Where: Promontory Point

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This is the first write-up of wedding locations we're investigating.

I've wanted to get married at Promontory Point for a long time. It's one of the most beautiful (and under-utilized) spots in Chicago, and Amanda and I have had some great times there grilling, swimming, strolling and enjoying the lakefront with friends and family. I've always liked the idea of getting married somewhere you have a pre-existing connection to, that's special because of more than just your wedding. I imagine that's one of the nicer aspects of getting married at a place of worship you've been attending for years.

So I've really had nothing but good experiences at Promontory Point — and that's why exploring a wedding there has been such a disappointment. The Chicago Park District, despite being in my experience lax in almost every other respect, has a list of rules as long as your arm when it comes to weddings. You are required to pay for a bathroom attendant and security guard. All food and alcohol must be served by a caterer, and you can only choose from a list of Park-District-approved (i.e. expensive) caterers. You are not allowed to bring any food or alcohol besides a wedding cake. Even the tent-setter-uppers must come from the list of "Preferred Professionals."

Now, some of this is just our first real encounter with the dirty business of planning a wedding; I'm sure the same goes for many other locations, and I know we'll be astounded many times over by the venality of the wedding-industrial complex.

But come on — this is a public park. There will be people in shorts and flip-flops hanging out not 100 feet from the ceremony, not to mention using the same bathroom as the guests. If I just brought 50 friends to the Point, we could have an awesome party with nary a bathroom attendant in sight. But because it's a wedding, we have to pay someone to open a bottle of wine and serve our cake. Why can't we just pay a security deposit so they know we won't wreck the place and take it from there?

In the end, though, all of this is something of a moot Point: it's pretty much booked from May to the end of September next year. There's a few Saturday mornings available for just the ceremony (you have to be done by 2), but you're not allowed to serve and food or alcohol in the morning slot, and I think we've got our hearts set on pre-ceremony cocktails.

So as much as it pains me, I think I've got to let go my Promontory Point wedding dreams. It's been kind of hard, but in a way helpful — now that the perfect wedding playing in my head is dashed, I can concentrate on finding somewhere else just as cool that will let us do things our way.