The Top Three Venues

After a ton of deliberating we've narrowed the choices down to three venues for a summer wedding:

The Red Barn at Outlook Farm (South Berwick, ME)
The Museum of Science - Washburn Pavilion (Boston, MA)
Moraine Farm (Beverly, MA)

These three venues are amazing... each in their own way.  Throughout the process we've seen some amazing venues and while we are sad that we can't host weddings at each and every one, we are happy with what we've narrowed the choices to!

Ceremony Musicians

We are searching for ceremony musicians...

Steel Drums: http://www.panneubeansteel.com/
Classical: http://newenglandmusicians.com/
Woodvale String Quartet: http://www.string-quartet.com/index.html
http://www.livemusicmaine.com/index.html

Searching For A Celebrant

We decided a long time ago that we didn't want to be married in a church.  Although both of us were raised Christian (I'm Catholic and he is Episcopalian), we don't practice and didn't feel that we wanted a church ceremony. 

So now we are looking for a celebrant.  I'm shocked at how overwhelmed I feel about this - how do you pick one? How do you find one?  I've started to research (basically just by doing on-line searches) celebrants in New England. 

Here is what I've found:

Chaplaincy Institute of Maine - Graduates - http://chimeofmaine.org/Graduates.htm
Jo Madden - Life Cycle Celebrant - http://www.jo-celebrant-nh.com/Home_Page.html
Julie Draper
Will Saunders

Simple Bouquets - Tilton NH

I just came across this florist shop and am really interested.  Their tagline is contemporary-affordable-effortless and the flowers are gorgeous.

www.simplebouquets.com

Bedford Inn - NH

A few people have recently mentioned this venue.  I'm planning to look into it soon...

http://www.bedfordvillageinn.com/



Update - I visited the Bedford Village Inn a few months ago and loved it.  Really loved it for a fall wedding - it is beautifully decorated and perfect as the weather starts to turn.  My favorite part about the venue is that many guests can stay at the Inn.  Unfortunately, the Inn was a little too small for us (we are planning to have at least 220 guests as the invite list has over 300), but will certainly recommend it for anyone local that may be looking for that sort of country-chic vibe.

ENGAGED!

And ready to start the planning!  The ring is beautiful (more to come soon)!

Resuming Planning

After a longer than anticipated break from planning... I'm back at it.  The great news is that I'm moments away from being engaged as well (in the process of selecting the ring).  Aiming for either a fall 2012 date so really need to start devoting some attention!

Tavern 27 - A great Rehearsal Dinner Spot

I recently ate at Tavern 27 (on Parade Rd in Laconia).  I was truly impressed by the food (particularly for a NH establishment)!!  This would be an awesome spot for a rehearsal dinner - or at least to recommend that guests visit while in the area.

Gunstock Mountain Resort - Gilford, NH

This is one of my top choices so far.  More info to come soon!

Budget Venue Idea - Parks

I've been trying to research cheaper places to have weddings and have been reading a lot about public parks.  I actually went to a fabulous wedding at a park in CT - I can't remember the name right now.  I'm planning to look into this though!

Castle in the Clouds - Moultonborough, NH

This is a really special place.  Not only is it in the Lakes Region, but it is also perched up high with spectacular NH views.  When I was little, I went horseback riding with my mom here - I'll never forget it.  This makes me think that a wedding here would be unforgettable as well.  I couldn't get very much information off of the website - it appears that tours are necessary.  I guess I'll be doing one of those soon!

Willodale Estate - Topsfield, MA

Willodale Estate Web Page

Located in the Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, MA. This venue looks incredible.

Details:
- 240 Capacity
- $7,500 Facility rental fee (Saturday May-Oct)


Wedding Site Package Includes (list is not exhaustive):
  Private use of the Estate

5 Hours exclusive use of the mansion and grounds for your reception. We hold only one wedding per day! Enjoy your Cocktail Hour in our beautiful formal entertaining rooms and then move to the Tent Pavilion for dinner and dancing.

  Custom Tent Pavilion

Highest quality, custom designed Sperry Tent for your dining and dancing pleasure. Perimeter and pole-lantern lighting included. Transparent sides, heaters, and fans as required. Tent rental is included.

   Hospitality Rooms

Spacious Bridal Suite and Grooms Lounge accessible for you and your wedding party throughout your entire event - great for intimate photos!

  Tables & Chairs

All appropriate dining, cocktail and cafe tables and comfort-series padded white wooden garden chairs.

  Piano

Classically styled Suzuki electric piano available for use during ceremony or Cocktail Hour.

Southern New England Venues - Private Alcohol Permitted

I recently purchased a copy of Southern New England Weddings Magazine and found a list of reception venues that permit private alcohol.  I know this can be a HUGE cost savings so will look into these venues!
http://www.southernneweddings.com/

Venues permitting private alcohol:

Aldrich Mansion

Blithewood Mansion

Easton's Beach Rotunda

Gerald's Farm

Glen Manor House

Linden Place

Mount Hope Farm

New Beford Whaling Museaum

Willowdale Estate

Lake Opechee Inn & Spa - Laconia, NH

http://www.opecheeinn.com/socials.php

The Lake Opechee Inn & Spa is in a lovely location on Lake Opeechee (right near Lake Winnipesaukee).  The restaurant O's is here as well - it is a very good restaurant (one of the best in the area) with a spectacular wine list.

The Barn at Gibbet Hill - Groton, MA

One of my friends recently got married here.  It was an absolutely gorgeous reception.  I don't think I can use this venue because she did (and it is probably out of my super cheap budget) but it is beautiful and I wanted to feature it here (and these pictures don't even do it justice!).  Let me know if you can recommend any venues that have a similar feel / look.

Aldrich Mansion - Warwick RI

I went to a wedding here a few years ago.  The location is a little random (RI mansion not in Newport) but it was an absolutely gorgeous venue.  This is definitely on my radar (more on the Aldrich Mansion soon!)

 

aldrichmansion.com

 

 

 

 

Details:

• $8,000 rental fee: includes use of the Aldrich and Ivory dining rooms, grand foyer, sitting room, marble staircase, terrace, a bridal suite for the bride and groom (no overnight) and the grounds immediately surrounding the Mansion. Also includes tables, chairs and standard linens.
• Six-hour reception
• Up to 230 guests 
• Permission to bring in own alcoholic beverages. Bartenders are contracted through the Mansion and payment is made directly to the bartender(s).
• All non-alcoholic beverages, glasses and bar fruit are supplied by the mansion for a fee of $3.00 per person. 
• Food selections are not included in the rental fee. Call for menu prices. 
• Est. Cost (excluding alcohol): $20k

The Red Barn at Outlook Farm in South Berwick, ME

I just discovered The Red Barn at Outlook Farm in South Berwick, ME. This location is absoultely stunning (based on pictures from the website) and conveniently located to Boston (near Kittery, ME). I love the look and I love that it has a golf course (my future fiance LOVES to golf!).

It looks like they have nice weekend brunches. I'm hoping to take my mom there to check it out. The only issue is that it looks like it could get quite pricey. Has anyone had a wedding here? Can you recommend any venues that have a similar look / feel?

Pictures Page

I just set up a pictures page to highlight misc. pictures I've come across that I think are beautiful and worth collecting for inspiration and ideas!

Resources Page

I just set up a "Resources" page to track (and share) resources I find particularly helpful as I start planning!  Please feel free to check it out and to share any resources you've found to be interesting/helpful/etc.!

Venues I'm considering

I would love to get married at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. I spent my summers and winters as a child swimming in the lake and skiing at Gunstock. Naturally, the wedding venues I'm most drawn to include: Church Landing in Meredith, Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford and the Greenbelt at South Down Shores in Laconia. Other locations I'm interested in researching include: the Omni Mt. Washington Hotel, The Essex (Culinary Institute and Hotel) in VT and The Balsams Resort. I have no idea how each of these compares, if they can accomodate a guest list of over 200 or if they are reasonably affordable. If you have any thoughts please let me know!

Other Venues of Interest:
Aldrich Mansion - Warwick, RI
The Red Barn - South Berwick, ME
UNH (Conference Facilities)
AVA Sudio Art Gallery - Lebanon, NH
Dartmouth Skiway - Near Hanover, NH

Can I have the wedding I want for under $20k?

I'm pretty sure that I could easily put together a $100,000 + wedding... but I have decided that I do not want to spend that much. My goal is to spend under $20,000.

The more research I do, the more challenging I think this is going to be. Many of the venues I have seen already charge at least $10-15k between the facility rental and the catering. This doesn't include bar service, transportation, dress, etc. I'm beginning to realize that if I want to keep costs below $20k, I'm going to have my work cut out for me! The good news is that I know it can be done.

I've been to many lovely weddings and while the majority were definitely more than $20k, some of the most enjoyable ones were not (I'm thinking of one in particular that was $8k).

I'm curious to know about your experiences - how much did you spend? How did you cut costs? What did you compromise on and what were you not willing to compromise on? How much time and energy did it take to meaningfully reduce the final price tag?

My Wedding - Introduction

Thank you for visiting my wedding planning blog. My mom asked me the other day if I had given any thought to where I would want to get married and how many guests I expect to invite. I was caught completely off-guard - primarily because I'm not even engaged!!

Her question wasn't completely out of the blue though... I have a very serious boyfriend of over seven years who is ready to tie the knot. We've talked extensively about getting married, our life together, family and even rings!

Even though I'm not engaged today, I probably will be within the next six months and will target a summer 2012 wedding date. The more I begin to think about the planning process, the more overwhelmed I become. I generally have a sense for what is most important to me - to throw a great party, to make sure my family is comfortable and has fun and to have great food and music. I'm far less concerned with the location or the optics and definitely do not want to spend my life savings.

At the same time, I know myself and I really enjoy nice, beautiful things - I can easily imagine getting carried away and spending a small fortune on having the "perfect wedding". For this reason, I decided to start researching and planning now - while I have time and don't have any pressure. This way, I can start to figure out what I like, what I want and how much it is all going to cost.

This blog is an outlet for me to track my thoughts and progress - at the same time, I welcome any recommendations, helpful hints or stories from all of you!