Tardy to the Party

It’s been … what’s more than awhile, but, less than forever? That’s what it’s been. Sorry. 

Life has been nothing short of chaotic, and now with my new job, it seems I just don’t have as much extra time on my hands to do, well, nothing. However, in a stroke of Christmas luck and good tidings, I’ve come across a few days between when students finish with finals and teachers send in their grades. This means a less inundated work day and some time to finally blog – and bring you ladies (and gentlemen?) up to speed on all things Team Jamison.

With 2012 a hop skip and a jump away, I feel very confident with what we have locked down (not to mention extremely excited about everything/everyone!)

As of today we have –

Our Bridal Party

Our Church and Ceremony Musician

Our Photographer (and our engagement pictures!)

Our Venue

Our DJ

Our Transportation

Our Videographer

My Dress

Bridesmaid Dresses (selected and some ordered)

Groomsman’s Gifts

98% of our Centerpieces

Rooms blocked for guests and shuttles booked

Materials for Bridesmaid Bouquets

Materials for my bouquet

Various Decor

½ the Cake Topper

Some semblance of a guest list

…And a partridge in a pear tree.

Just kidding about that last part. Maybe.

In the next two months we will be focusing on selecting tuxes, save the dates and delving into the more intricate DIY projects we want to take on. Mike has been ridiculously helpful with every project I’ve thrown at him so far… I just hope he knows he “ain’t seen nothin’ yet…” Luckily, we work a lot better together on wedding stuff than we do on Gingerbread Houses, as was apparent last Saturday at my cousin’s house. Lots of fun, but definitely not a business we’re going to go into…

Hopefully, the new year will hold posts about projects, decisions and a lot of great photos – not to mention maybe a post or two about how I’m using my newly minted Wedding Planner Certification- but for now, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday (whichever ones you may celebrate)! Eat too much and give lots of presents!

Kids’ Buckets! | Weddingbee

Kids’ Buckets! Weddingbee

I like sharing things I love. And today, I am in love with these Kid's Buckets. They are a bit more simple than what I had wanted to do for kids, but, have decided they will make everyone's life a little easier! (Our potential "kids room" is past the dance floor, up a flight of stairs, and frankly, it made me nervous! Besides, we want the kids downstairs, dancing, and eating lots of cookies!)

Anyway, the above article is great, and I can't wait to start collecting stuff! FH and I had such a blast gathering up little gifts for our Flower Girls (who we get to see THIS WEEKEND!), that I know we'll have just as much fun putting these buckets together!

Also an awesome find today? Personalized Crayon Boxes and Crayons from Oriental Trading. Oh this is gonna be fun!!

Wedding Truths

Because I can't quite get my head in a place to write a real blog entry, enjoy these quippy little pictures -

(Unless you're talking to me, then I am genuinely interested.)

A Twist on Table Runners

Having a fabulous friend, we'll call her "Damask Diva", who is on a constant quest for table runners on the cheap, I have started to pay more attention to them, and begin to fall in love with the concept myself. (Right now, I'm thinking Red Polka Dots, but, it could be a bit too much?) My quest for a cheap, D-I-Y alternative that doesn't involve a sewing machine or pricey fabric allowed me to stumble upon Wrapping Paper Table Runners. They come highly recommended by Martha, so, I trust them. Plus the pictures I've found are so cute! So I investigated the process and the price, and here is what I found!

Items Needed -

Wrapping Paper

• Splurge for the classy stuff - try Party City or Target for 24in by 16ft rolls (32 sq. ft). If you're looking for more specific stuff, a quick Google search will find your exact wishes!
• Retail 6.99 - 9.99

Scissors

• You should have scissors. Be a grown up.

Ruler

• If you don't have a ruler, I will buy you one. It's back to school time so they're cheap.

Once you've picked out your wrapping paper, it's as simple as measuring and cutting a few straight lines!

Traditional table runners (for round tables seating 8-10 people) are 12 in wide and 108 in / 8ft long. 12 to 18 in should hang off each side of the table. Of course, you can customize depending on your personal preference, but, we'll go with wedding standards for blog purposes.

If you purchase the 16ft roll, you will be able to get 4 table runners out of each roll, if you're a good cutter. :) This makes each runner between $1.75 and $2.20 a piece, with very little manual labor!

My suggestion (and what we will do if we choose to do this project!), is to see if your venue will let you come in and utilize their space to create these. That way, you can try them out on the tables, and have a bit more space than you would at your apartment/house.

This is certainly a cute project for anything from a shower, rehearsal dinner, wedding to even your house, or a kid's birthday party! (See, we're versatile here!) Some pictures below!

August? Oops.

I missed July. Sorry Blog. I still like you. I promise.

Maybe some updates?

Right now, we are really on track with wedding planning. We have -

• A venue
• A church
• A hotel block
• A photographer
• A bridal party
• A dress
• A DJ (picked out but not confirmed)
• A trolley (tentatively)
• A wedding website
• Various and sundry wedding decor items
• 446 Days Left (Bummer)

BUT an exciting UPCOMING thing is that there are only FIVE more days to wait until the wonderful wedding of Blue & Orange Bride. Tonight I am headed to her apartment for a crash course in all things Candy Buffet because this wedding will be my first foray into the world of Day-of-Coordinating! I'm so excited that she is giving me this chance, and I just can't wait to see all of her and her fiance's hard work come together on Saturday. They did so much together and have a lot of really awesome ideas and d-i-y projects, it is going to be such a treat to see it all and celebrate :)

And then, two weekends later, we are off to Syracuse for the Engagement BBQ that Fiance's mom is throwing for us. I cannot wait to see all the family up there and celebrate with them! And we are asking our Flower Girls while we are up there and have found the CUTEST little things for them. I'm obsessed. Oh! And my mom and my brother will get to meet everyone we always babble on about too, and enjoy the weekend up there with Fiance's mom and her boyfriend as well. It is going to just be fabulous. We haven't gotten to do much of our own celebrating yet, and selfishly, I am really looking forward to an event just for us. (Blog honesty is the best policy, right?) Also, the day of the party marks 14 months to go! :) (and less than 1 month until E-Pics!!!)

So, to recap - I promise to blog more in August, and can't wait for all the fun it brings. :)

An "Off-Beat" Reading

There's so much to love about 1st Corinthians. We'll use it, and you should too. Love is all those things. And it's great.

But then, you come across readings like this - that don't fall under any conventional heading, but, make you smile and remind you of your relationship and make you smile, big and bright.

And so I share, and hope you're smiling too :)

"Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog," by Taylor Mali

First of all, it's a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York.
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you're walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain't no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?

On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn't like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!

Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you're all wound up and can't move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.

Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.

Team Jamison

Our Team is Assembled!! :)

Fiancé and I have finally completed our Bridesmaid and Groomsmen proposals! It makes us feel just so completely complete to know that we will have them surrounding us on our "Big Day." We ended up with more people than he or I ever anticipated having, but, when it comes down to it, we wouldn't have it any other way. We've taken a lot of flack for how big our bridal party is, and will probably continue to, but who cares? We sure don't! We feel crazy loved and crazy excited! “Drafting” our team was definitely a wonderful experience, no arguments, no questions, and I learned a lot about how much Fiancé really cares about our friends and family.  (warm fuzzies all around!)

I wanted to share a few of the things we did for our Bridesmaids and Groomsmen. Their proposals were our first "D-I-Y" attempt and I really think, just from reactions and personal opinion(!) they went over well!

For all the guys, we decided to make "Team Jamison" Koozies and give them a fun little card. Our guys are a really fun bunch and we thought something like that would really suit each of them, and, if they manage to keep track of the koozie, serve for a good photo-op later on!

To make them, I found foam "Koozies" at Michael's in the Kid's Section. (Of all places... I guess they're for pop too? Who knew!) They are available at most every craft store, and are very reasonably priced!

Then, I purchased a pack of Avery White Internet Shipping Labels. These work perfectly if you are trying to make stickers or labels in different shapes because they can either be used as 1/2 sheets or whole sheets, depending on your preference. And they will load through any printer! Then I made up a little design with the help of Fiancé’s excellent color coordinating skills and we were in business!

 Koozie Labels!

 Card Front

 Card Inside

Card Back

The guys, I will admit, were a cinch. The girls were a bit trickier, but, just because everyone had something a little bit different. I asked my maid of honor with a small gift and created a special deck of “Essential MOH Cards” that she can draw and utilize when I may not be acting my best! (Cardstock and a binder ring do wonders!)

I asked my cousin Jess with a picture frame, and my good friend Anna with a tree (long story, but, I think it went over okay!). For my out of town girls, I made short power points to ask them. I wanted to make them videos with music and sound, but, my technology failed me and ultimately, my desire to get their answer beat out my patience to include a good song.  (A friend had asked me to make a “template” from my PowerPoint’s, so, I will share that once it’s created!)

For four of my girls, I created a wine label (using the same labels as used for the Koozie Decals) to attach to a bottle of wine.  It acted as the card, with, of course, a little poem asking them to be my bridesmaid. (Apparently, when it comes to wedding-y things, I am more Dr. Seuss than I thought…)

Ideally, I will have painted and gifted wine glasses to each girl before the big day. So far, the ones I have attempted haven’t turned out TOO bad, but, I definitely have some progress to make, for sure! More on that later though!

Next Adventure – Flower Girl Proposals!

We received happy blessings from the moms of our 3 flower girls and I am now working on creating personalized Flower Girl Barbies! (And in case that doesn’t go as planned, I have been stock piling little gifts anytime I see something cute!) Can’t wait until August to ask them at our Engagement Party BBQ in Syracuse!

D-I-Y Programming

My most recent favorite DIY project - The Ceremony Program. 

Probably the silliest little piece of paper you'll ever spend money on, but, in the same vein, something that your guests (at least the female ones) would truly miss. People love schedules, and they love details. Ceremony programs give you a chance to share the names and relations of those fabulous people you picked for your Bridal Party. And they provide structure to the afternoon, giving people a path to follow as you head to the "I Do's"

But, why be traditional about, when you can get creative?! Check these out! 

 

Celebratory Ceremony Programs

www.theknot.com/diy

Chair Marker Pocket Ceremony Programs

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/25-perfect-programs?#slide_2

Fan-Out Programs

http://www.cherishpaperie.com/diyfanprogram

Postal Mail Programs

http://www.soyoureengayged.com/2010/diy-airmail-wedding-programs/

Back to Basics

A little research goes a long way. A little life experience? Goes a whole lot further. We've been engaged for two months and have successfully battled several challenges, and I think between these and my coursework, and of course the perusing of a magazine or seven, I have determined the Top 5 Basic Rules of Planning.

1. Break two rules of basic human decency -- Never forget to brag, and always stick your nose in other people's business. The more you talk, Facebook post, and neb-nose, the more likely you are to get great referrals from recent brides, or even better, Mother of the Brides. Friends, co-workers, family and other wedding professionals are amazing resources to find both the good and the bad of local vendors. Between these gold mines and the wonderful world wide web, you'll have all your angles covered, and great idea of who can do what and how well in your area! 

2. Figure out your stats. In order to make what you're looking for and what you can afford mesh, you must know both a tentative guest count and a guesstimate of your budget. You will quickly find out that $150 people at $60 a head does not a cheap wedding make! Then comes the tough part... what's more important? Filet Mignon or Aunt Mildred? (Good chance you and Mom won't agree on this one!)

3. Don't be afraid to negotiate. Cutting costs isn't always limited to holding your wedding on a Friday or serving cocktail fare instead of sit down dinners. A change in the type of starch or vegetable your offer could make all the difference! Sit down with your fiance' and work out the things from each vendor that are important to you, and then discuss with them what you could do to cut costs. Some people's prices are set, which you must be respectful of, but, more often than not, there will be some wiggle room!

4. Treat vendor meetings, no matter how many you have, like they are work meetings. Come prepared, act professionally, and respect their work and more importantly, their prices. Remember, weddings are a billion dollar industry. You may not have the $5,000 to pony up for a DJ, but, someone else might. (This is the item I've had the most trouble with.... not letting my jaw drop to the floor when DJ's tell me their prices!) Be courteous and follow up after a meeting to express interest, or polite disinterest, and always have the courtesy to call and cancel an appointment if you won't be able to make it. A vendor's time is as important as your time, and you certainly wouldn't appreciate them standing you up if you took time off of work to meet them!

5. Ask Questions. Too many of them.Write as many as you can down beforehand, and then write down all the answers. When you get home, go over the answers and re-write or type key points. This will help you differentiate between vendors later if you are meeting with more than one, and if you choose that particular vendor, you will have a reference sheet for them to help through the rest of the planning process! There may be stupid questions, but, there's a good chance you aren't the first to ask them, so have at it!

Wedded to Perfection

I couldn't help myself but write, just because of how in love with Weddings I am feeling right now. 

I was a lucky enough girl to get to experience a wedding held at the same venue (different room) that we will be using next October. My mom's assistant (who is just great!) allowed my mom to bring me as a date to her wedding this evening, and I am so thankful. I had the BEST time, just fun from beginning to end, and the best part? You could tell that she and her husband had the most fun of everyone. They danced, they sang, they giggled and they looked madly in love, genuinely elated to be starting their marriage at this wedding that was so "them." And in all honesty, I know the bride more through the wonderful things my mom says about her than actual interaction, so if I could tell how "Them" it was, then it really was just perfect. I am so happy when I see (or better, get to attend) a wedding like this, with how many people just follow the cookie cutter outline of a "wedding" these days. An open bar does not a good time make (in fact, I only had one glass of wine tonight because I was busy enjoying myself!), and it certainly isn't the only thing you want people to like about your wedding. I can't imagine the new Mr. & Mrs. could have had a better time, just by watching them, and I wish them all the love and happiness in the world, and thank them profusely for giving me a peek at our venue, a priceless opportunity! 

5 Things I Realized Tonight - 



1) Nothing is going to get people out on the dance floor like the Hokey Pokey or the Chicken Dance. No matter how "cheesy" they may be. 


2) In my opinion, there is no wedding without kids. Little kids make even the grumpiest guest smile. They are the life of the party, and we are both so excited to have a room full of them next year. 


3) If you had fun planning, and worked together to plan, it will show. If you have fun celebrating, and celebrate together (with your family and friends), it will show. Both of these things, will, inevitably, make for amazing memories, both photographed and internal.

4)You can never have too many cookies.


5) The staircase presentation, while free at The Fez, is worth $5000, if not more. And the food is going to be a hit. We made the exact right choice.

Again, a big giant congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs., and a thank you to weddings for always leaving me with a warm fuzzy feeling, and reminding me how lovely being in love is. :)

 (J & P's Card Box-----They're both librarians, so perfect!)

Accidentally in Love

I FOUND IT.

Not even trying to look.

It was on sale. Major sale.  And now it’s at my mom’s and I can visit it anytime. I almost left in the middle of the night last night to visit it. I might go on my lunch hour.

And, of course, there’s a great story that goes with it J

It was finally girls’ night with my friends Anna and Kelly, and we were meeting at David’s Bridal so that Kelly could order her shoes for Anna’s upcoming August wedding. Kelly and I got there before Anna, so we went in and started just thumbing through the racks (illegally, of course, because that’s how we do things!). I found a dress I really liked in the sale section, but I didn’t really want to try anything on. Then, of course, Kelly talked me into it, and we headed back to the dressing room with a consultant (Beth) and a few dresses. I cannot begin to say enough nice things about Beth from David’s Bridal in Robinson, PA, but more on that later. I tried the first dress and it elicited really positive and genuine responses from both girls, as well as from me. Then I tried on two more, which surprisingly to me, looked really great (and one was even too big!), but, just weren’t in comparison with Dress 1. Then, I tried on the dress I had been coveting on the mannequin in the front. It was really great. Exactly what I had pictured myself in all these years. And such a pretty champagne color, which went along with the whole “unique” thing we’re going for, as well as with the Fall. But I couldn’t stop thinking about dress one. So on it went again, and I wouldn’t take it off. Seriously. We stood there and talked for like, 45 minutes. And then, the search for my mom began. Upon finding her (as well as my M.O.H who graciously drove, last minute, about 40 minutes to meet us), we re-convened at David’s Bridal after fulfilling our girls’ night dinner plans, around 8p.m. The two dresses in the running were held for us and Marie, who was also incredibly helpful and sweet, took us back and hooked us up! When I came out in Dress 1, I could tell by the look on my M.O.H’s face, and the tears in my mom’s eyes, that I was right to call them out. That this was it. Of course, the second dress also elicited great responses, because it was beautiful, but, it just wasn’t anything compared to the first one. And that was that. The best accidental find ever.

And the service at David’s Bridal certainly didn’t hurt. Beth, the consultant that first helped us, was phenomenal. Never did she once push, or make me feel like the dress wouldn’t fit. Never did she try and sell me anything. I asked her about alteration prices, she brought out the alterations manager. She let me know there was a discount if I bought certain things the day I bought the dress, but, when I said I wasn’t sure, she let it go. She was patient, when I didn’t want to take the dress off. She was kind when talking about how flattering it was. She was fun to try-on with, and had an awesome sense of humor. It was just so refreshing based on other experiences I had had both there and other places (cough-cough, Alfred Angelo you suck). And then, on top of this, when we returned, after her shift had ended, she set us up with a trusted co-worker, Marie, who really did a wonderful job of matching Beth’s level of customer service and friendliness. She was patient as well, and so sweet. I never once felt bad about myself or about the experience, and I never felt pressured. Both Marie and Beth said nothing about the $500 price difference in the dresses, and they certainly didn’t let that color their opinions, as everyone was in love with THE dress. They really made the experience all I wanted it to be, even on a whim, without an appointment. I will always be grateful for that, and will be singing their praises up and down the street for a long time to come!   

Never would I ever have thought this would be the dress, but, now, I can’t imagine there being any other dress for me. I had two pictures of dresses up on my wall at work that used to take my breath away. And this morning when I walked in and looked at them, it was like, “Oh that’s nice.” But nothing compared to MY DRESS. I get giddy just thinking about it.

Oh October 2012 hurry fast!

All is Well in Wedding World

Well, if you follow my Facebook, you know that we have not been having an easy go of it when it comes to Reception Venues. Though I reported earlier we had found THE place, we definitely did not. Not only did it take weeks for the "coordinator" Kristi Zugai (not name dropping, but name throwing!) to respond to our request to come in and PAY HER and sign a contract, but, when she did finally respond, she lied about calling me (my phone never rang and no message was left ... in this situation, you leave a message), and then we never heard from her again. Finally, after seeing another venue this weekend, I called the manager of The Highland Country Club , Jeffrey Cuny , and he made excuses for their behavior left and right, despite constantly using the phrase, "I'm not making excuses," and then said we could mail him a check for the deposit, and they'd send us the contract to sign. Oh, okay. Yeah. No. When I said I was not comfortable doing that, he simply said, "Well, I'll try and have Kristi contact you if she gets a chance, then."

And that was the end of that. Beautiful facility. Good pricing. Absolutely no communication skills or professionalism. Unfortunately for them, I know a lot of engaged couples (and even had already recommended them to a co-worker, but then hurriedly had to warn her against them! Sorry!), AND I know a lot of golfers. And while I kept my calm when it came down to dealing with them and talking to them (keeping calm during that phone call with Jeffrey Cuny was quite a feat, let me tell you!), I'm sure you all know that the last thing I'm going to do is keep quiet about our experience there. I've already told both the manager at The Georgetown Centre and the manager at The Fez about our experience and I'm certainly not stopping there. Just call me Regina George.

ANYWAY- onto the good things. '

On Saturday, we went to see The Georgetown Centre on Saturday. It is a really nice facility, and the manager there, Amber, is just fantastic. (Really, I whole heartedly recommend this space and have all the information if anyone is interested!) Unfortunately, the room that we wanted wasn't open for our date, and the room that was available just wasn't exactly what we were looking for. I tried to talk myself into it, but, Fiance really wasn't having it. So, I went back to my spreadsheet and tried to look through it again for viable options.

And then I remembered how much I had initially liked The Fez. But I wrote it off because I really hated the name. Seriously, that was my reasoning. Sounds REALLY stupid now, but, I just couldn't see spending all that money on invitations, only to have "The Fez" written loudly and proudly at the bottom. I mean, it's a stupid little hat for heaven's sake! However, realizing we were in a pinch, I e-mailed Debby from The Fez, and in an awesome change of pace, she e-mailed me back, literally within minutes. She set it up so we could come in yesterday afternoon, and so Fiance, my mom and I went out to see it.

And it's perfect.

It hit me immediately. I could see the bridal party there, I could see our colors on the tables, I could see our friends at the bar and our family on the dance floor. I didn't have that with any other place. Not even the first place. I couldn't believe I ever wrote it off, just for the silly name!

Though, we will be referring to it, from here on out, as The Hopewell Events Center. :)

If Fiance ever texts me back, I will confirm that we will be going to sign the contract and pay the deposit on Saturday morning. (Then we will go garage sale-ing for Brooches!) Waiting until next October seems impossible now... guess I'll just have to concentrate on dress shopping and bouquet making!

Here are some pictures of the room (a little dated in decor from the website), and hopefully, as soon as my company's IT department remembers Social Media is part of my job and unblocks me from sites, I will posty more pictures from events that have been held there recently, thanks to The Hopewell Events Center's amazing and frequently updated Facebook Page!

Generation Y Wait Another Minute

Sadly, I know 4 or 5 couples getting married in the next two years who will probably have this issue. Unless they write their future spouses name on their hand and don't smudge it before they get up there. Maybe I will gift them a permanent marker at the shower...

Making plans....

We went into our search with a list. Not a long list, not even a very detailed list, but, something a little like this-

·         Unique Space

·         Within Budget

·         Near Hotels

·         Available 10/20/12

At the beginning of the venue search, a lot of neat places got ruled out based on us being a stickler for our date. But, we both have an attachment to the day, and it wasn’t going to change, even if the darn Zoo would be decorated for Zoo Boo. Price also played a big factor in crossing places off the list. In our eyes, it seemed more important to be able to have everyone we wanted there in attendance, rather than having to limit our list based on what we can afford. We had agreed earlier, back before we were engaged, that photography would be our big "blow-out the budget" splurge, which meant we needed to be, not frugal, but, mindful when choosing our venue.

Still, after the checklist and the eliminations, we had quite a list. A bit overwhelming in fact.

To the Excel Spreadsheet! (If you're looking into any non-hotel venues for your wedding or other event, let me know. I've got information on just about all of them!)

15 Venues in total. I sent a lot of e-mails and made a lot of phone calls to get the information I felt was most important to gather up before we decided to make visits. Especially since visiting venues meant taking time off work for me, and losing sleep for Fiancé.  Not to mention the fact that seeing 15 places could never work. Can you imagine keeping 15 different places straight in your head? Even if your wrote things down, they would definitely blur together!

O.Ver.Whelming.

Our top choice, just by amenities, location and price, was “The Chadwick,” a banquet facility in Wexford, PA. Their packages included a cake, a coordinator and transportation to local hotels, among other things. We decided to take advantage of my company’s day off on Good Friday, and venture over to that side of town to look at “The Chadwick” and perhaps another spot, depending on how the visit went. (Bonus? Lunch at Chili’s.  I wish they’d build one in Robinson!)

The Chadwick definitely had gorgeous rooms, and the coordinator we spoke to, Stacey, was more than helpful and very friendly. She helped us understand the minimum amount that needed to be spent, and she also helped us envision our ideas in their space. The room we would be using was decorated for a wedding the following day, so it was easier to visualize everything. We left the appointment feeling relieved with how smoothly the meeting had went and happy with all the information we had gotten, and the things we had seen. We were ready for another visit (after lunch of course!).

I scanned over the list of “close-by” locations that we wanted to check out. Because of the rain (it poured all day that day!), we decided to visit The Highland Country Club in Ross Township because I could drive there with my eyes closed, and we wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost in the rain. I had had trouble with them returning my e-mails after meeting their coordinator at the Bridal Show a few months ago, so I was skeptical about meeting with her, but, she was available and off we went!

When we got there, I noticed how “classic” the lobby felt. Very welcoming, but also very traditional. I didn’t know how I felt about that, because we wanted a “fun” vibe, and I didn’t know if we could get that from a country club. Boy was I wrong! Once we met Kristi (who was about as bubbly as a person can get), we became enchanted by the country club. The view from the reception room looked out over the golf course. Kind of like this –

Can you picture it in the fall? Can you? Huh, huh?

We could. And we loved it.

After taking a tour of the club with Kristi and talking to her about packages and pricing, we were smitten. Over the moon. And Kristi’s bubbliness and general energy were a big factor too. She got excited about all of our potential ideas and suggested some of her own. She teared up at our proposal story and the story of my ring. She told us prices and our jaws didn’t drop.  She even showed us a copy of the contract we would be signing, were we to choose The Highland. No surprises, aside from the surprise that not only was it affordable, but, we would have run of the entire club (aside from the restaurant) from opening to close on 10.20.12. The kicker? She wrote “The Jamison Wedding” down on her info sheet. Mentioning my future last name is pretty much all it takes these days!

Being a bit of a “jump-in-head-first” kinda gal, I tried to force myself to be reserved about how much I loved this place. It had every element we were looking for, and I could literally picture us there. I could picture our friends and family getting down on the dance floor, relaxing on the terrace, and sitting down to dinner in the no-cover-needed dining chairs. (Chair covers are the bane of my existence, and any place that doesn’t need them? That’s extra points in my book!)

I knew that Fiancé shared the same feelings when, once we got in the car to go home, he said, “Is your mom home? Let’s stop by her house and talk to her.” Mom’s approval is key, for both of us I think, and, we were both just so excited to share all the details!

Though my mind was made up, I knew it would be irresponsible not to take another look at our Venue Spreadsheet. Looking it over, I realized there was not one place that matched The Highland in location (walking distance from our church), flexibility (the chef will make any recipe you give him, no extra charge, and that’s only the tip of the flexibility iceberg), and look (so traditional, yet unique, exactly the feel we’re looking for!). And with Fiancé eagerly agreeing by my side, it was done.

So, today, after a week of thinking, discussing and number crunching, I am so excited to share that we have picked our reception site!

Our wedding reception will be held on October 20, 2012 at The Highland Country Club in Ross Township, PA

Here are more pictures, though, as I’ve found with rings and bridesmaid dresses, they just don’t do the venue justice.