The Vanlandingham Estate

We've photographed weddings at Vanlandingham several times, and the staff have always been great to work with. A nice looking venue matters, but couples also need a team that helps the day run smoothly, and this place has that. We're always glad when a couple getting married here reaches out to us!

Painting live at the stunning @vanlandingham_estate last night was pure magic. The atmosphere was full of romance and happiness, and I loved capturing the bride and groom dancing together on canvas. I’m so grateful I got to be part of their special day. Wishing them all the joy and happiness as they begin their life together. ❤️ A fine art oil painting can bring you back to that magical day and let you live your “best” day forever. 🎨💍

The wedding itself had so many things we loved: our dogs could be part of the ceremony, I could drop off decorations and boxes several days ahead, and the staff responded quickly to my food allergy questions and quote changes. The food was genuinely excellent, the location was perfect, and the estate’s historic charm, gardens, and natural scenery made for a magical setting and beautiful photos. VanLandingham Estate is absolutely stunning. But customer service problems before and during the wedding made the experience more stressful than it needed to be. We arrived for a scheduled tour to find no staff member there to meet us. Another couple had also booked the same time, and the staff had forgotten to tell either of us about the double booking. We waited 30 minutes, then had to tour while competing with the other couple for the same date. It was awkward and uncomfortable. The food tasting was also poorly organized. It had been arranged months earlier, but a few days beforehand we were told our assigned lead would be out and someone else would take over. That person was unavailable when we arrived, so a third staff member had to improvise. Not a great first impression. Paying the final balance was the worst part. My father was paying and wanted to submit it early before an extended trip out of the country. I asked numerous times for a payment link, but they didn’t send it until he had left. The system rejected his payment as fraud, and it still failed when I tried from the U.S. Since the delay came from their system, we asked for a two day extension to pay during the wedding week. They refused to move the original deadline, so my dad had to jump through hoops overseas to wire the money. A little flexibility and accountability would have avoided a lot of stress. On the wedding day, everything was going well until the power went out during the dancing. In our two-hour dance window, we lost about 15-20 minutes of music, which was devastating for me. The venue blamed the DJ for not following its power-placement guidelines. I spoke with the DJ, who was from a very reputable company, and it seemed clear to me the problem wasn’t on his end. Other brides and vendors later told me power loss is a known recurring issue at VanLandingham, even after renovations. Nobody had warned us it could happen, and nobody from the venue apologized. The email response to my post-wedding complaints basically said they were sorry it happened but it wasn’t their fault. The party was just getting started, and it was a major bummer to miss 3-4 songs with our guests. VLE is undeniably beautiful and does some things very well, especially if you want charm, good food, and a pet-friendly policy. Still, there were a lot of disappointments.

Nikki was the best event coordinator to work with: knowledgeable, patient, and on top of every detail. Her team carried everything out perfectly, and the food was delicious with generous dinner portions. Our corporate event was a huge success, and I’m grateful to the whole staff for making it happen. The venue works well indoors or outside, has plenty of parking for a big crowd, and is only a few minutes from downtown Charlotte. There’s also ample space for a DJ, photographer, karaoke, and more. The huge white tent looks especially lovely in the evening with its lights. I’d book this place again and again. 10/10 hands down!