There was actually a lot of thought that went into the choosing of our wedding date. At first, we had thought that June 27th would be a great date. We quickly scrapped that when we realized that with snow days, who knows when I will be out of school. I didn't want to be running around worrying about wrapping up the school year and preparing for our wedding! Independence Day weekend is the following weekend. Although the fireworks would be PERFECT especially with the fact that Chris proposed under the fireworks, but we were afraid people would be unable to come. We chose to get married on the Friday instead of the Saturday because our reception venue gave us roughly $35 off each person to have it on the Friday instead. So, there you have it. Friday, July 10th, 2009.
The Church
We chose to get married at my church, Memorial United Methodist Church. Chris has been attending the church with me and although it's not Catholic, he says he has been fairly comfortable there. "If only there was less music," he says. That is the precise reason why my family GOES to this church! I am not the hugest fan of the architecture, but it will do!The Venue
We went and visited several places before we chose the perfect place to have our reception. Here are a few that are NOT our venue:
Pavilion on Crystal Lake: Middletown, CT- This is the first place we went to look at. It was pretty on the outside. There was a whole beach section right on the lake. The inside was too 1970's wood paneling for me. There also was this out of place red bandstand type stage. All of the curtains matched the velvet of the bandstand. It just seemed very dreary and outdated. However, the woman that met with us was very kind and accommodating.(I am attaching the nice pictures that the venues provide on their websites. It wasn't this nice!)
Nutmeg Inn: East Windsor, CT- Wow, the lady at this facility wanted nothing to do with us. She showed us the room and then sent us out. The place was nice but the facility wouldn't hold everyone. We would have to rent the entire place or there would be a functioning restaurant steps away. We also didn't like the low ceilings. It did have a very nice chandelier over the TINY dance floor. The biggest downside was when we exited the place (five minutes after entering it!) there was a big, trashy trailer park across the street. I didn't even know there was one in Connecticut! All this time I said there weren't any trailer parks in CT... I take it back.
The Glastonbury Hills Country Club: Glastonbury, CT- I think this place could be summed up simply with the exclamation, "holy partition walls!" Where you see the ceiling dip... that was tracked for partition walls. It was literally a large room that was sectioned off at least 6 times. The picture window was a draw for us. We had thought it would be lovely... but do you see that white stream of material? That is covering the partition wall pocket. The view from the window left much to be desired, too. I figured flowers or manicured lawns. Not so much. We were also limited to a tiny section of grass next to a gazebo to take pictures in. Our 16-19 person bridal party was NOT going to fit! Also, they left us to look at photo albums of weddings that took place there. Each picture screamed 1980's. Although I LOVE the '80s... it seemed a little odd.
Farmington Club: Farmington, CT- This almost was our reception site. We loved the grounds and the look of the place. There were a lot of cute outdoor spots for photos. There also was chiavari chairs which I had learned from weddingbee.com was something I should like. However, due to our size (under 200 people) we would be designated to the small clubhouse. I hated paying the same price for everything and having a less impressive setting. It was right next to a pool and this pavilion where they hold local picnics.The main building is spectacular. Unfortunately, I kept thinking that booking there would scream "YOUR wedding=big wedding, MY wedding=little 
wedding." We would be in that smaller clubhouse, wishing we were in the big building. We want to be the main event. Selfish?! Plus, another wedding would be going on at the same time. Despite, all of this we were ready to book the place if they were willing to meet our "demands". Chris emailed the woman we met with and asked her if we could have the larger building if we paid for the difference in some enhancements. For instance, we would need to make up $2000 in guests we didn't have, so we'd request ice sculptures, special food display, or something ridiculous like that. They were not willing to do that. At this point, we were pretty sure the wedding industry was rigid and we were resigned to be a good little couple and take it.OUR RECEPTION VENUE
The Heritage Hotel: Southbury, CT- A while back, my brother's friend got married at the then Heritage Inn. I had gone to babysit. The baby and I watched the ceremony and then spent the rest of the evening exploring the hotel. It struck me as a really nice place. I always had it in my mind that I would like a wedding like that. So, when we were looking at venues I put the Heritage Hotel on the list even though the online site and information packet left a lot to be desired. Chris and I set up an appointment to meet with the wedding coordinators after work one evening. Although it was a bit of a drive from our church, it was a straight shot off the highway. We thought that was good. When we met with Jade and Jennifer, they were really down to earth and eager to make our day the one we had envisioned. They gave us a tour of the facility which included two banquet rooms (each with their own private room for their cocktail hour), beautiful stone patios that adjoin the rooms and the cafe that we would have a brunch in. There is also a private bar that has billiards. Chris was excited about that! He also liked that the hotel was part of a country club, so there is golf and other sporty opportunities if he so chooses to spend the day with his groomsmen before the wedding. We went to a room where they showed us a mock up of the place settings and arrangements. We couldn't have been happier with the reception of Jade and Jennifer. For instance, they offered us water. They told us they would give us 2007 food prices. (Little did we know then that gas prices would skyrocket!) They scoffed at such things like "cake cutting fees", having to pay extra for an additional bartender. and our guest list size dictating which room we could book. AND as we were leaving, they gave me a manicure set from their spa! Oh, how we loved the Heritage Hotel. We went home and Chris started conferring with Jennifer. She tailor made a package that included things that we would have otherwise paid extra for. Things such as covered banquet chairs are deemed a necessity but will add up.
Our big decision was not if we would go with the Heritage, but which banquet room would we choose. I liked the look of the Garden Room because it opened up to a large courtyard. That is where the wedding I had seen took place. One downside was that it was open to any passers-by. The ceilings were also pretty blah. I don't know why, but Chris and I are really conscience about the ceilings.
Our other choice was the Eight Mile Brook room. In looking at it, it was a bit more rustic than I had envisioned. They assured us that they were undergoing a renovation. They showed us swatches of the new carpet and what the new dance floor would look like. Chris really liked the room! For our wedding, they will line the room with votive candles and put candles in the large fireplace that is at the foot of the stairs. Oh, and there are great stairs for us to trip down on our great entrance. Did I say that?! The ceilings are cathedral ceilings complete with rustic beams. We feel there is a big difference between the wood on these walls and the wood paneling on the walls at the Pavilion on Crystal Lake. This wood looks rustic, not outdated. Here are pictures of what we saw and what it looks after the renovation!
BEFORE:
Can't you see why banquet chairs were a necessity?! I could also do without all of the potted plants. Ick!!AFTER:
We were really excited to see this. It was what Chris had pictured when we visited. I really like the stark contrast between the wood and the white. The off-white chair sash goes with our colors. It will look pretty much like this (minus the flower arrangements) for our big day.
Here is a picture of the hotel's pub: Shadrach's. It is open until 2AM and has free billiards.
Since the reception is roughly 45-50 minutes away and most of our guests are from out of state to begin
with, we have blocked off rooms to spend the night. The hotel rooms are expected to be close to $200 a night but we were given the price of $130. A bit pricey, but when we called around for alternatives, the hotels were comparable. The hotel rooms are pretty. Their claim to fame is that each room has Starbucks coffee and Bath and Body Works products.We are really looking forward to July 10, 2009!
No comments:
Post a Comment