Here’s a quick wedding planning update:
Ryan and I have decided to go with a local beach or waterfront wedding venue. While the idea of a destination wedding was totally tempting, we (meaning I, in this case) really wanted to be able to have everyone there – and that couldn’t happen with a destination wedding. Also in the “cons” list were things such as not being able to check out the venue before we fly there for the actual wedding, as well as the fact that it may be harder to control the eco-friendly, small/local business, and anti-sweatshop product aspect of it if it were at a tropical resort far away.
Of course, flying 20 people to a tropical island probably isn’t eco-friendly because of fuel consumption, but I’m not sure that having 85 people fly or drive to a local destination is any better. Sometimes you have to accept the fact that you can’t lead a perfectly eco-friendly life while still enjoying it.
But I digress.
Photo via Herrington on the Bay
Last night I found what we thought would be the perfect wedding venue for us: Herrington on the Bay. Here’s what makes it awesome:
- An hour’s drive from our house; direct 2-3 hr drive from close family & friends
- On the Chesapeake Bay
- Gorgeous tropical landscaping complete with palm trees for that tropical vibe
- A green grass lawn for the wedding (so my mom doesn’t have to freak out about people walking on the sand, as they would with a beach wedding)
- Eco-resort with sustainable seafood & local veggie options on the catering menu
- The sun would set over the water during our reception
- Option to add fireworks, which I always dreamed of (even though I know they’re not ec0-friendly)
That all sounds great, right? We thought so. But here are a few things that may have us looking elsewhere:
- The bar menu doesn’t include an option for local wine & beer, which is a “must” for us (since it’s a big expense, it needs to be local)
- I don’t know if they serve humanely-raised meats.
- Linens, flatware, glassware, dishes are not included in either the catering OR the venue fees.
- I’m not sure if they’d be willing to serve the coffee roasted by Caffe Amouri
- Finally, I’m not sure if they’re willing to donate the leftover food to a shelter.
After looking at all these things, I’m wondering if we’ll need to chose a venue that does not have a caterer associated with it, so that we have more control over the foods and beverages offered.
But in the mean time, I haven’t given up on this venue. I’m going to respond to their email with my questions. Fingers crossed!
14 Comments
What about looking for a caterer that is focused on the qualities you want (local, humane) and inquiring about what venues they have worked at/with?
Oh my gosh, that’s such a good idea. I’m kind of kicking myself thinking “why didn’t I think of that?” 🙂 Thank you!
Saw this on a friend’s page and after I stopped cracking up, I thought of you & wanted to share. Wedding Mad Libs: http://emmalinebride.com/decor/mad-lib-guest-book/ … I think you’ll really like the blog, too. 🙂
The pluses sound really good here. I’m so excited to see you progressing in your planning. It’s hard to find places that meet all one’s hopes isn’t it. Fingers crossed you are able to work lots out to your satisfaction.
Focus on making your wedding what you want it to be. If something is not totally eco-friendly, don’t sweat it. You’re already thinking way ahead of most engaged couples and making that effort, which is great.
I’m so excited for you!
Good luck! I can’t wait for an update on how the wedding planning is coming 🙂
I agree re finding the caterer and checking out their preferred venues as they often find locations that work well with the way they prepare food etc.. and you will find that you can have an amazing wedding in almost any location.. we originally wanted ours by the pool at the resort and because of weather etc we had to move it to the reception room and by the time we decorated it and had amazing food, music etc.. people said it was oneof the best weddings they went to.. so be open to suggestions and ideas.. I loved planning our wedding and would do it all over again in a heart beat.. good luck
I agree re finding the caterer and checking out their preferred venues as they often find locations that work well with the way they prepare food etc.. and you will find that you can have an amazing wedding in almost any location.. we originally wanted ours by the pool at the resort and because of weather etc we had to move it to the reception room and by the time we decorated it and had amazing food, music etc.. people said it was oneof the best weddings they went to.. so be open to suggestions and ideas.. I loved planning our wedding and would do it all over again in a heart beat.. good luck
Good luck!
I was going to say the same as a few other commenters about finding the caterer and have them suggest a venue. Great minds think alike, right? 🙂
I can’t tell you how excited I am to see you plan your wedding. I am seriously wedding addicted. Love hearing all sorts of details 🙂
Fingers crossed for you! Also, I second what Anotheryarn said! We defnitely didn’t rely on the venue for our caterer, we knew we wanted to have my dad’s best friend cater, and then we found a venue that didn’t require their caterer (actually, where Ryna proposed to you reminded me a lot of our venue.
While we didn’t have an entirely green or eco-friendly wedding, we did use recyclyed paper & envelopes for the invites, and we rented plants from the venue (it was a historic house and plant nursery) instead of buying a lot of cut flowers. Every little bit helps, right?
Do you read Hip House Girl? Her wedding was also at a plant nursery, and she used their plants to decorate.
Yeah, I totally read Hip House Girl and loved her wedding venue.
Even though I really want to control every aspect, including the choice of caterer, I’m leaning towards this venue just becuase it would save me time and effort on the research front. And my mom really likes it, as does Ryan…and that counts for a lot.
We’ll meet with them this weekend and find out more details. Thanks for your input!!
I think it sounds like a good venue, and I totally understand what you mean about your mom and Ryan like it.
Maybe since they won’t let you use your choice of caterer you could request a certain menu (with humane and eco meats/etc)? I have no idea if they’d be willing, but it’s worth a shot, right?
I think them not including dishes, linens. etc means you have a great opportunity to do something creative. Something very “Jane”, you know?
[…] so it’s no wonder I was skeptical when Ryan and I set out to visit Herrington on the Bay, our potential wedding venue, on a recent stormy […]