A Wedding Weekend at Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee
Tucked along the pine-lined shores of Lake Oconee, the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds offers more than just a beautiful backdrop. It’s a place where the polished elegance of a luxury resort meets the warmth of Southern hospitality, offering an inspiring canvas for a wedding weekend that feels both elevated and inviting.
With the Drake Social team guiding the process as your wedding planners, designers, and producers, the possibilities here feel endless — every moment layered with meaning, artistry, and effortless flow.
Venues for Every Chapter of the Celebration
What makes the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds so special for weddings is the endless variety of spaces available to host each moment of your wedding weekend. We love the flexibility this property offers, allowing us to craft an experience that feels like a story unfolding in chapters. Whether we’re designing a grand ballroom reception or producing an intimate lakeside ceremony, our approach to luxury wedding planning at Lake Oconee ensures every space is transformed into a reflection of your story.
The Ceremony
For couples dreaming of a ceremony framed by the beauty of the outdoors, The Pointe offers a serene lakeside setting where vows feel even more profound with water shimmering just beyond.The Pavillion, with its rustic timber beams, a welcoming wraparound porch, and accordion doors that create a fluid connection between indoors and out, offers another nature-infused setting, while the elegant ballrooms provide a timeless choice for those who prefer a more traditional setting.
The Reception
Receptions flow naturally into many of these same spaces. Couples often choose to keep guests immersed in the setting by pairing a lakeside ceremony with a pavilion reception, or by transitioning from vows at The Point to a dinner and dancing beneath the Forest Tent’s vaulted canopy. Nestled in the trees, the Forest Tent creates a striking balance of nature and refinement — with soaring ceilings and dramatic chandeliers, the Forest Tent is designed to host celebrations of scale while still preserving an atmosphere of intimacy. As wedding designers, we love layering lighting and décor to transform these venues as day fades to evening; infusing dimension, mood, and personality into each space.
Welcome Parties, Rehearsal Dinners & Brunch Farewells
The weekend’s earlier events are just as thoughtfully served. Welcome parties and rehearsal dinners find their perfect stage at The Pavillion, The Landing, or one of the property’s restaurants like Gaby’s by the lake, where a relaxed menu and sweeping water views set an inviting tone. For larger gatherings, the Forest Tent sets the perfect tone for an al fresco celebration surrounded by nature. And when the time comes to bid farewell, brunch can unfold in any of the same venues, offering guests one last chance to savor the setting before departing or in one of the smaller ballrooms.
Accommodations for a Seamless Weekend
Behind the scenes, the property offers countless touches that make the weekend flow seamlessly. Bridal parties often gather in the Fireside Suites, tucked conveniently near many of the property’s venues. These spaces offer more than just practicality; they create a quiet, cozy environment where laughter and anticipation can unfold without distraction.
Couples and their families typically stay in one of the resort’s private cottages, making it easy to share moments together in the hours leading up to the ceremony. For larger groups, we’ve had couples work with the property to reserve multiple cottages, the Lake House, and reserve a room block at the resort.
Guest Experience Beyond the Wedding Day
A wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee is as much about your guests’ experience as it is about your own. Guests can enjoy everything from award-winning golf and a serene lakeside spa to an array of dining options that span relaxed afternoons by the water to elegant evening meals. Even outside the wedding events themselves, mornings at the sporting grounds, afternoons on the lake, or evenings by one of the resort’s firepits allow guests to create memories of their own.
Throughout the weekend, the service remains unmatched. The staff’s synchronized approach ensures that every detail is executed with precision. Guests never notice the transition between events because they happen so fluidly. Paired with Drake Social’s expertise in planning and producing weddings, this level of hospitality allows couples to relax fully, knowing their guests are cared for at every turn.
A Lakeside Weekend to Remember
From the moment your guests arrive to the final toast at brunch, a wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee feels like a weekend-long celebration that unfolds with a natural rhythm, with each event building gracefully on the last. Each venue offers its own personality, allowing couples to layer moments that are elegant, natural, rustic, and grand — all within the same celebration.
At its heart, the property embodies what so many couples seek: effortless luxury grounded in a sense of place. And with our team of planners, designers, and producers guiding the experience, each chapter of your weekend is thoughtfully curated.
Here, vows are exchanged by the water’s edge, dinners unfold under forest canopies, and laughter lingers long after the last sparkler fades. Every element works in harmony, creating not just a wedding, but a weekend experience — one that feels deeply personal, beautifully designed, and impossible to forget.
Let’s Start Planning Your Lakeside Soirée
Are you ready to begin planning your lakeside wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds? We would love to guide you through every step. Contact us today to start creating a weekend that your guests will remember and you will cherish for a lifetime.
Main Photo: The Willetts
