Update: the synagogue is ours!

Pending contractual details-like becoming members-the synagogue where we want to get married is ours! The couple who had reserved our date chose a different date for their wedding, so our July 3 date opened back up. After kicking myself for not calling the temple sooner, the timing actually ended up being very fortuitous because the event coordinator knew I wanted the date when it became available. Yay Yay Yay!

We booked the venue without having the ceremony details arranged, and it was kind of a gamble. Luckily, the risk paid off and my dream wedding is now coming to life!

We set the date!

Adam's and my anniversary will be July 3, 2011! We booked the mansion and couldn't be more delighted! Off to Spain in 3 days to NOT think about the wedding- perfect.

stained glass

ballroom

view of the main foyer & mahogany staircase


view of downtown from the third floor

foyer

back to square 1?

Not quite... I don't mean to sound so desolate. After all this time focusing on the perfect venue for the reception, I let the ceremony planning fall by the wayside. Finally, as we prepare to negotiate a contract to book a venue tomorrow--I realize it's time to call the synagogue I've just assumed will be available. Only to find out, what? Sure enough, our date has already been reserved.

pfffffffffooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That's me deflating.

My heart tells me this is not the end. I'm disappointed, yes, but we've come too far to cancel our reception plans. Something else will work out. Either the date will open up or we'll find somewhere new.

There's even a chance now that Adam's initial wish for an outdoor garden wedding can come to reality. I'll develop an ulcer by the big day fretting about rain. But maybe it's a cause for small celebration because the occasion will be more fitting for the chiffon, summery bridal gowns I adore so much... OY GEVALT.

Green wedding dresses

No, not literally the color green--the recycling green. What if you don't want to spend $2000 on a wedding gown, but have expensive taste? Buy used! I want to feel special and beautiful on my wedding day (duh), but I can't shake the feeling of displeasure at spending so much money on a dress I will wear. one. time.

Here's a used gown I found online from the designer I like, Mikaella, but it's not "the" dress. However, the girl has already had the dress altered to fit her 4'11" frame (rachael size!) and has my must-have sweetheart neckline.


As much as I claim to support buying used for environmental reasons, I mostly just want a good deal. So, I don't want to pay 75% of the original retail price--I want to pay no more than 50%. Tell me, friend, how desperate are you to unload that wedding gown you'll never wear?

In the mean time, my sister has offered to pay for the difference in what it would cost to NOT buy used. There's some strong opposition out there... so I may buy off the rack then turn around and resell my dress.

And then there were two

I'm blog savvy enough to know that if I include too many proper nouns here, I risk inadvertently offending people who crawl the Internet for mention of their businesses. So, for the sake of relative anonymity, I'll say this: we have limited our venue choices to these final two options.


The mansion

and the library >>
















How do we choose?

We make a pros/cons list, of course... want a glimpse?

Mansion
Pros
in our Minneapolis neighborhood
open catering/open alcohol
the whole house to ourselves
close to the synagogue
weather-proof
little to no decorations needed

Cons
$$
no true outdoor space for guests
small-ish ballroom - we'd have to remove tables after dinner for dance floor

Library
Pros
beautiful, one of a kind memorable space
grand room, big enough for dinner & dance
open catering
courtyard area available for cocktail hour
little to no decoration needed

Cons
located in St. Paul, logistical issue for out of town guests
no true kitchen prep for caterers
$$ for exclusive alcohol service
limited restrooms


Enough with the lists, though. They're both wonderful venues and yet different enough that pitting them against each other doesn't help me to arrive at a decision. Knowing that whichever one we choose will be fantastic, Adam has told me that I get to have the final word. I think I have to go with my gut... and the winner is...

Dare I Start Anew?

Fans, I made a huge mistake by not blogging about the chronicles of searching for a wedding venue. My initial plan was to focus on Adam and I and not open up our ideas to everyone's opinions. As if people would exercise the poor etiquette of inquiring at our wedding, "why didn't you choose that venue with the xx instead?"

Adam proposed 7 months ago, and I have missed 7 months of prime wedding-planning blogging material. We have seen countless (10+) venues in person, and I've researched hundreds online. Without a blog to document the pros/cons of each venue, how can I provide advice to others? I would have liked to read that blog 7 months ago.

**

We are effectively having a "destination wedding" here in Minnesota, and as such, I am feeling pressure to select a venue that showcases Minneapolis and sets the tone for our festivities. In keeping with my other life decisions, my course has been a journey of figuring out what I don't want. But what do I want? Sophisticated yet youthful, whimsical yet relaxed, romantic yet fun, and oh yeah- minimal decorations. NOTHING frou frou. Heaven forbid I have to pay $6/chair covering. NO hotels- too impersonal. NOTHING outside the city, but some outdoor space would be nice. And the list goes on. Are you exhausted yet? I am.

So, ever-patient fiancee, agreed for our parents to come visit earlier this month to provide support and give us a gentle push toward making a final decision. We had a lovely weekend, and I was grateful for all their advice. Only once they left, did the anxiety attack hit. I'd been putting things on hold as if their approval would somehow lead us to that "aha!" moment, but what if the perfect venue isn't out there?

Well, let me just say I didn't dust off this ole blog for nothing. I for one (yooohooo Adam?) am ready to put down some hard-earned cash on a rental deposit to ta-da SET THE DATE. Until it's offish, you'll have to wait for more details...

Blog Retired

This will probably come as little surprise considering the absence of new posts this past month, but I am retiring the blog. This is for the best. The blog was a critical player in retaining my sanity during the job search last winter and has been a great resource for keeping in touch from afar. At this point though, Adam and I feel very settled and happy here in Minneapolis and our day-to-day routines are no longer blog-worthy.

As proof, we threw a party last Saturday, and I'd guess we had at least 30 people in attendance throughout the night. That's 30 people we didn't know a year ago.

If I find I miss blogging, I may change direction and report on the mishaps and joy of planning a wedding. Ha! Not that the wedding blog is an original idea- there's practically an industry for it!

Thank you for reading. Happy Holidays. See you in 2010.