As my smoked salmon quiche basks in the balmy heat of our oven (*sigh*, I miss Mexico), I am trying to squeeze in a new entry. It's only Day 6 of born-again blogging, and I've already missed 3 days. With only 7 months to plan (and execute) this wedding, I can't afford to skip a beat. AND, if I'm writing about weddings, luckily for Alex, I'm talking about them much less.
I hear that snagging the perfect venue can mean booking up to two years in advance. Yikes! I really couldn't stomach using the "my fiancée" introduction for that long. Luckily, we're not your average couple. The locales we've been eyeing certainly aren't on the must-have list of brides-to-be, which certainly makes last-minute booking all the more possible. You see, we want to get hitched in the sticks. Yee haw! While we live and work and love in downtown T-dot-O, our hearts are in the trees. Hard to believe after reading my last blog maybe? If you really know me, though, you know I'd trade patent white slingbacks for bare feet any day.
Truthfully, I was scoping out locations even before the proposal, but have stepped it up considerably in the last week. Here's where we're at:
Option 1: Rent a cottage in the Muskokas. The upside: a completely DIY experience, meaning we'd have more freedom over food, decor, etc. Also, it would certainly make for the rustic and casual outdoor wedding that we are looking for, with beautiful views. And the downside? So far nothing has caught our eye, and the logistics are messy (um, where exactly would everyone sleep?).
[from: New York Magazine Weddings] Option 2: The Windfall Ecology Centre in Aurora. Through a colleague, I discovered that this community-based non profit organization with its centre located on a beautiful swatch of rural land, will be hosting its first eco-wedding on the grounds in July. Apparently, an ex-wedding planner on staff has begun offering her services to arrange such events at the centre. While we are still fuzzy on the details, this option has many pluses: close proximity to Toronto (for the ease of our guests) and likely this would be a venue more equipped (as opposed to a single-family cottage) to support a large event. My only concern, considering the involvement of a wedding planner, is that we would relinquish too much control.
Option 3: Prince Edward County. An idea passed along by my friend Dawn, and one that I love for many reasons. Location, being its biggest asset, this area is smack dab between Ottawa and Toronto, making it convenient for most of our guests. I am quite partial to the area, having spent the first 5 years of my life in Trenton, and falling in love with Cherry Valley on a road trip detour a few years ago. I found a great site that caters to home/cottage/farm owners wanting to rent out their properties by the week. Still a viable option, we are waiting to hear back from the site's administrator about the willingness of the owners to allow us to rent for the purposes of a wedding. This may be a hard sell.
Finally,
Option 4: Rent a barn. My mothers idea, and maybe the best so far. Apparently, in Ottawa, there is a large barn available to rent for large events, like weddings, where you can get the feel of being in the country, but in a building equipped to handle such events (it has a stage!). The biggest drawback: its in Ottawa. Yes, we're both technically "from" Ottawa (though that's an arguable point for this military brat), but neither of us feel particularly attached to the city itself. I also can't imagine planning from 500 kms away. My childhood friend, Terri-Lynn, who I have kept in touch with thanks to Facebook, is planning her 2010 Vancouver wedding from Ottawa. So, I guess it's certainly possible. However, I am now on a mission to find a similar set up closer to home ("home" being Toronto, for this purpose).
[from: Once Wed] My mother, who is delightfully helpful and full of the motherly advice that I finally appreciate in adulthood, is also refreshingly non-meddling as far as mothers go. I think Alex and I are both lucky to have parents who are supportive, yet understanding of our ability (and right) to make our own decisions. While we talked by phone yesterday, she did make a good point: it's not only an overused real estate expression, location really is everything. Yes, it's possible to plan a wedding in 7 months, but you really can't make any decisions until the venue is booked. It dictates date, budget, and number of guests. So while I'm having fun perusing dresses (you're right, Jenna, but dress #1 didn't pan out so I'm still on the prowl), it's time to get serious. Location, location location...
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