BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
When I was younger, I went on a bit of a college tour. In other words, it took me awhile to feel like I was where I needed to be. Somehow, I ended up at The University of Georgia in 2008. I immediately fell in love with the city of Athens, GA.
It's a rather small city, with the most adorable downtown area filled with shops, venues, and bars (it's a college town, duh). When I first moved there, I didn't know anyone but maybe a few people I had known previously. I still felt like I was where I needed to be. Life finally seemed to be falling into place.
I was a transfer student and only needed two more years of school. I decided to major in Telecommunication Arts (basically TV & film production), and little did I know that by doing so, it would forever change the course of my life. This program turned out to be very small and specialized; I met some of my best, life long friends. And best of all... I met this cute guy named Wes who was really good at editing my videos for school. Spoiler alert - I married him!
Fast forward to May of 2013, when we got married. We had been living in Atlanta for a few years when we got engaged, but it didn't take us long to decide that we should exchange vows where we fell in love.
We chose a beautiful place called The Foundry. It was the most amazing experience, and one of the best parts was that all of the guests could stay at the Foundry Inn, right next to where the wedding and reception would take place.
2013, Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher Photography
I mean, we didn't have fun AT ALL.
2013, Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher Photography
Fast forward (again) to now, almost most 5 years later, Wes and I just got the opportunity to stay at The Foundry again! Only now, it is called The Graduate, and the interior design has been updated - it looks completely different! It's like a vintage funky vibe and I LOVE it.
To clarify: The venue where people have weddings and play live music is still the same and still called The Foundry. It's the hotel that is different. And, not gonna lie - I had the picture perfect idea in my mind of the place we got married, and I was super nervous that I wouldn't like the change.
If you follow along on my Instagram stories, then you probably saw my raw reaction to walking in to the Honeymoon suite that we stayed in 5 years ago. I'll say it again: it is COMPLETELY different than what it was like before. An arcade game, a record player, and super cool vintage decor - all of my trendy hipster dreams come true!!
I'm kind of obsessed with it.
Our first morning there, we grabbed breakfast from the Iron Works coffee shop (attached to the lobby) and brought it up to our suite. I got the fried chicken biscuit and a chai latte - it was really yum and a perfect start to a busy day.
During the day, we walked around the grounds of The Foundry and reminisced. The venue itself is still the same, it is just the hotel lobby, coffee shop and rooms that are completely different now. I absolutely love the change, by the way.
The Graduate offers a super convenient shuttle service, so we hopped in and headed downtown. It's a very close walk if the weather is nice! We ended up at Creature Comforts, a brewery we've been dying to go to since they opened!
We were SO pleased with the updates and I highly recommend staying at The Graduate in Athens, GA. It would be perfect for game day weekends or graduation. Even a romantic getaway (there is so much to do in downtown Athens)!
If you're married - I highly recommend going back to the spot or town you got married in. We hadn't been there in such a long time, the entire experience felt magical.
Disclaimer: This was a hosted trip to The Graduate Athens. All opinions are my own, and you know I only work with brands I absolutely love. If we weren't happy with our stay, I would not have shared it with you. Thanks for supporting House of Dorough!