Venue-shopping: Third time's the charm

Just coming off Spring Break and boy, there’s a whole different view from here. To be honest, going into Spring Break, I felt stressed out again. We originally planned to see four different venues, all near Frederick, Md.

Venue 1: a circa 1888 mansion popularly used for weddings (they do over 200 a year!) Although Groom300 and I originally thought this place would be the ideal venue for our wedding, we left with mixed feelings. The ceremony site is gorgeous with a beautiful white pergola (aka greenery-covered pavilion thing) and a small pond that grows lily pads and flowers. But, when it comes down to it, the reception is where the party’s at, right? We really needed an indoor reception site (we don’t like the idea of being out in the rain or our elderly relatives having to stay out in the heat for very long). The reception room was nice, but actually a little cramped (and by that, I mean the DJ gets shoved in a corner). There were fairly large pillars on the corners of the centrally-located dance floor that probably would block some unfortunate guest’s view of everything. Good crab dip, though.

Venue 2: a country club/golf club on a hill off a major highway. I’d driven past this place on my way to and from Groom3000’s house so many times, I had to give it a look. My initial impression: the highway noise is almost deafening. Don’t you need concentration and quiet when golfing? The outdoor ceremony would have to take place in the front lawn of the club, with a splendid view of the traffic! (I can just imagine: “You may kiss the bride” “WHAT?” “YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE” “OHH!”) Aside from that, the indoor reception hall was… well, in the words of Groom3000, like a funeral parlor—dark and dim, and probably full of old fogies when the club’s open. The event coordinator also let me down—instead of inviting us to sit down and chat; we all stood awkwardly in the lobby for 20 minutes. We knew that place was out as soon as we left.

Venue 3: a fairly new banquet hall at a golf club with a gorgeous view of the Catoctin Mountains. (Can you guess which one we picked?) It’s everything we wanted. A beautiful outdoor ceremony space: a stone patio with a backdrop of the green golf course, the Catoctin Mountains and valley (no highways!), and the sunset. The reception hall is very open with beautiful high ceilings, cream colored walls and dark candelabra light fixtures and exposed wooden beams, built-in dance floor, and LOTS of big windows so everyone can see the great view. Groom3000 and I loved it almost immediately—so much so that we cancelled our fourth venue visit!

Reception Hall! Photo courtesy of weddingwire.com

Now that the date is set (June 26, 2011), the contract signed, and the deposit paid (thanks to Mom and Dad 3000), I do feel a huge relief knowing the wedding will happen, even if it means I’m wearing a white sheet down the aisle.

“It’s all downhill from here,” said DaddyO3000, but as of last week, that wasn’t quite right. Mom3000 said while I was home for break, we might as well book some vendors. Who knew choosing a photographer would be so stressful? Don’t you just stand, smile, and then click? NOPE. That’s a whole ‘nother story for next time.