Hi folks! I know, it's been a while since I've updated the blog. Thankfully we have got plenty of time to plan out our wedding. Unfortunately for you guys that means less blog posts now. I'm sure things will pick up as we get closer to THE date. Now for the real post....
We sent in our deposit for our venue (Black Mountain Sanctuary, see previous post for more info.) at the end of October. Even with the deposit paid we still needed to select a caterer before we could sign our venue contract. BMS allows an abundance of personalization options for your special event. One of those options is to add-on a full kitchen. This means that the caterer would have access to the stove/oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc. Before we could say yes or no to this add-on, we needed to choose a caterer and ask them.
As November began to turn into December we started to get a little anxious about selecting a caterer. In order to lock in our prices, we had to pick someone soon. Lance was away on business for a majority of October and November. It really fell on me to get the ball rolling. I started looking at all of the various caterers in the area and made a master list. We went through it and selected our top five. I contacted all of them within the next week. Most of them didn't answer their phones, so I left messages. Two caterers called me back and I scheduled appointments.
If you're still following me, I mentioned that I was doing all this at the beginning of December. Can you guess what one of the busiest times of the year is for caterers? That's right, December (you know-- holiday parties and all that). Luckily the two caterers we were in touch with were able to meet with us. Our first appointment was with Saffron Fine Foods (SFF).
SFF is a wonderful local catering company affiliated with HomeGrown, a local restaurant in town. They specialize in local, sustainable AMAZING food. If I had to describe their "food philosophy" I would say that it is Southern comfort food with a twist. When we met with SFF, they were exceptionally receptive to our budget and our desires to keep our wedding as environmentally friendly as possible. Some of the awesome things that were discussed:
1) All left-over food that is still able to be eaten is donated to various local shelters/food banks.
2) All food that is disposed of will be composted by them at no additional cost.
3) They will help us with securing compostable (but pretty!) dishware.
We had a great meeting and felt really good about our chances of finding a caterer.
A few days later we had lunch at HomeGrown (since SFF and HomeGrown are owned/operated by the same group they use the same facilities and food philosophies). Oh My Goodness! The food was DELICIOUS! Some of our favorites included:
1) Mac 'n' Cheese bites-- Similar to mozzerella sticks but with homemade mac cheese inside with fresh marinara sauce.
2) Jalapeno cole slaw-- I'm not a slaw girl but this stuff was awesome. There was just enough spice to give the slaw a nice smokey quality to it.
3) Buttermilk fried chicken-- Lance and I agree that it was the best fried chicken we had ever tasted. The outside was exactly what you want from a fried food without being too greasy and the inside was super moist.
After that lunch we had decided that, if it's possible, we want SFF to cater our wedding. SFF said they would be sending us some menu options but it might take a while due to the holidays. We are really looking forward to working with this wonderful group of people.
After discussing the add-on option for our venue contract with SFF we decided that it wasn't necessary. We were able to sign and send in our contract.
On Thursday we are heading down to Raleigh for the holidays. I'm also going wedding dress shopping with my mother and Katy (and possibly Katy's mother who is like my adopted-mom) on Thursday. I'm hoping that we can have as much success with the dress as we did with the caterer!
Showing posts with label venue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label venue. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Wedding Prep Weekend #1
With my school work and Lance's business we have had limited time to do wedding planning. The major downside is that we are getting married during our town's busiest tourist season and our town thrives on tourism. Last weekend we attempted to do some wedding planning... after learning that we needed several appointments to accomplish anything we decided that settling on a honeymoon (France!) was victorious enough. We also set up three appointments for this past weekend.
The first appointment was with Paula at Jewels that Dance. Jewels That Dance is a local business that has jewelry in stock and that will work with you to design custom jewelry. Paula, the designer, was warm and friendly and really understood where we were coming from. She is awesome at helping us stay on track budget-wise while still delivering the engagement ring that we desire. She spent 30 minutes with us helping us decide what it was that we really wanted in a ring. I'm really looking forward to working with her throughout this process (and yes, it will be a long process).
On Saturday we went to a B&B that, online at least, look idyllic for our wedding. It was a gorgeous B&B but it was a little small for what we needed. We were a little astonished when the owner told us that our date (Oct. 6, 2012) was the most requested date for next year. I'm really glad that we were able to get started on this now! We also talked to several other places that either couldn't accommodate our party size or were already booked. Feeling slightly discouraged we left and held out hopes for the next venue we would check out.
Before we went to the B&B on Saturday, I spent a little while searching online for the "perfect" place. We found an amazing location and immediately called the owner to see if we could take a look on Sunday. On Sunday morning we headed out the door to go to the "perfect" venue in Black Mountain. On the way, I was stressing out about the possibility that our date was booked already. After calling my parents, Lance and I decided that if we loved the location and it was already booked we would try to change the date. Also, while talking to my parents, it was brought to my attention that Dad actually knew the owner of the house we were going to and had been there before. He had sent me the website link for it but for some reason it had been vetoed months ago. I think it's because we originally wanted to rent an entire house and have our families stay there.
When we got to Black Mountain we were in awe of the site. You could really tell that John (the owner) had put a lot of time and effort into making it a wonderful place. John took us on a tour of the property and the house. We fell in love with it. The best part of the story is that our date wasn't booked yet! The venue and date are ours if we send in the deposit this week. So, friends and family, where is this amazing location? The venue is called Black Mountain Sanctuary and it certainly is. (If you click on BMS it should take you to the website for the venue.)
We are very excited, and relieved, to have this first big wedding planning item checked off our list! Now on to the caterer....
The first appointment was with Paula at Jewels that Dance. Jewels That Dance is a local business that has jewelry in stock and that will work with you to design custom jewelry. Paula, the designer, was warm and friendly and really understood where we were coming from. She is awesome at helping us stay on track budget-wise while still delivering the engagement ring that we desire. She spent 30 minutes with us helping us decide what it was that we really wanted in a ring. I'm really looking forward to working with her throughout this process (and yes, it will be a long process).
On Saturday we went to a B&B that, online at least, look idyllic for our wedding. It was a gorgeous B&B but it was a little small for what we needed. We were a little astonished when the owner told us that our date (Oct. 6, 2012) was the most requested date for next year. I'm really glad that we were able to get started on this now! We also talked to several other places that either couldn't accommodate our party size or were already booked. Feeling slightly discouraged we left and held out hopes for the next venue we would check out.
Before we went to the B&B on Saturday, I spent a little while searching online for the "perfect" place. We found an amazing location and immediately called the owner to see if we could take a look on Sunday. On Sunday morning we headed out the door to go to the "perfect" venue in Black Mountain. On the way, I was stressing out about the possibility that our date was booked already. After calling my parents, Lance and I decided that if we loved the location and it was already booked we would try to change the date. Also, while talking to my parents, it was brought to my attention that Dad actually knew the owner of the house we were going to and had been there before. He had sent me the website link for it but for some reason it had been vetoed months ago. I think it's because we originally wanted to rent an entire house and have our families stay there.
When we got to Black Mountain we were in awe of the site. You could really tell that John (the owner) had put a lot of time and effort into making it a wonderful place. John took us on a tour of the property and the house. We fell in love with it. The best part of the story is that our date wasn't booked yet! The venue and date are ours if we send in the deposit this week. So, friends and family, where is this amazing location? The venue is called Black Mountain Sanctuary and it certainly is. (If you click on BMS it should take you to the website for the venue.)
We are very excited, and relieved, to have this first big wedding planning item checked off our list! Now on to the caterer....
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Back On Track
Whew! It's been a rockin' ride since I last posted. After some deliberation we decided to re-set the wedding date for our original date October 6, 2012. We've decided to slow down some of the wedding planning since we have a generous amount of time. As of right now, we need to figure out a venue and set a final budget.
Mom and I are going to a bridal dress show in the end of August to support Brides Against Breast Cancer. Yes, it is early to be dress shopping but this show only happens once a year and all proceeds go to a great organization. I'm excited that we are still planning on attending the show. It should be exciting to say the least. Images of half-crazed Bridezillas beating each other up to get "THE" dress keep running through my head. I guess we'll see how it all goes. Fortunately, Mom and I have decided to go to a morning brunch for the show so the number of crazies should be limited.
Mom and I are going to a bridal dress show in the end of August to support Brides Against Breast Cancer. Yes, it is early to be dress shopping but this show only happens once a year and all proceeds go to a great organization. I'm excited that we are still planning on attending the show. It should be exciting to say the least. Images of half-crazed Bridezillas beating each other up to get "THE" dress keep running through my head. I guess we'll see how it all goes. Fortunately, Mom and I have decided to go to a morning brunch for the show so the number of crazies should be limited.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Location, Location, Location
As fate would have it, Lance and I finally found a venue that we both loved but the owners have a cap of 30 for wedding guests. Bummer. Now I'm back on the prowl. The sad truth, however, is that there aren't many houses that either have enough room or have enough parking or have enough privacy/yard area. I've found a couple more houses that we can look at and I'm sure that we will find something that we both love and can't live without. We will just have to keep our eyes and ears peeled for new rentals.
I do have to give a shout out to my mom, the Queen of Rentals. Throughout my youth, my mom's side of the family has taken annual beach trips. This is no easy feat when you consider my mom is one of eight siblings. When you add in spouses and/or children the number of beds significantly increases. My mom and her sisters are the searchers and coordinators for the beach house rental. Some of the houses they have found were phenomenal. Thankfully, my mom has been helping me house hunt for the wedding. Even more surprising is her enthusiasm in the search. I'm hoping her house-hunting powers will help us find the perfect place but I'm exceptionally grateful for all of the help she's given me so far.
I do have to give a shout out to my mom, the Queen of Rentals. Throughout my youth, my mom's side of the family has taken annual beach trips. This is no easy feat when you consider my mom is one of eight siblings. When you add in spouses and/or children the number of beds significantly increases. My mom and her sisters are the searchers and coordinators for the beach house rental. Some of the houses they have found were phenomenal. Thankfully, my mom has been helping me house hunt for the wedding. Even more surprising is her enthusiasm in the search. I'm hoping her house-hunting powers will help us find the perfect place but I'm exceptionally grateful for all of the help she's given me so far.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
It's Official!
Lance and I are official engaged! We have set a date....
October 6, 2012
It's going to be AWESOME. So far we've discussed having an Asheville/local theme and I can't be more excited.
As of right now, our colors are going to be a combination of orange and red (I promise it's going to look awesome).
I'm working on our wedding website where you can keep updated on the official news. This blog will feature more of the legwork behind the scenes and the hardcore decision making.
One of our concerns is that the wedding date is during my fall break. We are trying to get as much planning done as we can prior to my return to school.
Right now we are looking for a venue within 45 minutes of Asheville. Ultimately we would love to rent a large house with an open yard for the wedding and reception. If anyone has any suggestions please let us know!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)