Looking for Vendors....

So I have been looking diligently to find wedding vendors, both in North Carolina and here in Michigan. Jay and I will be taking a trip July 10-17, 2010 with his parents to enjoy the beauty of NC and to set up some vendors in person. I am REALLY excited! We will be staying at the same rental house that Jay's family will be at next year for the wedding. This, most likely, will be the same house that we will be having the ceremony/reception. So we will be getting married the same week next year - July 9-16, 2011. Haven't decided which day yet. Check out a picture of their beach house that they are going to rent that week! And the picture of the beach we will most likely get married on!


So, we are planning on having a big BBQ Open House reception went we get back from our wedding, probably the end of July-beginning of August, 2011. We have been looking for different venues in which to have it. I am leaning towards Friendship Park in Lake Orion. It is nice and close and we can rent both the outdoor pavilion and the indoor meeting room so that we have electricity, etc. I was thinking about having my Mom bring the karaoke machine. Could be fun.....

Here are some photos:

(Left) Outside Pavilion Area.
(Center) Inside Meeting Room View 1

(Right) Inside Meeting Room View 2

So, whatever it is we decide, I am sure it will be an absolute blast. I am just psyched to actually be able to start planning. Tax season got ahold of me and I was SOOOO busy! Looking forward to vacay in NC!

Cha-ching!!!!

Well, Jay and I went venue shopping on Saturday. HOLY COW!!!! Yes, living in Metro Detroit mean we have a TON of choices of venues. But geez....why is it the minute you say "wedding" everything triples in price? And they tell you a package price per person and then they hundred dollars ya to death! Extra hundred for this....extra hundred for that...all things you would assume would be included in a "package" price. I don't know....we are really starting to wonder how we are going to have a non-trashy wedding without spending an arm and a leg.

I would just go small, but we really can't. We have a huge family. Correction...I have a huge family. With Jay and I's immediate family, aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins.....we're over 150 people already. Damn family :) But I don't want to cut anyone out. I love having them around. I am a huge family person. So, we will just have to figure something out.

So now we are looking for separate caterers and halls like the Knights of Columbus. We have looked into rental places for round tables and all the things that make a wedding reception feel like a wedding reception. And luckily I have my sister, Stefanie, near me to come with me and look at places and discuss design concepts with me. She is so incredibly creative. Much like my sister, Holly. Holly's wedding was in an armory which is much like a gymnasium....but you would have NEVER known it. It was one of the most elegant weddings I had ever been to. So, I am hoping to find a place that we can give our personal touch too. I am hoping I can take the wonderful ideas and such from my sisters and throw a little of us in there......and not have to be paying it off for the next ten years. WISH ME LUCK!!!!