Too many options! Way too many.And, not enough options! Not nearly enough...
Here are the dealbreakers - not the things I want - but the things that are absolute musts and cannot be compromised on. I figure my organized thinking should help in some small fashion. Here are the dealbreakers:
- Drinks - I called Rock Cut State Park - a beloved park with lots of gorgeous picnic areas. Rock Cut doesn't allow booze of any sort ever (though I can promise you everyone in my family has broken that rule) so it's out. We must be able to serve drinks. Must.
- Ridiculous fees and rules - I'm just exhausted from all the restrictions and costs for things that seem like nothing. To rent many spaces (which you have to fill with flower you buy, table you rent, tablecloths you rent, food you buy from a specific caterer, and drinks from a specific, insured bartender - garrrr!) you must follow rules involving timelines, vendors and other crap.
- Being fancy for the sake of seeming fancy. B and I are not fancy people. I can certainly rock out a dress and heels, sure, but I want our wedding to be a party celebrating the people we are - not the people we are when we get incredibly dolled up. I love the idea of real food at our wedding. And a keg of beer and bottles of wine we like. I don't need nueskebacon, poached quail eggs, black truffle brioche. I don't mind some fanciness, but I do mind becoming suddenly pretentious for this one event.
That is it. Over Turkey Weekend Julie Beth, Cindy, my mom (and my dad if he's incredible bored and suddenly interested) might do some figuring out. So, keep the advice and ideas coming...
3 comments:
Hog roast anyone?
Good luck dear, you will come up with something wonderful I'm sure.
I looked into the Fine Arts Building downtown and it seems they no longer have weddings there. All I could find was a photo of a harpist with a caption "playing at the very last wedding in the Fine Arts Building court yard." I did come across some "Yelp" threads about unique & inexpensive weddings in Chicago. Maybe you've seen these. If not, there might be some places listed you haven't considered. There were many comments about the high rental fees and having to bring everything in. Have you considered the Botanic Gardens? If in Rockford, what about the Japanese Gardens? The options you have now all seem good. You're getting there! It will all come together!
We did look at the Botanic Gardens, but it's actually pretty expensive and very busy — the day we got engaged there, we saw three wedding queued up waiting their turn.
The Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford are very nice (I hear, haven't visited yet myself) but just can't accommodate enough people.
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