Lyndall and Paul Smith have served countless blissful brides and their grooms for wedding ceremonies and receptions hosted at the Smith’s event venues, The Ivy Venue and Cotton Market. Lyndall Smith’s kind demeanor and selfless love for others easily makes any bride-to-be and her mother feel at ease about planning a wedding ceremony and reception. The Ivy Venue and Cotton Market were the result of architectural vision and talented skills as a builder by Paul Smith. Together as a team, Lyndall and Paul Smith joyfully serve others with kindness and a desire to create an atmosphere of harmony for all couples who host their wedding ceremony and reception at The Ivy Venue and Cotton Market.
The Ivy Venue
The Ivy Venue captures the elegance and charm of the historic South. The Ivy Venue’s stately columns and antebellum architecture greet guests as they arrive. The main building hosts a grand reception room and features elegant chandeliers with French doors opening to the shaded lawn. The majestic oak trees provide a beautiful backdrop for a memorable setting for any wedding. The Ivy Venue boasts 8,500 square feet event space and a detached Carriage House for ceremonies and receptions.
Cotton Market_Sharon Coker Photography
Cotton Market is a perfect event venue for brides looking for weddings themed with a rustic flare. The building is 10,000 square feet of space which includes a wraparound porch. Cotton Market is located in Rankin County and features a rustic barn and event hall to accommodate up to 500 people.
Lyndall, can you tell us more about The Ivy Venue and Cotton Market?
The Ivy Venue is more on the formal end and the architecture is antebellum style.
The Ivy Venue
The Ivy Venue_B.Flint Photography
Cotton Market has more of a rustic flare than The Ivy Venue with a rustic barn and event hall. Both have great locations that are centrally located in Rankin County.
Cotton Market_Blackbird Photography
What do you like most about what you do?
I like dealing with the people and talking with the moms and brides. We are nice and kind to all people no matter where they are on the totem pole. I have a heart for others and really want to help all people have a great and special wedding. We can host weddings on Monday through Thursday for those who can’t afford it at all.
Cotton Market_Blackbird Photography
The Ivy Venue
Tell us about any special services.
We work with Wendy Putt (Fresh Cut Catering & Floral) as our caterer. Brides can use whoever they would like or we can get them in touch with Wendy. Some brides do their food and flowers themselves to save money.
Flowers by Wendy Putt_Fresh Cut Catering & Floral
Floral Design by Fresh Cut Catering & Floral_Cotton Market
How far in advance should a bride contact you to book their wedding ceremony or wedding reception?
A bride needs to book from a year to a year and a half in advance. Brides are also booking Fridays and Sundays in addition to Saturdays.
The Ivy Venue
If you could give a bride one tip/one bit of advice, what would it be?
Make sure that the person they are marrying is their soul mate that God planned for them. It is also important to get plugged into a church and Sunday school class.
Cotton Market_Blackbird Photography
The Ivy Venue_Lindsay Vallas Photography
Do you have any funny stories that you would like to share?
This woman calls me on a Monday and asked if I had the coming Saturday open, which I did. Then she says to me, “I am going to get married on Saturday.” And I ask her, “Are you going to be able to pull everything together?” And she said, “Oh yeah, it is going to be fine.”
Then she asked me if she could pay me after the wedding on the following Monday. I told her that we didn’t do that and that she would have to pay us upfront. Then the lady says, “I will pay you upfront.” Then she says that she will have to have food, so I get her in contact with Wendy (Fresh Cut Catering & Floral) for the food and the flowers. And remember that all this was taking place on Monday, just a few days before the upcoming Saturday.
She ended up booking Wendy for food for 200 people. I asked her, “How are you going to get invitations out for 200 people to attend your wedding for this coming Saturday? And she said, “I have it all figured out.”
On that Friday, we could not get in touch with her. She had not called or anything. Come to find out, she was not even engaged! She liked a particular man and thought if she planned the wedding, then he would marry her! How funny is that?!
For more information on The Ivy Venue or Cotton Market, contact Lyndall Smith at 601-906-5499 or by email at paulsmith5@earthlink.net.
Also visit www.theivyvenueflowood.com and www.cottonmarketvenue.com . For catering and floral packages to accommodate any budget, visit www.freshcutcateringandfloral.com
Blog written by: Jenny Cox Holman
Email: jenny@bridems.com
