is backlit.
Collaboration with Staff
Videographer: Engaging in open communication with the venue's coordinators will ensure that all logistical aspects are aligned, allowing for a seamless videography experience that captures the essence of the couple's special day.
Client: Ask for Bridgette to be your wedding coordinator. She's hands down one of the best wedding coordinators in the Rochester wedding venue industry. You will be in the best hands possible. I'd get married at Ravenwood just because of her.
For more information or to schedule a visit, contact Ravenwood Golf Club's Event Sales Manager, Cailyn Calcagno, at (585) 924-6716 or fill out their Event Inquiry Form.
Which wedding venue vendor review would you like me to do next!
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If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out more of my work in my blog or wedding portfolio. If you are interested in having me film your wedding, head over to my wedding package pricing page or feel free to contact me!
-Kierra
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