Viva la Venue!!

Well, I am happy to report that I am alive and did not die from frostbite. Yet. I sent my puppy out to potty this morning, and when I re-opened the door to let her back in she literally had her paws up on the door and fell into the house. Granted, she had only been outside for a total of 2 minutes, but the look she gave me when I let her back in the house was priceless. It was some combination of "I really want to call you a bitch, but you also just saved my life so ima let this one go." Bless her heart.

So. Venues. I am finding that as I try to sort out the millions of details that go into wedding planning, that I really can't make any decisions at all until we decide on a venue. Every road I begin to go down in terms of reception, food, table settings, guest list, etc I always come to a screeching halt once I go, "Well, that really depends on the venue...", and then I step away. We have numerous venues in mind, each of which have their pros and cons. We are not members at a certain church, so we don't have that built-in "DUH!" place like most people do. And we both like the idea of thinking a bit outside the box on our location. So, we have made our short sheet of venues and are going to begin visiting them next week to take tours, determine final costs, and make a decision!! We pretty much have selected our date as well, but again when people I ask when the wedding is, instead of telling them the date as a finite idea, I have to add that pesky little phrase at the end, "Well, it does depend on if the venue is available that day of course..." - so ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Our Venue List

1. The Bell House - This is a huge home in Lexington, near downtown, that presents itself as a gigantic plantation home from another era. It is stunning, both inside and out.

Website: The Bell House

The pros of this venue are that it is extremely close to us (about two miles away), is centrally located fo rour families, they allow us to use our own caterers and set up our own reception, and it is the most affordable option by FAR. Very reasonably priced.

2. The Cardome Center - Located in Georgetown, KY (about 20 minutes outside of Lexington) is the Cardome Center. Again, it lends itself to that old plantation home type setting. I've actually worked inside this building for LexPhil events and it is stunning. Pictures do it NO justice. It takes your breath away. In fact, the day I was working there they had a wedding taking place that same weekend so I got to see a lot of how it would be during that setting. It also has a great outdoor space which could be an option.



Website: Cardome Center

If you look through the wedding photos from this venue, it really speaks for itself. It is beautiful, just the right size, again has the outdoor option, and is centrally located for our friends and families.

3. The Castle - Okay, what girl DOESN'T want to get married in a castle? And I mean, Kentucky actually has one and it's 10 minutes from our house. It practically begs to be used. It has all of the same pros as the other venues. The cons are longer on this one though - it is of course the most expensive option (though not so bad since we are having a small wedding), and it has the most "rules" to follow. But I mean...it's a CASTLE!



Website: The Castle

I can't seem to get the photo for this one to upload, so the website will have to do. Or google "Castle Lexington, KY". I mean, there is only one.

4. Gateway Regional Arts Center - This is located in Mt. Sterling, KY (about 40 minutes outside of Lexington). I also worked at an event here for LexPhil, and I was stunned by the beauty of this building. It is originally a Methodist Church that has undergone a $2 million renovation to turn it into a regional performing arts center. It is beautiful, as it has kept the original integrity of the architecture (i.e. stained glass windows, cathedral ceilings, old hardwood floors and grand staircases, etc), but it has the new, updated feel of a performing arts center. It is again very reasonable (cheap actually) to rent, and it is in a great location. Only about 15 minutes from my parents, which they would love.

Website: Gateway Arts

And finally, two maybe ideas that I don't have websites or pictures for are our two other options:

1. Gatlingburg - We are considering going away for the weekend to Gatlinburg and doing a wedding in the Smoky Mountains. But as we find more and more venues here locally, this option seems to be getting less appealing. I am just too in love with some of the options here close by.

2. Bethel Christian Church - above and beyond, this is our most "traditional" venue choice. This is the church my parents were married in almost 50 years ago. And while it ranks highest in terms of sentimental value, other than that we know little about it. I'm not sure I even remember what it looks like on the inside, and it is also in Bethel - which means that a reception would be almost out of the question. At least not one like we want. So it is on the list, but barely. For now. :)

And that my friends is it. Near and far, cheap and expensive, small and large these are our venue choices. We will begin the visits next week, choose what our hearts (and wallets) select, and then we will be able to announce our date!! Ahhhhh!!!!!

Bliss.