When I started researching venues, I used all of the online tools I could find... in a few minutes. You see, I don't have the most patience, despite my obsessive need desire to make sure that I do thorough research before making a decision. I googled wedding venues in the area, scoured recent weddings of friends on facebook, and looked at all of the local venues on the Knot, WeddingWire, and WeddingBee. Nothing really stood out to me. But there was one place in which I always dreamed of getting married...
This has been my dream since long before a wedding was on the horizon, since before I met my dear fiance, and probably even before I thought about anything else wedding-related. I just knew it was a gorgeous place, and a wedding there would be to. die. for.
Needless to say, it's a pretty pricey option, and one that I was pretty sure was out of the budget. So I put it on the back burner, chalked it up to being just a dream and moved on with my research.
I should point out, too, that all of this research was being done without the input of my fiance. Reason being, he's easily overwhelmed, and I knew it was a better approach to find something that I liked, make sure I knew all of the details already (prices especially) and have a plan in place before presenting him with my top few ideas, or else he would FREAK OUT. And that's no good for anyone.
I really wanted a unique venue, because I'm not a fan of hotels or banquet halls, and I care A LOT (probably too much) about the look and feel of a venue. I knew if I didn't like the walls or carpet of a venue, it would get ruled out, regardless of what else it may offer to its credit. I looked at the zoo, the aviary, an opera house, and a few gorgeous historical buildings and halls. Nothing really wooed me, though. I gave up on the venue search for awhile, because truth be told, I had a lot of other things on my plate, and we couldn't book anything at the moment anyway.
A few months later, I picked back up the search because I realized that we were 2 years out and I should probably get a move on making decisions, since it had been nearly 6 months since we got engaged. I started sending emails for price quotes, and got serious about my choices.
I narrowed it down to 3 options: Phipps Conservatory (I couldn't give up the dream!), the Mayernik Center at Avonworth Park, and the North Park Boathouse.
I was really drawn to the park options because they were more budget-friendly, but they also meant more work organizing vendors and setting up ourselves. Phipps, although more pricey, offered more of an "all-inclusive"-type event, where we mostly just have to show up!
So those were my top 3 choices. Is "the look" I was going for obvious from these pictures?
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