6.11.11

That’s our OFFICIAL wedding date. We signed our contract at The Whitney today. They will be hosting both our ceremony and reception.  I’m very excited because it’s a GREAT venue in the heart of the City we love!

We had a few different places on our list – but we totally fell in love with the Whitney. Originally the plan was to wait until June 30th to make a final decision – but we knew by the end of the tour on April 23rd that the Whitney would be our wedding home.

An advantage to setting our date 12.5 months early is that we got our first choice for wedding dates and spaces, we were able to work out a few “extras” and now we can start working on other aspects of the wedding without having to nail down a venue.

Next on the list – DECOR, DECOR, DECOR!!!!

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Less than 13 months!

It’s almost June – which means our wedding will be 1 year away. We’re very excited.. but we still don’t have a venue yet. We have a few ideas – but nothing set in stone yet. We got a chance to see our top two venues on April 23rd. We still haven’t made a decision – both have their perks, both have their downfalls…

We’ll certainly nail one down by June 30th – so I’ll keep you all posted..

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Top 25 Unconventional Wedding Venues

So, of course you know by now (because you faithfully read every post), that we had our wedding reception at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History.

What you may not have known is that there was another wedding within arms reach that night at the Detroit Science Center.

I kind of knew from the start that I didn’t want our wedding to be at a banquet hall. But in the interest of leaving no stone unturned, I did place inquiry calls to a few halls. I found after talking to several banquet halls that they could’ve easily been called “wedding factories”.

Brides and grooms were ushered in one end of the machine. A little “we always do it this way” and a lot of “we have standard procedures for that” later and Voila!, you’ve got yourself a complete wedding and reception in a box.

No thanks. I’m all set – and you should be too.

I mean, if you really put effort into finding an alternative venue, and you don’t find a place that suits you, then go with the banquet hall, because in the end, yes, you will be married. And that is what matters above all else.

But trust me on this one, it’ll be well worth your time and effort if you find a different locale.

Hosting your wedding reception at location other than a banquet hall creates a unique environment for your guests. It could be a place that reflects your personality as a couple, honors your culture, or is a nod to your alma mater.

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Los Angeles Country Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Cobblestone Farm in Ann Arbor, MI

Either way, finding a venue outside of a banquet hall will make your wedding unique and often give you more flexibility. It can be as casual or as formal as you’d like.

Consider one of these perhaps:

  1. Library
  2. Museum
  3. Cultural Center
  4. Barn
  5. Art Gallery
  6. Theatre
  7. Botanical Garden
  8. Loft
  9. Yacht Club
  10. Backyard
  11. Historic Home
  12. Historic Building
  13. Rooftops
  14. Building Atriums
  15. Zoo
  16. Neighborhood Block
  17. Ski Lodge
  18. Beach
  19. Sports Venue
  20. Boat
  21. Bed and Breakfast
  22. Bowling Alley
  23. Arcade
  24. Private Club
  25. Park

All I’m suggesting is that you not box yourself in when deciding where to hold your reception.

The Quixotic World

The Quixotic World Theatre House

New York Public Library

New York Public Library

If I missed anything, feel free to add it in the comments.

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Christmas Lights as Wedding Decor?

Now I know, if you’re ladies (and gents) after my own hearts, you went out and bought lots of holiday decorations 99% off on December 26th. If not, shame on you, you deserve to pay every penny of full price.

If you did happen to get some good deals, hopefully Christmas lights made an appearance in your shopping cart. Try using these little beauties as part of your wedding decorations.

Before you even fix your face to frown and call me tacky, just hear me out.

Now, in my defense, I’ve not seen this done tastefully in person, but I’m willing to guess it’s completely possible.

When done the right way, those tiny bursts of white light can probably do wonders at a wedding.

What do you think? Can it be done? Is it possible?

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Latex Balloon for the Reception Centerpiece?

I’ve been thinking more and more about the centerpieces for the tables. I just don’t know what I’d put in these vases. I was going through my wedding files on my computer this morning and ran across a picture I’d saved a while ago. I’ve probably posted it already but who know when and in what context. Me thinks I might be able to use it though.

Balloon Table Numbers

What if we did a large 36″ ivory balloon at every table, along with a bud vase with one or two inexpensive flowers, and the information cards like these I plan to hijack, which include the menu, afterparty plans and the table number?

What do you think? Could I pull it off?

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Wedding Cupcakes It Is!

We just recently decided to go to with cupcakes instead of cake for our wedding. We’ve talked about it before but kept going back and forth. After getting a quote from our preferred cake baker and listing the pros and cons in this most recent conversation, we’ve decided cupcakes are probably best.

Cupcake Pros:

  • Cheaper than cake, at about $2 each
  • No cake cutting fee
  • Allows for a variety of flavors
  • Opportunity to do a DIY stand (!)

Cupcake Cons

  • I don’t get to use any of the cake inspiration pictures that I found

So as you can see, cupcakes are the way to go. I posted one inspiration picture that I really liked before, but on second thought the frosting kind of reminds me of piles of poop on the cupcakes. So, needless to say, I need more inspiration. Here’s what I got so far:

Source: The Forever Wedding Blog
Source: Prima Donna Bride
Source: WeddinGo

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Tall Centerpiece Ingredients
What about a mixture of these four items for the vase? The vases wouldn’t be completely full, but I think that might be okay.
Source: IKEA

+

Centerpiece Elements
Source: Save-On-Crafts.com

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Tall Centerpiece Help Needed

Our venue has very high ceilings. Therefore, I’d love to use tall centerpieces cause I don’t want the room to feel empty. I found some vases at IKEA that I think I can use. Meet Blomster. It’s 17.75 inches tall!

I just don’t know what to put in it. I need something inexpensive that I can get in bulk of course. I’ve played with apples oranges and lemons, but I don’t really like how they look. It could be because of the dots on the vase or its shape. I’m not really sure, but it’s not working for me.

I know a lot of people use branches to add height, and I like them but sometimes they look a little too rustic  for me. Plus, they’re not really cheap. And yeah, I could go outside and get some from my yard, but they’re not really that nice looking.

So, I need ideas from all of you. What can I put in my vase that will total no more than $5 per table?

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Cake Love

The last big thing (I think) we have to do is chose a baker for our cake or cupcakes. If we do end up going with a cake, I know I definitely want buttercream icing and no fondant. It should be simple but elegant with some bit of visual interest. Hopefully this will work out in our favor, since I’m finding that the more elaborate the design, the more expensive the cake is per slice. Some of the cakes I chose as examples are done in fondant, so I would just want a buttercream version of them.

So feast your eyes on my inspiration and try not to drool on your keyboard.

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Glidden Free Paint Giveaway

For all you crafty brides and even the wannabees like myself, Glidden Paint is giving away free paint that can be used for your next project.

Through July 2, 2009, got to Glidden.com and choose the color that you like. Glidden will send you a free quart of your favorite color in 3-4 weeks.

Think creatively on this one. After you get your paint, feel free to share your DIY pictures with us and I’ll be sure to post them.

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