This diary venture has been much like our search for the perfect venue for this wedding. Not nearly as simple as it should have been! Setting up the blog was not easy...my computer seems to have a mind of its own; or maybe my mind just isn't up to it. After my second post, some slimy worm crawled into this techno journal of mine and turned out to be a demon to be exorcised with great caution. Hopefully, he has moved on. There are other demons to face!
~~~~So, back to The Wedding: After finding The Dress, we began the search for a venue. Well, actually, that search began a few short weeks after The Engagement. Living in North Georgia now and spending most of the family vacations during her childhood there, her heart was set on an October wedding, outdoors in the North Georgia mountains. Easier said than done. And when I think back on what all we faced, it isn't even easily said!
~~~~When you have been fortunate to raise a child who was not only your child, but your friend and who grew up to be your best friend, you want her dreams to come true. All of them. You know you can't give her everything she wants but you hope that you can come close to seeing those dreams come true, without too much stress along the way. Not stress for yourself, but the take-the-fun-out-of-it kind of stress. You know, when someone gives you a nice gift and they go on and on about how hard it was to find and all the trouble they went to to get it for you? You wish they just hadn't! That is not what I wanted to happen with this wedding. Well, as the Glimmer Twins sang, "you can't always get what you want!"
~~~~As we started the search for the perfect setting, we spent hours on the internet weeding through rules, regulations, and costs. The two favorites were Neverland Farms and The Densmore Farm. Neverland was truly Neverland! Secluded, absolutely gorgeous and all inclusive. Had all the needs and wants. And you pay a pretty price for it. In addition to price, the secluded area was so because guests travel down a very long, rough, dirt road. Would be inconvenient and uncomfortable for older guests. The Densmore Farm was very inexpensive and just a lovely place to have an outdoor wedding. The owners are very accommodating and very willing to do most anything to make it work for you. However, with that low price, comes having to rent a lot of things to use at the site. Eventually, it is as expensive as Neverland and almost as out of the way.
~~~~The cons of having the wedding in the mountains far outweighed the pros. Bad time of year for guests who would have to pay double for accommodations as well as book a year in advance. Due to cost, we would have to limit the guest list. Really hard to do. Working with vendors we didn't know would be much more expensive than those we have used before for other things and see everyday, and having it at home we would be able to enlist friends and family to help with a lot of things. So, with a little disappointment, she agreed to have an outdoor wedding at home. Strike one for the bride. Well, she did get the dress she wanted!
~~~~Because the bride and groom are in North Georgia and unable to come home very often, Mom and little brother spent many hours trekking through North Florida and South Georgia checking out places spotted on the internet. Our mission: to mark off the ones that had too many cons and check the ones with more pros. Then the happy couple could come home and check out their options.
~~~~Brentwood Plantation. Nope. No more weddings during bird season. Aragon Plantation. Nope. No one returns phone calls. Climax Gun Club. Nope. Too small. Shiloh Farms. Nope. Too cutesy, folksy for the bride (but Mom and lil Bro LOVED IT!). Willow Pond. Nope. Not very nice people to talk to and have not very good comments from other brides on local wedding blogs. Bradleys Pond. Nope. Taken. Dorothy B. Oven. Nope. Don't want strangers walking through. The list goes on and on. We did however talk them into looking at The Beadel Plantation at Tall Timbers and Springhill Christmas Tree Farm.
~~~~After a Saturday afternoon of looking at prospects, Tall Timbers (between Tallahassee and Coonbottom) won. Springhill Tree Farm had a neighbor with a kennel full of howling hound dogs that day and it was decided we didn't want to take a chance of the howl-a-luia chorus breaking out during the vows. Tall Timbers is a beautiful place. Especially in the fall. If you have never been, take a drive out sometime. They don't mind. The view of Lake Iamonia is beautiful. That autumn day was perfect. Lil Bro and Mom had even stayed at Tall Timbers on our scouting expedition to check and see where the sun would be at the time of the wedding. Are we good, or what?
~~~~That fall day was so exciting. My baby was ecstatic! We have a date, a dress and a place! Let's move on to something else! Stationary, caterers, music, bridesmaids dresses, flowers? Bring it on!
~~~~Well....check back tomorrow to find out WHY the wedding will be indoors in Bainbridge!
