Patience IS a virtue

We have a venue!!! I'm elated right now and super pumped to announce the venue we wanted is officially ours!! Now, the wedding planning can REALLY begin. We will be getting married on October 12, 2014 at Old House Vineyards located in Culpeper, VA. I figure some of you may have some questions so I hope to address what I would question if I were in your shoes!

How many venues did you see before picking this one?

We looked at a total of 6 in person. I think I probably emailed about one hundred places, many of which do not allow outside catering which was a must for us. When we walked into OH, we knew it was the one. The setting is absolutely unique which was really important to us.  While we had never considered a vineyard, we just felt it was perfect with it's island ceremony, rustic pavillion, and outdoor stone fireplace (perfect for a Fall wedding!). But, for budgetary reasons, the other one was a top contender. Plus, OH only had the last weekend in October open and we didn't want our guests in costume for the big day lol. When we became stuck between two options, we put our faith in the old adage that "whatever is meant to be will be". I was waiting to hear back from venue B when I got an email from OH owner, Allyson, who let me know October 12th was now available. It just seemed like it was destined to happen. So after a chat with Kyrin and my family (aka best support system on the planet), we decided to go for it and dropped off our deposit and signed contract yesterday!

A Sunday wedding? What are you thinking?

We had full intentions of a Saturday ceremony and reception but as it turns out, wedding venues book up fast. Our options were limited and because we didn't want a hotel wedding, we had to compromise. I did ask around and a lot of people told me not to stress it. More importantly, they made it clear to me that the people who want to be there will be there (for the most part of course). So, when I started looking at the calendar I saw that it's Columbus Day weekend and with that being a federal holiday, many of our invited guests will have the next day off to recover. So, there you have it!

10-12-14..what a cool date! Any significance?

It definitely wasn't on purpose. We have always wanted a fall wedding and as long as it fell in October that was all that mattered (funny how that decision was made years ago but the actual engagement not so much lol). When we got engaged we looked at what worked best for us and we knew it needed to fall either on the second or third week. So when we found the Old House, and the date came up, we just liked that our guests could party it up and have the following day free. But, we agree, it's a pretty cool (and easy) date to remember. 

Why not pick something closer to home?

I'll be honest. I went back and forth about the physical address of each location. I wanted something that spoke to our journey as a couple, as well as our vision for a reception. When I contacted OH, I learned that my mom (a preschool teacher turned director) had taught Allyson's children almost twenty years ago! Aother cool fact, while Kyrin and I aren't major wine-o's by any stretch of the imagination, we also learned that there are talks of starting a brewery on the property which as you all know, craft beer samplings are a major part of our relationship. To boot, when we were leaving after our tour, Allyson recommended a great spot for dinner called "It's About Thyme" which speaks for itself (p.s. the food was amazing there-if you have never been I definitely suggest you try it out!!). So, it just seemed like everything aligned in that perfect way for us so we couldn't say no. 

Besides, it's not THAT far ;)

What made y'all pick a vineyard?

Well, when I was looking around online one night, I saw Old House and immediately loved everything they have to offer. One look at that island with its Italian love lock ceremony and I was sold. All I had to do was convince Kyrin and we were good to go. The property allows me to have our ceremony and reception on the grounds and we would be the only event that day. In order to have a true rustic themed wedding, I felt the setting had to encompass that. I saw a lot that were beautiful but without the barn or plantation aspect, I didn't feel it made sense to go the rustic route. (I think it's really important to play on the overall feel of a venue when determining what your theme will be in planning any event). The great thing about OH is that while it's a vineyard, the pavillion where the reception would be is very rustic and appropriate to our theme without being a totally delapidated barn (lol). Besides, now we have the opportunity to add another aspect to our wedding we hadn't considered: rustic + wine inspired, which I am absolutely loving and wouldn't have gone with if we didn't have that vineyard thing haha :)

What's first on the planning agenda?

The venue was definitely the most important part. Without knowing the where or when, we wouldn't be able to do anything like our Save the Dates (which being a holiday weekend I feel it's super important to get those bad boys out sooner than later) or think about hiring a photographer or other vendors. We have already contacted some folks about dj services, photography, hair and makeup but nothing is set in stone quite yet. For now, we are just breathing a sigh of relief and getting excited about this crazy great year ahead of us!