Part 2---------
We have a dress, a place, attendants...time to move on to other things. I made a couple of visits to Tall Timbers to get an idea of what things we would need to rent. Each time, I could envision my Princess stepping off that porch, meeting her Prince Charming against a backdrop of sunset on Lake Iamonia over the tree tops. Such a lovely thought. Fairy tale in real life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But, as we began to make our decorating plans we realized we had to rent a lot of chairs and some tables. The barn would be used for the reception, but it would not be large enough to hold ceremony and reception if the weather was not cooperative. Also, there were some policies which were going to make it difficult to follow. Another problem was lighting. Outdoor illumination is not one of the strong points of the venue and having to be cleaned up and vacated by 10pm, were going to be a problem. Some of the additional policies were making us have second thoughts as well. After several weeks of thinking we had a venue behind us, we discussed the possibility of making a change. So, back to square one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feeling a bit of disappointment, a new search began. Once again we tried to find something closer to home. The Christmas Tree Farm decided to have a haunted corn maze and a pumpkin patch this year, and that would be their biggest weekend, so unless we wanted to share the venue with Halloween revelers, that venue was out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a week of no luck, Lil Bro had a great idea. The Royal Couple love historic buildings, so why not have the wedding at the Firehouse Gallery and the reception at The Old Library? Paydirt! The Royal Couple came home for the weekend to take a look at both buildings and fell in love with them. (Those are my 2 favorite buildings....I would love to own the library.) The 2 venues together were very reasonable and we would not have to plan 2 weddings: one for outdoors and one for rain. Booked and happy. NOW we can move on to something else. But my heart hurt for my Princess who wasn't going to get her outdoor wedding, after all. First the mountains were leveled, now the outdoors was confined. Strike two for the bride.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
However, the more Princess thought about the two historic buildings, the more excited she became. I was a little uneasy, though, because as much as I love The Old Library, I was afraid it would not accommodate our guests, and it does not have a kitchen. But, we would make it work because I had too many other things to do. Venue search was over! So, I could begin working on Save the Date cards! Six month stretch was quickly approaching!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 3------------
After taking a couple of weeks rest (well, actually, my mother in law had a heart attack and that put everything on hold for a while), I began to get to work on the Save The Date Cards. My sister represents an on-line card company, Send Out Cards. You go online and design your cards and they print, address, and mail them. Oh, so simple!!!! So, after the grueling task of gathering addresses and trying to be sure no one is left out, the Save the Date cards were close to being ready.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The night before I was ready to hit "submit", Mother's instinct kicked in. "Check on the venues and be sure they are going to work" played in my mind all night. Oh, that feeling was overwhelming. The next morning my first task was to call and set up appointments to re-visit the venues. Firehouse Gallery was fine. Phew! Next, I called to get the key to take a look at the Old Library. The hesitation in the voice on the phone made my heart stop. After several years on the market, the owners of The Old Library have a buyer. Oh no!!! This cannot be. I fretted all day. I tried to think of all the options that might be available. I could not bear to tell Princess. Fear of elopement was lurking in the back of my mind. And truth be told...perhaps a little hope of elopement! LOL Needless to say, I did not sleep at all that night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next morning, I had an epiphany. These two love birds are movie nuts! They watch every film that comes out. My daughter could wipe out the competition in a movie trivia game...especially classic movies. So, what about a theatre? I quickly sought out someone in authority with the Bainbridge Little Theatre and after many emails and phone calls, my friends were able to get approval for us to use the theatre. When I called Princess, she was disappointed about the library, but was very excited about the theatre. It is now a done deal and we have moved on to the Save the Date cards. Really.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, my Diva Princess will appropriately be exchanging vows with her Prince Charming onstage: lights, camera, action! This production will premiere at Bainbridge Little Theatre and the wrap-party will be at the Firehouse Gallery. Two historic buildings, two unique characters, a love story leading to a happily-ever-after ending.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will there be a white runner or a red carpet? Join us and find out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, I can hit "submit" on those Save the Date Cards ( 168 days to go).
