First Round of Decisions!

So we have an official date and location. The wedding will be Saturday, September 12, 2009 at the Bear Creek Country Club! I'm really excited that we got Bear Creek. I think it's the perfect for us. I have a couple of pictures of the golf course that's around the Club that I'll put in this message.

The plan after that is 9-10 days in the Jamaica/Antigua/Bahama area, and then we'll head over to Spokane once we're back. We decided that since it might be hard for all of Jake's friends and family from Spokane to get over here for the wedding, we would have second reception over there. I'm obviously not too upset about having to have another big party. I'm thinking the Spokane reception would be Saturday, September 26.

So there are the first couple of real decisions!


This is what everyone will see first after parking

This will be the view behind us when we'll hold the ceremony

Venue Found?

Yesterday's venue hunting turned out to be successful. I had hoped that I would find a place right off the bat, and it looks like that might be working out for me!

Jamie, Danielle and I went to a venue in Snohomish first, and after driving MUCH further than I had anticipated, were a little disappointed. The thing that we kept saying to each other during our walk through was "We can do better". From the awkward event planner to the awful chairs, it just wasn't for me. After deciding that the barn wasn't exactly the "classy but casual" look I had pictured, the even planner suggested showing us another property that they own with a mansion from the 1800's on it. Yikes... From the green carpet to the awkwardly placed twin sized beds used to stage the rooms upstairs by the "bridal suite", it was definitely not for me.

After pretty much running away from the mansion, we were trying to stay positive and hopeful for the next place on our list. As soon as we pulled into the driveway for our second appointment, things were starting to look MUCH better. The event planner here was much more laidback and easier to talk to, and as soon as she showed us the outdoor ceremony spot which flowed right into the indoor reception area, I could happily see Jake and me getting married there. After she showed us the full service bar, I could really see all of our friends being happy about us being married there. I won't go into all of the details about the place that I forced Jake to listen to, but all in all, it was exactly what I had pictured when thinking of a place that was both "classy but casual". All I have to do now is get the buy in from my parents and it's a done deal.

So! If everything works out with the parents, Jake and I will be married on Saturday, September 12, 2009, at the Bear Creak Country Club in Woodinville!

Venue Hunting

Today is the first day that I am going to go and check out venues for the wedding. Two of my bridesmaids, Jamie and Danielle, are coming up to help me out and give me some input, which will be really nice. I originally was just going to go out on my own, but realized I would look ridiculous to the event planners at these places considering that my ring is currently in being sized so I would show up to plan a fairly large wedding with no ring or friends.

I know that it's very wishful thinking, but I'm hoping that one of the two places we see today is just perfect and I can go ahead and get it booked today. It's crazy that Saturdays in August of 2009 are already booked! I thought that I had a good head start, but apparently people are already way ahead of me.

I may just be being naive to the whole wedding planning process, but I really feel that once I have the venue figured out everything else will fall into place. After the venue it's just picking out some dresses, a cake, sending out some invites and planning the honeymoon, right?