I would like to think that I’m the kind of person who is good at making decisions. I have a process of writing a pro/con list and can usually go with what I feel is best, right from the start. However, over-thinking has seemed to be the norm when it comes to making any wedding-related decision. I guess because it is so much time, money, and resources all pumped into one day, I just can’t seem to be so decisive.
Planning a wedding requires quick, mindful, and important decision making, which is something I’m still working on. There are some things I have been able to make my mind up on pretty quickly. This might be because I feel like I know more of what I DON’T want versus what I DO want. Also being a bridesmaid so many times has really showed me what I want and don’t want to deal with.
Two things that we were able to decide on pretty quickly are location and the venue. Since most of Kevin’s family is in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Virginia, we thought it would be best to have it where we live. My entire family and friends are pretty much all within a half hour of each other in Maryland, so picking a central location for everyone was key. We are situated almost 20-30 minutes between DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis. DC was out of the question for us personally, because it is a lot more expensive in that area, and parking/traveling could be an issue for guests. Baltimore is a great city, and Kevin even lived in Canton for a few years, but we aren’t up there enough to know what places would be good for us wedding wise. I work and have worked in Annapolis for over 7 years and having grown up in PG/AA county my whole life, I know it pretty well. The immediate area we live in is starting to build up but we still tend to go towards Annapolis for nightlife and other recreational activities. We knew this would be the city for us; we got engaged here so why not married?! So the next step was picking the perfect venue…
I think I sent over 50 email inquiries for every venue in and around Annapolis. Our search started broad and we looked at places out of our range, both location wise and financially, just to make sure we were making the right decision. That’s a piece of advice I would pass along to other brides-to-be is to go ahead and just start gathering as much information as possible. I had an email folder where I would put every inquiry into and started an excel sheet comparing each place we had narrowed down with price, features, pros/cons (I love my pro/cons!) and that way we could see it all together. Of course at the end of the day, you just have to go with your gut, but seeing how they all measure up will help you get to that point.
After gathering all of my information online, I set up a weekend where my fiancé, my mom, and I would go visit a bunch of places that I had researched. We visited southern Maryland, the Eastern Shore, and central Maryland. There were a few places I knew right from the start was just not for us. Some were really quite beautiful, but just out of our price range. I kept thinking about our venue more from the guest perspective initially (I guess just out of habit) and what I would want to visit, the accommodations, amenities, etc. and I think that is what led us to wanting to have the ceremony and reception at the same place. This also meant we wanted it to be at a hotel so guests could stay and not have to worry about driving (especially after a 5 hour open bar!) Once we had this part narrowed down, we focused solely on hotels in Annapolis. Again, some I knew right away just didn’t feel right and some were so amazing, but too expensive.
Customer service when meeting with the hotels had a huge play into our decision as well. Several would never respond, weren’t helpful, and made you feel like an inconvenience. From the very first email inquiry with the Doubletree Hotel it was nothing but meticulous and thoughtful treatment. Even before we signed a contract, we were treated with such timely responses, experienced staff, and kindness. Terry from the Doubletree Hotel and the way she runs the event/catering department is a huge reason we decided to go with them! We loved how the hotel was centrally located in Annapolis but still close enough for a short drive to downtown. The staff is courteous and experienced and we felt nothing short of confident that we could put our wedding in their hands and we wouldn’t have to worry. I’m a worrier by nature, so anything that could help take some of that worry off, especially on my wedding day, is priceless. This is how it should be with all your vendors. Ask your friends and family for recommendations. We have chosen vendors that we are either friends with or have seen their work in person so we know exactly what they are capable of, and feel that we can entrust them with making our wedding day great!
Playing table games with another “Soon-to-Be” married couple in Baltimore.
Choosing your venue is a huge task, but once you have it done, that weight off your shoulders just feels amazing. It makes you feel like you can tackle the rest of the tasks, well, one thing at a time and that everything will turn out okay. Now to get back to the rest of that to-do list . . .
