Plan your happily ever after.
Gwinnett has an abundance of spectacular wedding venues. Whether you're planning your own nuptials or you're a helpful maid of honor, we want to help you get to know the options.
Located two blocks from historic downtown Lawrenceville, 550 Trackside is a gorgeous renovated warehouse with carriage doors, beautiful chandeliers and a patio and courtyard. We spoke with owner Roger Kahn to get the inside scoop.
Tell me the history of 550 Trackside?
The venue now known as 550 Trackside was built in 1904 as a cotton warehouse. Going back over 100 years, the area where downtown Lawrenceville sits was a huge farming community. I’ve had various people stop in and share stories of the building’s history. Ranging from a store called feed and seed to the Mercantile Exchange, known as the Goldkist Building.
When my wife Cindy and I purchased the building, the outside was painted white. The second floor had a beautiful beamed ceiling that was hidden, so we decided to tear the second floor out and added dormer windows for natural light. The exterior was sandblasted to expose the original granite from Stone Mountain.
I hear that your wife designed 550 Trackside. Tell me what was your vision behind the design?
My wife is an award-winning interior designer, so her vision was to keep the “turn of the century” motif. Staying true the concept we decided to add sconces, candelabras and artwork that dates back between 1890 – 1914. As you can imagine, finding those items wasn’t easy. It took nearly a year to find what we needed.
I’m sure you’ve seen great themed weddings. Tell me your most memorable events?
Our venue is a beautiful blank canvas. We allow couples to decorate the venue as they wish. We’ve seen beautiful drapes along the columns and themed out events such as Mardi Gras, Vegas Casino, Paris and Harry Potter. We love seeing what couples come up with.
What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?
Start with the venue first. Choosing where you would like to wed is the largest variable in the whole planning. You’ll find that once you’ve found your home everything else will fall into place.
Contact our wedding market specialist, Maurice Odoms, for assistance with planning your wedding in Gwinnett.
