First Go-See!

I was elated to go to my first venue appointment (although it I was annoyed at the whole process of getting there, I almost ended up losing my credit card at the gas station). I call this a go-see, though the term is traditionally used for models. I had mixed feelings going into it (because of the whole buffet thing not happening) so I didn't really know what to expect. I told myself that the friendliness of the coordinator and the menu would be two huge determining factors.

So my aunt and I arrived and the place was as small as I remembered. It was more quaint and intimate than I remembered though. As we waited in the lobby, I peered into the room and envisioned us having our brunch there. It was everything that FH had hoped far––quiet, small, old-school, and quaint, and I was very much on board with that now, given the financial circumstances. I never dreamed of having a small wedding, but now I loved the idea of getting hitched without losing my wallet in the process.

My vision of the fireplace room was slightly shattered since they traditionally reserved the room across from it, which didn't have as much personality, but was doable, especially since it had a long table in which most everyone would be able to sit (me, my FH, and our parents could opt to sit apart from the table). I would have to redo my seating chart, which I set up for the other room (no biggie since it was less than 25 people!).

The coordinator whisked us away to a back room near the patio and bar (also very nice!). I was relieved that they still had the brunch options, would swap out the dessert for the wedding cake at no additional cost, and would charge $100 for an on-site wedding.

I was surprised by the site rental fee (which I didn't see written anywhere), that was tacked on for a Saturday. But that didn't deter me. At $30 a head and additional $375 was more than a value for what we were getting, and definitely didn't break our budget. Anyway we could always have it on a Sunday morning, which FH wasn't opposed to, though it would be hard getting someone to preside over our wedding.

Another drawback was setting up. We wouldn't be allowed to set up the night before, so either the site coordinator or someone would have to go in and set up a couple of hours before. And since we are having a morning wedding that would be a big task. I'd prefer to set up by myself because I trust my own judgment but for sanity sake I can't be in two places at once and have to simply trust that it will be taken care of. It will be my responsibility to make sure that I provide exact photos of what I am looking to accomplish so that whoever does it will get it close, if not perfect.

I was surprised that they had so few photos of actual weddings though, which was a slight disappointment. The other big plus was that the bakery that I'd be working with to get the cake, was where my aunt had purchased many cakes  in the past, so I felt really good about that.

Overall, this place is still definitely my number one choice. I love the atmosphere, the fact that it overlooks the river and is tucked away, it's small and quaint, affordable, serves brunch (breakfast is our FAV meal) and has a wonderful backdrop for photographs (a HUGE factor). Despite my itch to really nail down the deposit and a date, I refrained from doing so, heeding my mother's suggestion that I should seriously sit down and meet with a few other places, just to see if there was anything additional that they could offer.

Although I had only one appointment today, my aunt and I went to David's Bridal to look around and just those two things alone completely drained me. It was a good move on my part to not schedule more than one appointment. And surprisingly I worked up a serious appetite. I can't wait to meet with the other places :D