A Castle For A Castle

As some of you may know, this whole blog was spawned because of the timeless beauty and charm of Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay, NY.

Such a romantic place made it easy to daydream about a wedding with my sweetheart, but when the time comes to put down deposits, how does it level up to reality?!?

I've mentioned three favorable venue ideas a while back, but since I've posted those, Pine Tree Point Resort's website is nothing more than a real estate listing, so it may be out of business, prices have gotten RIDICULOUS for Edgewood Resort, ($125 per person?!? o.0), and prices have gone up the Clayton Opera House, however those prices are still very reasonable for a building rental.

After looking over the local venues again with a fine tooth comb (since I decided I didn't want to go too far from the castle,) the ONLY other venue worth considering was the newly-renovated Thousand Islands Club.

I found a couple more pictures on their facebook page, their reception room is alright, however the bar looks smashing and overall it's a lot better than most in the area.  But of course, their wedding packages have not been posted yet  :P  I messaged them on facebook weeks ago and have not received a response.

*sighs*

So I started thinking, "Do I really want to deal with the frustration of dealing with a destination wedding venue that won't return my messages?!"

And I realized...that I don't.

I realized that it might be too difficult to get out-of-town guests over to a town that's 2hrs away from any major airport.

I realized that it might be difficult to afford venues in the area when there aren't many existing to begin with!

But what helped ease the loss of such a pretty ceremony spot?

Why, another castle of course! :D

I present to you:

<3 Belhurst Castle! <3

This lovely venue my friends, is located in Geneva, NY in the fabulous Finger Lakes area!

Let me tell you, I LOVE THE FINGER LAKES!

There's a reason why Mrs. Locket and Miss Fairy from Weddingbee choose that area for their weddings!  Everywhere you go you are going through gorgeous countryside, with so many lake views, you won't know what to do with yourself! :D

And this gem is on Seneca Lake, right on the shore :)

You want to know what else is everywhere in the Finger Lakes?  Wineries.  Top-notch, quality, wineries.  Dozens of them!  It's awesome sauce XD

And guess what?  This castle is a winery too!  Ack I die!

And you want to know what else?!  It's a hotel too!

AND it has a spa!

Tell 'em what else they've won Johnny!

A NEW CAR! 
(just kidding, I was on a roll XD)

So as you can see, this is what Boldt Castle would be like if it was easier to pull off! XD

It's a stunning one-stop-shop, the girls and I can get ready in the spa, (or my hotel room,) the ceremony would be outside facing the lake, the reception indoors, their tasty wine would be poured for the reception, guests can stay there for the night, and then the morning after brunch could be in their restaurant the next morning! :D

(Best photo I could find of the Meritage Ballroom that's not the virtual tour :P)

Doesn't it sound just perfect?!

I'm definitely starting to think so :)

So, what's the catch?

1) It's two hours away from Buffalo
2) It's a bit pricier than my other options

Both are fixable, however:

1) Geneva, NY is close to the thruway so it makes things mildly easier for driving commuters.  For out-of-town guests, Geneva is equidistant from both the Rochester and Syracuse airports, one hour away.  Not ideal, but I can get them a reduced group rate for car rentals at one airport to lessen the blow :P  I found that Rochester, NY was consistently more affordable than Syracuse for flights, so the special rate would most likely be there.

2) Belhurst Castle does have an absolutely horrible policy of having a minimum of $9000 for Saturday receptions May through October o.0  I don't even KNOW how you would spend that much money, (trust me, I've tried pricing it out!).  Solution?  Pick a date in the off-season, where there are no minimums, which is totally doable.

So, is two hours an ideal commute?
--No, but it's better than four hours XD

I can't WAIT til we come for a visit!!! :D

A Penny For Your Thoughts...

So, let's talk about that 6-letter-word in the wedding world, budget.

*shudders* o.o

Or another way to put it:  What ridiculous amount of DIYing am I going to have to do to keep the budget down?!? XD

Yeah, our budget is going to be smaller than I would have liked...

...a lot smaller :p

Why? Well, the key thing to note here is:

Home Ownership = Empty Pockets

Allow me to explain:

1) Foundation cracks downstairs start leaking water
2) Cracks start leaking a LOT of water...
3) Niagara Falls now resides in your rec room
4) ...and your laundry room
5) ...AND the home theater starts developing mold on the walls
6) Time to demo the drywall!
7) *cue sobbing over the mess that was once your home theater*
8) Oh look, another crack!
9) Call in contractors
10) Receive quotes and faint
11) Wake up and realize, no this is not a dream
12) Pout, but fork over the dough because your sick of bailing out your home and you want a quality job done
13) Spend the next year renovating the home theater, which would have taken the average do-it-yourself-er 2 months
14) Give up on the crown molding, leaving only parts of it on the walls and move the theater equipment back in
15) Weird spots start to appear on the ceiling...hmmm...
16) Floor starts warping in the hallway
17) GIANT PUDDLE appears in hallway
18) *cue sobbing as you realize the roof is leaking*

XP  Yeah...

Pair this with my slow improvement of my spending habits and what do you get?! =
A very, very tiny wedding budget!

I knew this blog would be good for something! XD

So, what have we done to remedy this situation?

-The finance suggested getting married in Vegas by Fat Elvis -.-  I was not impressed.
-A 2014 wedding is practically confirmed.  We simply need more time to save up money, and as they say, time is money!
-A winter wedding is more desirable due to the across-the-board, off-season discounts with all vendors and services (Plus it's so pretty!!! :D)
-Venues that are too expensive get crossed off my list, no questions asked (There might have been some pouting however, lol)

So what does this mean for the gorgeous Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands?  A very surprising outcome, to say the least.

To be continued!

How to Plan a Wedding in Two Weeks: The Venue

Miss Boa got engaged in December, and set her sights on a summer 2012 wedding. She knew this did not leave her with much time, but with finals and projects coming due, wedding planning was simply not in the cards yet.

But, once the last page of classwork was complete, she set her sights on getting this wedding show on the road! (And onto vendors' calendars!)

The first things she went to tackle:

1) The venue
2) The dress
3) The photographer

The Venue:

Miss Boa and her finance's search for a Buffalo, NY venue evolved as they conducted their search, at first they were going for a sophisticated reception locale and an outdoor ceremony.

They visited the Delaware Mansion first.

They didn't like it.

While the building was charming, the interior was not their style. They didn't like that the dance floor was separate from the banquet room, and the couple could only have a sweetheart table, so this diminished the fun atmosphere they were looking for.

Tie in the high price tag and no tasting of the food beforehand...this venue was out!

Next was the Niagara Country Club:

Miss Boa loved the outdoor location for the ceremony, the look of the reception rooms, and the stunning view of the grounds! The price was reasonable and the food was good, BUT...

...they needed a sponsor from the Country Club in order to have their wedding there.

Apparently, not knowing too many golfers, :p their search continued...

Next stop on their venue travels--Pearl Street Grill and Brewery:

This one stood out from the other choices due to its more modern atmosphere. Plus the building had tons of character, outdoor patio space, and really tasty food!

But by this point Miss Boa snagged herself a wedding planner for a steal! (Cost of invitations through the planner plus $50/hour for day-of coordination! o.0) And with some discussion she and her finance decided that one location for their ceremony and reception was best for them and their guests.

And Pearl Street simply did not have a large enough ceremony space.

Her planner suggested Templeton Landing for their next consideration:

The venue was on the waterfront of downtown Buffalo, and had fabulous views of the water and pier!

A large dance floor was the center of the room, bringing in a cozy and mingling type of environment. The decor was tasteful with gorgeous chandeliers and stone facade on the walls.

The ceremony would be done by the water on the neighboring grounds:

Not to mention it had a really cute outdoor patio:

Then include reasonable pricing and great food, and it was clear. Miss Boa declared that this was it! She would get married at Templeton Landing!

(Can you believe she viewed all these venues in a 1 week timespan?!?)

Now she would cross her fingers, pray for good weather, and move quickly on to the next step: the dress!

The One, The Only...Boldt Castle

So I figured I might as well give you the lowdown of the castle I have mentioned, the lovely Boldt Castle!


A gorgeous castle surrounded by pretty gardens on a heart-shaped island in the Thousand Islands area!

Lovely, isn't it?!

It wasn't always that way. The castle was built by George C. Boldt for his wife Louise as a labor of love, but unfortunately mid-construction she passed away. Heartbroken, Boldt abandoned the project and the castle.

Years later in 1977, renovations began to take place and now a good part of the castle is back to, or greater than, its former glory and open to the public. There are still many parts of the castle left to work on, and as time passes more and more areas of the castle are completed.


Weddings here are a bit structured to say the least. You can only have the wedding outside at the gazebo, (if raining on the veranda) but since the rental fee is basically just admission fees to the castle, (and a new $150 "reservation fee" XP) all attending can view the castle if they like.


What to expect for a wedding at Boldt Castle:

First and foremost, it is on an island, so the biggest thing is getting your guests, your bridal party, your decorations, your officiant, your musicians, etc. across the water to your ceremony! Fortunately Uncle Sam Boat Tours does group sales for its shuttle, so you can decide to either pay for your guest tickets or just reserve a block of tickets for them.

You have a limit of 150 people in attendance, including the officiant, musicians, photographer, etc. and you have an hour and a half for setup, the ceremony, and cleanup of the site. Not much time to work with, but I assume you can have photos taken onsite before or after the ceremony without much fuss, since it is a public attraction after all!

They say the staircase in the castle is not available for photos, but I would definitely try to make a special request...


Every ceremony comes with a changing/waiting room for the bride and bridesmaids, all ceremony chairs, a portable address system, and a free wedding rehearsal for the wedding party.


Costs for a ceremony is $7 per adult, $4.50 per young child for all attending, (again, officiant, musicians, photographer, etc. included), and a $150 reservation fee.

You cannot have a reception on the island, unfortunately, but if you're really set on having your reception at a castle, Singer Castle might be more up your alley!


I will probably do a review for Singer Castle sometime, but personally I like the grounds of Boldt Castle more. However if it can hold a decent number of people for a seated dinner then I may consider it Thousand Island reception option #5! XD

So yes, while the castle is pretty, it's no bargain in my opinion. If I have 100 guests, that's $850 just for the ceremony site... XP At least viewing the rest of the castle will give my guests something to do before the reception??? *shrugs*

But it is a castle...such a pretty, pretty castle XD

Where, Oh Where, Should the Reception Be? Part 4

Thank goodness for the internet. More and more establishments are going digital on the World Wide Web, and Thousand Island wedding venues are no exception! So here's a Thousand Islands venue update:

Another venue has come into the running, Riley's by the River!

Despite not having many photos of the establishment online, it is a new restaurant, which means decor-wise it is leaps and bounds ahead of all other Thousand Island venues that I have found online.

I finally had the guts to start emailing some of these more mysterious venues, and quickly after I inquired about having a large event at the restaurant, I got a very helpful response!

The whole restaurant can hold up to 130 people, and has a lounge area as well. (Need to check out this lounge area one day, sounds promising!)

You cannot reserve the whole place in the busy season, Memorial Day through Labor Day, but I would plan on having the wedding in early to mid May to hopefully have nice weather without dying of heat stroke, so that shouldn't be a problem. XD

This place is part of the Captain Thomas's Resort, and they have another floating restaurant called Capt's Landing. However, getting photos of the interior of this place is even harder than Riley's, and from the outside I feel it may be a little to "rustic" for my tastes.

Their email response even had a buffet menu and beverage price sheet attached! Even though I'm set on a served dinner, I'm sure something can be worked out.

Based off of the information I received, here is a review of Riley's as a venue possibility:

Riley's By The River -


Cost for a buffet dinner with rolls, salad, 3 entrees, 2 side dishes, dessert, and coffee = $21.95 per person
Total for 100 guests = $2195
7.75% sales tax = $170
18% gratuity = $395
Food subtotal = $2,760

3 hours full open bar = $23.50 per person
Total for 100 guests = $2350
7.75% sales tax = $182
18% gratuity = $423
Bar subtotal = $2,955

Grand total for 100 guests = $5,715

Since this is a buffet menu, the choices are very basic, good standbys but nothing too fancy. I'm sure once we tweak the menu a bit the price per person will increase, but at least it's a decent starting point.

Pros:
-most updated restaurant in the Thousand Islands!
-therefore the decor is much more pleasing
-therefore it has character!
-it comes with tables, chairs, linens, etc.
-waterfront views of the pier and harbor!
-has a lounge area
-can rent the entire restaurant in the slow season
-for the moment it's cheaper than the other choices
-I can transport all guests to and from the castle for $850

Cons:
-little information or photos online
-no views of the castle
-only a three hour limit on the open bar
-even though it is part of a resort, the rooms are pretty lacking

Realistically? This is probably one of my top choices now! :D

And it's always good to have more choices!

How to Get A Phantom Wedding Like David Tutera's My Fair Wedding: Venue

Intrigued? Well good! Because I would like to happily debunk the myth that you have to spend ton of money to have a beautiful wedding, so here it goes.

How to Get David Tutera's My Fair Wedding - Phantom of the Opera Wedding:

Step 1: Find the right venue

Okay, you're lucky with this one, because pretty much any ballroom/hotel reception area will do for Phantom. Since you're going for classic, you don't have to worry about the unique aspect of the venue, more rather the opulence of the place. Chandeliers are a really big plus, and gold and red decor/color scheme is very helpful as well.

If you can afford a lavish looking venue, good for you! The venue is a vital choice for a wedding, however remember some may not let you use a different caterer, so be sure to check those menu prices first!

Since there are hundreds thousands of venues out there, I will just pick out a few affordable suggestions for my hometown Buffalo, NY area:

Samuel's Grand Manor -

First choice, hands down, no doubt, sign me up if I wanted a Phantom wedding, is Samuel's Grand Manor. Perfect ambiance. Just look at the place!

Cost for Wedding Package #1 = $48.95 per person

Package includes the following:
-Sit-down dinner with soup, salad, entree, dessert and coffee
-champagne toast for all guests
-wine served with dinner
-choice of 9 hors d'oeurves served for one hour
-4 1/2 hours of upgraded open bar

There is a lot of nice perks included with this package, plus all the menu choices have a great variety.

Total for 100 guests = $4895
8.75% sales tax = $428
17% gratuity = $832

Grand total for 100 guests = $6155

Note that their prices can be reduced with Friday/Sunday bookings or with off-season winter weddings! Definitely something to check out if you're in the area! :D


The Millennium Hotel -

This next choice that is just as beautiful, and cheaper to boot!

Cost for Wedding Package #2 = $39.95 per person

Package includes the following:
-Sit-down dinner with salad, rolls, entree and coffee
-a Butterwood wedding cake!!! (OMG I kinda really want that XD)
-assorted bruschetta display, fresh fruit/veggie/cheese board, and crudites for appetizers
-4 hours of open house bar
-champagne toast for all guests
-complementary accommodations for the newlyweds
-complementary shuttle service from the airport and Amtrak station
-special room rates for overnight guests
-complementary parking
-15% off a rehearsal dinner or brunch

Great looking ballroom, with tons of extras! The menu choices are a little limited, but it is wonderful to not have to worry about rooms for your guests or transportation for your out-of-towners. Booyah!

Total for 100 guests = $3995
8.75% sales tax = $350
18% gratuity = $719

Grand total for 100 guests = $5064


The Hamlin House -

Now for the more budget-inclined, there are some very lovely choices out there for you too! My pick for you is the Hamlin House.

Cost for dinner with a soup or salad, rolls, entree, dessert and coffee = $14.95 per person

The menu choices are not anything fancy, but they do say on their website that other possibilities are available as well. A banquet dinner includes plating of any cookies, pastries or cake that are brought on location, plus bud vases, candles, and some linen color choices for the tables.

Cost for 4 hours house open bar = $13.75 per person

Note that extras like appetizers and whatnot are also available for extra.

Even with the costs being so reasonable, the space is actually very sophisticated!

The next lowest contender I found started at $36.50, and it didn't look as polished as this one. (You know the type of place...with the faux flowers everywhere...awkward room design and video from the 80s...yeah) You're really better off splurging a little more on The Millennium Hotel if you want something more upscale.

Total for 100 guests = $2870
8.75% sales tax = $251
18% gratuity = $517

Grand total for 100 guests = $3638

And that's how you get a lovely Phantom of the Opera venue without the (extremely) large price tag!

On to Step 2: Lighting!

Where, Oh Where, Should the Reception Be? Part 3

A continuation of the venue search from the last couple posts...

Edgewood Resort -


There are very few meal choices, a grand total of 5 -.- Not impressed...

Average cost for dinner with rolls, salad, entree, and coffee = $33.50 per person
Total for 100 guests = $3350
7.75% sales tax = $260
20% gratuity = $670
Food subtotal = $4,280

4 hours open bar = $31 per person
Total for 100 guests = $3100
7.75% sales tax = $240
20% gratuity = $620
Bar subtotal = $3,960

Grand total for 100 guests = $8,240

Pros:
- it is a hotel, although the rooms are kinda eh...
- I *might* be able to reserve rooms for my guests in advance
- it comes with tables, chairs, linens, etc.
- cake cutting is included
- champagne toast for the head table is included
- waterfront views!
- it has some character!
- it looks more unique than your usual reception room!
- they mention they can tailor the menu (i.e. more menu choices)
- I can transport all guests to and from the castle for $850

Cons:
- very few appetizer and entree choices shown, others may be more expensive
- the open bar price was for only well liquors and one beer choice XP
- pricing only includes 4 hours onsite

So for the moment, those are the kinda top 3 contenders with the information I have right now, but the following, although lacking online information, should not be completely called out of the running...

Hart House Inn

Thousand Islands Country Club

The Clipper Inn

The Boathouse

Riley’s

Where, Oh Where, Should the Reception Be? Part 2

A continuation of the venue search from the last post...

Pine Tree Point Resort -



You pay by the plate so there are no set number of entree choices.

Average cost for dinner with an appetizer, salad, entree, and coffee = $33 per person
Total for 100 guests = $3300
7.75% sales tax = $256
18% gratuity = $594
Food subtotal = $4,150

Edit: Found open bar prices
4 hours open bar = $32 per person
Total for 100 guests = $3200
7.75% sales tax = $248
18% gratuity = $576
Bar subtotal = $4,024

Grand total for 100 guests = $8,174

Menu choices are pretty good and have a some sophistication to them. I would pick the Soup du Jour, Pine Tree Point Signature Spinach Salad, Roast Prime Rib Au Jus, Chicken St. Lawrence, and Swordfish with Lemon Herb Sauce! :D

3 choices for rooms:
Skiff Room:



Voyager:


Captin's Cabin:

Pros:
- it is a hotel, although the rooms are nothing special
- I can reserve rooms for my guests in advance
- it comes with tables, chairs, linens, etc.
- it has a spa onsite
- cocktail hour and a free room might be included
- some rooms have nice chairs
- waterfront views!
- the terrace is pretty!
- *might* be able to transport all guests to and from the castle for $850

Cons:
- the "character" is not quite what I expected...
- may need more decor to look presentable
- all food must go through the resort (i.e. can't save money on alcohol)

Quite the change from the first venue, huh? One more to come soon!

Where, Oh Where, Should the Reception Be? Part 1

Sorry for the delay of posting, a mix of being busy and researching for my next series of posts! Venues!!!

As I was, once again, desperately trying to lower the total cost on my budget spreadsheet, I figured the best way was to find a low-cost (but lovely) venue.

As I'm sure many brides-to-be realize, this is easier said than done. XP

Even though the Thousand Island environment is gorgeous, a lot of the indoor spaces leave something to be desired, and online information can be scarce. Also add in the fact that I can't call anyone yet because I would just be wasting the venue's time... This leads to a LOT of frustration on my end.

XP

What I'm looking for ideally would be something close to Boldt Castle, on the US side, and looks presentable. Remember one of the tips I collected from a recent wedding: "Pick a venue that is already has tons of character!"

So being very determined, :) I managed to find a few decent ones:

Clayton Opera House -



- 8 hours in the Performance Hall = $375
- Standard lighting, mic, and CD player setup are included
- Nothing else is there, need lots of rentals
- Banquet tables = $5 each
- Round 5ft tables = $5 each
- Grey metal chairs = $0.50 each
- Grand piano = $50




Rental fee = $375
(12) Round tables = $60
(5) Banquet tables = $25
(2 for head table, cake table, gift table, placecard table)
(100) Chairs = $50
Piano = $50
Total furniture rental fees = $560

Not including catering, dishes, linens, etc.

Pros:
- it is a beautiful space!
- it is unique and kinda really me! (I love musicals and theatre! :D)
- it has character!
- the rental fee is cheap
- we could save money on alcohol by buying our own

Cons:
- lots of restrictions on events (no real flower petals, no open flame on site, etc.)
- a lot is expected of the renter, setup, cleanup, coordination of caterer, etc.
- everything needs to be brought into the space, tables, chairs, linens, food, some decor, etc.
- would have to pay extra to have all the guests transported to the reception
- there are no waterfront views in a theater :P

More lovelies to come soon!

A New Way To Do Wedding Research...

I don't know if this is already widely used, but I have starting using a new research technique that I think would be extremely helpful to all brides-to-be out there.

Facebook.

Yes, it is the evil Facebook that's practically sucking out your personal info and trying to take over the world, but this is a new dynamic (for me anyways,) of looking at venues and vendors alike.

With a Facebook page, the company has to have some description, contact info, and photos. What's great about these photos is most of them are personal, non-professional photos of the venue/vendor in action.

This gives a genuine look of how it really is, so a excited bride does not have to arrive at a professionally photographed venue and be disappointed.

And if the company page doesn't have personal photos posted, anyone who is willing can put up their own personal photos and tag the company in, making it visible on the company's page.

I have already "liked" the Boldt Castle page, and I love it. The status of the page tells me about the weather, how many weddings there are each weekend, if the place is crowded that day, and any events taking place.

Stalk a venue's page long enough and you'll get a decent feel for what the location is like!

I know other sites probably provide this, Twitter, Flickr, etc. but if you don't have another way to access this type of information, try it. I suggest however only using Facebook for research only and put up very minimal information about yourself if you don't already have an account.

Well, back to my usual internet surfing, I hope I helped someone out there!

Was a Nice Day For A White Wedding

I'm back any fellow readers!

Well I had a wonderful time at the wedding, a definite success in my book!

It was a small wedding, with about 50 guests, and this I think made them able to do what they wanted on a budget.

The ceremony was at Duke University's gardens, and omg, I can see why they choose that location.

It. Was. Gorgeous.

Flowers everywhere, cute little walks over streams and around ponds, birds and butterflies fluttering around... Truly a fairly tale setting!

Great tip to take from this ceremony: Pick a venue that is already has tons of character.

This helped me out a bit because I was worried about Boldt Castle being a public place, (it is an attraction for the area,) but for this wedding the visitors were not problem whatsoever. All of them were very polite and kept their distance, their presence was not noticeable during the ceremony at all. If you looked further into the gardens, yeah, people were there, but it didn't affect the mood of the event in any negative way.

Great tip to take from this ceremony: Don't be afraid to have the ceremony in a public place while it's in use. (Just make sure the proper measures are taken.)

There were musicians for the ceremony, a violin and a cello maybe? (I was too busy trying not to be late, lol) And they kept the ceremony short, which was very wise, since it was VERY warm and humid.

Also they were very courteous to their guests saying that it was a semi-casual affair, so the men didn't have to wear jackets. Some came with jackets anyways, to look nice and spiffy :)

Great tip to take from this ceremony: Realize the conditions of your location and try to be courteous to your guests. (i.e. No full Catholic masses outside in the hot sun! XD)

The bride and groom did the smart thing of only having one best man and one maid of honor, no other attendants. (Which saves money on corsages, bouquets, gifts for attendants, etc) But, to include other close family members, they had them do some small readings in the ceremony.

Great tip to take from this ceremony: Others can be included in the ceremony without being a groomsmen/bridesmaid.

Another great tip to take from this ceremony: Give out one program per couple, it will save on paper (and money) and everyone who really wants one has a memento, (I'm sure the date of your high school friend doesn't really want one...) and something to read beforehand.

The reception was at a beautiful hotel nearby, this place was so cute and quaint that it didn't need any decorations! It had a great old-fashioned vibe with a lot of nice modern touches. Even the chairs were stunning, nice dark wood chairs with pretty light blue cushions, so they didn't even need chair covers!

Since the guest list was small, they had the reception in a small dining room in the hotel, usually used for breakfast and whatnot. The only decorations that I saw where a white branch centerpiece to hold the cute bookmark placecards (the groom was very much into books,) and the centerpieces on the tables, which were books, with a teapot filled with flowers on top, accompanied by teacups with flowers in them on either side. But the great thing was that is all they needed!

Repeat great tip to take from this reception: Pick a venue that is already has tons of character.

The food fit the area of the wedding, great Southern cooking! :D It wasn't exactly buffet, but it wasn't individually served either. Servers walked along the tables and served each person from a big bowl of sweet potatoes, green beans, creamed spinach, etc. All the food was delicious, nothing really fancy, but it tasted great! The desserts were a bit more fancy, little truffles and cream puffs! Yum!

Great tip to take from this reception: Food suited for your particular theme might be cheaper than doing the normal sit-down meal.

Another great tip to take from this reception: If you are lucky enough, have a skillful friend make your cake. It was delicious and we had no idea until the couple thanked the friend during a toast, lol.

The drink selection was about 6-7 different types of alcoholic beverages, which included a couple beer and wine selections, and a specialty drink. It was a gin and toxic type drink, and it tasted great! I remember hearing the gin was specially made or something like that... Not to mention the cute little banners that were put in each one, saying "Enjoy!" and "Cheers!" :D

But I'm sure this helped their bar tab immensely, (only certain bottles were opened for certain drinks), and everyone could still drink and be merry!

Great tip to take from this reception: You can limit your alcoholic beverages, and if you pick them well, (i.e. make sure there's one great red wine, one great white wine, one or two great beers, etc), you save money and no one is the wiser!

They had an ipod for the reception playing during dinner, which goes on to probably the only negative to the reception venue, which was that there was not much room to dance. The couple had their first dance in an emptied-out room as others watched from the doorway before having dinner. So it was mostly mingling after dinner and cake was over. However since most of the guests rarely see each other in a big group, catching up was exactly what most wanted to do. So it worked!

Great tip to take from this reception: You don't have to do the normal "pattern" of a wedding if it doesn't work for you or your guests.

Just as a quick note, the bride looked gorgeous in a ivory, almost light yellow A-line spaghetti-strap gown, which was delicately decorated on top with a plain flowy skirt, and it looked lovely on her! The men wore gray suits with yellow shirts, if I'm not mistaken. (Note that the wedding colors were yellow and pink!)

Most of the out-of-town guests stayed at the hotel, and we received the cutest welcome bags ever! They were like pastel colored tiny suitcases, filled with sweets and a few small trinkets. They were really nice!

My bf and I had a fantastic time! Which leads me to my last tip...

Great tip to take from this wedding: A more intimate wedding can make you able to do what you want and make it all the more memorable and meaningful to you in the process.