Venue Search Part 2 - Reception

Last week I showed off my lovely venue and talked about the big issues involved! (If you didn't read that one you can check it out here) After being fully upset that I would never get this venue situation figured out, I decided it was time (again) to scour the Internet for reception sites. Low and behold, I found another solution. But since all of this can't just be simple for me, there are of course wrinkles in the plan.

The place is called Bargetto Winery and is about 5 minutes away from the Monarch Cove Inn. So as for the plan, here it goes:

Start the ceremony at 3:00pm at the Monarch Cove Inn. Right after, we would do pictures with the epic views while the rest of the wedding has a cocktail hour on the fantastic deck of the Monarch Cove Inn.

At 5:00pm the party would move to the Bargetto Winery for the reception. It is an outdoor space, with lots of greenery all around, it is a second stunning wedding spot. The downside is that the space ends at 9:00pm which is a bit early.

The second issue: the price! With two wedding spots comes two site fees. I need to work it all out but it seems slightly weird to pay double fees. Apparently the Monarch Cove Inn is that worth it to me.

I need some help! $4900 in site fees??? Am I being ridiculous?

My Venue-and the MASSIVE Dilemma

This is the spectacular view of a wedding venue I saw this weekend. After seeing about 20 venues, I had finally found one that I could see myself getting married at, there were no eye sores that would need to be fixed, and no compromising that would need to be done - so I thought!

First of all, let me talk more about this space. The ceremony takes place on the grass, and the reception takes place on the deck. The view (above) is from the deck, and is flawless as far as the eye can see. Also, we would make a weekend out of it as you have to rent the entire Inn for the weekend of the wedding (and the Bride and Groom can stay there up to five times for free before the wedding!). We would invite the parents and family as well as the entire bridal party up on Friday afternoon and we would have a great day before surrounded with our favorite people! The morning after the family and Bridal Party would meet on the deck for an outdoor morning brunch! So cute, right?

These are all different views from the outside!

The above picture is the space where the ceremony would take place.

Ok, now for one downside. We found out they only do daytime weddings which have to end at 6:00 pm. Major sad-face! After going to see another venue, which was not nearly as good, I was very upset. I pretty much thought I would never find a venue and this would just go on forever! It was incredibly discouraging.

We did come up with an idea. We could still rent the Monarch, stay there, and have the ceremony and cocktail hour there. We would then have the "reception" at a place close-by at 6:00pm. It's probably more expensive, and it probably isn't a smart idea, but if you had seen the amazing view, you would have wanted to do the same thing! So now- finding the reception spot, which I will tell you more about tomorrow!

What do you think? Does the space seem worth the extra money/hassle?? I would greatly appreciate the input!

Introducing...

The BRIDESMAIDS!

In total, I have 8 bridesmaids. Three of them don't know that they are Bridesmaids yet, and I don't think this is the proper place to tell them about it! So those will be coming soon. I also didn't show my Maid of Honor here (my sister) and will be putting together something special for her. So for now, I am showing these 4.

From Top to Bottom we have: Melissa, Michelle, Jackie (with the ring bearer/my godson!) and Liz.

Here is the formal introduction, and I will definitely post so much more about them! I want to thank them in advance for what they are about to go through with me. It is going to be insane, and fun, and knowing me, a little hectic, but it is going to be the greatest thing ever! I am so lucky to have these phenomenal people in my life to share this day with!

Our Colors

We have been engaged for just short of two months now. With the extreme wedding obsession I am known for having, it would make sense that my wedding would be fully planned, and at one point I thought it was. But after the actual engagement occurred, my head seemed to start spinning with hundreds of ideas, and I couldn't focus it anymore! Here is my first inspiration board of my the wedding. I am sure there will be tons more to follow as I change my plans and add on more ideas and colors.

White Ivory Fuchsia Orange Purple Yellow Gray Zebra print (brown and ivory, not black and white)

Those are the colors of our wedding. I know it is a bit of a mish-mash and I know it might sound a bit crazy, but I definitely know what I am thinking for this one.

Here is my little plan. I love white and I want to incorporate that as much as possible! I want small accents of spring colors for the flowers, paper details, and favors. The dresses will probably be gray. The last thing I want to add is a very small amount of zebra print, maybe on chair cushions, runners, or throw pillows.

I plan to create a "pop" effect with the wedding colors and focus on the small details to bring the whole thing together without overwhelming the space with too much color.

What do you think about the color scheme and ideas so far?? I want to see other brides inspiration boards, so feel free to e-mail them to me. :)

PS: Need some help figuring out the inspiration and design plan for your wedding?? See how our services and advice can help you!

Photo credit: top left: Etsy, Pears and Flowers: Martha Stewart Weddings, Dress: Vera Wang, BM Dress: Sarah Seven, Invites: Alee Press

Let us Introduce Ourselves!

My name is Allison. His name is Ian. We began dating in 2006, and as of December 2009, we can officially call eachother "finace". Our wedding date is March 2011, and we are in the beginning stages of planning! I can't wait to share all the phenom ups and downs of planning our wedding!

He does web design, hence my amazing blog design! I can't begin to thank him enough for all the things he does. ♥ I currently own and run Aspiring Couture with the purpose of promoting emerging fashion. My extreme love for weddings and blogging is what fueled me create Engaged and Inspired and to take up wedding planning and event design for real.

I hope you all enjoy our wedding ideas, and I would greatly appreciate your input on all the plans we have! Feel free to e-mail me anytime at allison@engagedandinspired.com. :)