Venue Redux

So after looking at, finding, and booking our perfect reception venue, D and I are changing it up!

Let me back it up. In the summer, when D was still living here (oh, the memories!), we planned an impromptu day date to a newly renovated museum in Ottawa. This museum is one we both visited a number of times growing up, and is located right in the city in an old castle. The museum itself is stunning - high ceilings, marble floors, and really cool architectural details. Well, as we were waiting to pay our admission fee, I noticed a pamphlet about hosting events at the museum. I'm sure you can see where this is going.

The rooms that are available to rent for events were locked to museum patrons, but we peeked through the windows and liked what we saw. So we went home and contacted the museum event planner to schedule a visit. We went, we saw, and we loved! Out of the rooms available for rental, we chose an empty gallery that takes up an entire wing of the museum. It is very industrial - cement floors, exposed ceilings, and plain white walls. I love it! We both did. So we scheduled another visit so the parents could see it. And they loved it as well. Yes!

I don't really have any pictures of the space since they don't have any on their website, but here is one the event planner sent to me. What you can't see is that it's not just one room, it's an entire wing, so we get two rooms attached by a doorway (you can kind of make out the doorway in the middle of the wall in the picture). So I'm thinking one room can be for pre-dinner cocktails and after dinner dancing, like a chich lounge-y space, and the other room will be set for dinner. Oh, and one final thing (can you tell I'm excited!?). See those uplights? We get to use those as well. Oh, yes! I'm a happy girl!

The gallery

Castle-y goodness!

Renovated 'lantern' skylight

Hopefully, I can get some more pictures as we continue on in the planning process so you can all see how amazing this space truly is.

Going into this wedding, I thought it would be a low-key affair and our original venue would be perfect to achieve the feel we were going for. As the months went on, our guest list got bigger and bigger, I chose my dress, and things just seemed like they were getting a bit more 'grand scale' than I had anticipated. Not that we are having an elaborate, over-the-top wedding by any means, but the museum just seems like a better fit to what our wedding day has evolved into. And I couldn't be more excited!

Luckily, after pricing out the rental costs for the venue and meeting with some caterers, it looks like we will be able to pull this off for about the same price as the restaurant would have cost us. So now we are just waiting for the contract to come through, and we are good to go. I'm so excited!

Did you change up your venue halfway through the wedding planning process?

Oh My Yum!

Last night we had a girls' app night, and my cousin/BM N brought the yummiest cupcakes! From browsing all the wedding blogs, you see that cupcakes are very in right now. I know I mentioned my thoughts on the cake already, but after tasting these cupcakes, they are definitely back in the running!

(Source)

I guess what also makes me excited is that since Ottawa is a pretty small and boring town, I didn't think we'd even have any small cute cupcake shops to get delicious cupcakes from. Maybe it's just something that hasn't been on my radar until now, but I am definitely excited to go and see what's out there!

Did you get wedding cupcakes instead of a wedding cake? Were they super delish like these ones?

Oh, and in case you are wondering, I had a cookies and cream cupcake (with actual chunks of cookie in it), and we also had PB & J, toasted coconut lime, and maple brown sugar. Yum, yum, yum!

Finding the Dress: I Said Yes!

Today, in fact! I went in today to make my absolute, final decision, and get measured for my dress. MY dress! I'm so excited!

But let's backtrack a bit... Last time I left off on this (quite extensive) hunt for the perfect wedding dress, I was torn between two styles - the ballgown or a mermaid style. I knew for sure that I wanted something plain and simple, with no embellishments or added details save for a sparkly belt. So, there was one store left that I hadn't been to that I wanted to visit, and I was hoping in the process, I would find my dress. Boy, did I ever!

So, a few weeks ago we woke up bright and early to trek out to this one last shop. It was over an hour from my house, so my mom, sister/MOH, and grandmother hopped in the car and after arriving at the store, I explained what I was looking for. In fact, I brought pictures. At this point, I had trying on dresses for a while and so saturated with images, and I didn't want to get confused. So, I brought pictures of both the Mori Lee and Jim Hjelm Blush dresses, and explained that I only wanted to see dresses that looked like them and nothing else. Controlling, much? Maybe, but I was pretty set on what I wanted and I didn't want to get confused. Unfortunately, they didn't have the exact dresses I wanted, so we looked through the racks to find something similar. After trying on a few dresses without success, a sales consultant walked by who looked strangely familiar. Why did she look so familiar?

Well, a few months ago, at the same bridal show that I won my engagement session at, there was a booth that had sample wedding gowns for sale. I tried on and fell in love with a dress, but unfortunately, it was a bit too small and too short (gotta love being 5'10!). I really loved it, but sadly had to leave it. And somehow I forgot about it. But, fast forward to us at this bridal salon, and it turns out, it was the same on that was in that booth at the show. So, I mentioned this to my consultant, and she knew what dress I was talking about and went to get it. Oh excitement! Unfortunately, the only sample of the dress they had in store was the same sample from the bridal show, and a girl had been in the day before, loved it, and put the sample on hold. Oh no! So disappointing. I mentioned to the consultant that I really loved this dress, and almost bought it at the show, and she said that they would still be able to order me one, but I couldn't try it on because it was on hold. Well, obviously I wasn't going to buy a dress that I couldn't try on.

But, (and I can't even make this stuff up!) while we were discussing my options, the same girl who had put the dress on hold called the store and said that she didn't want it anymore, leaving me to try it on. Yes! The consultant immediately grabbed the dress, put it on me, and I fell in love with it all over again. I had lost a bit of weight since the last time I tried it one, so it fit perfectly this time, and I just knew this was it. This was MY dress! But I didn't buy it that day.

All signs were pointing to the fact that this was my dress, but I didn't want to jump into things and buy it. I had to make sure. So I came home, and thought about it, and thought about it, and couldn't STOP thinking about it, so today I went back, and put it on again, and didn't want to take it off. This dress was MY dress, so I ordered it! Now I just need to wait for 4 months...

Side note... Was anyone surprised at how easy it is to measure for a wedding dress? She took my bust, waist, and hips, and then ordered the size that averaged my measurements (which happened to be the same as the sample, so I know it will be fine). Is this pretty typical?

So Friends, this is the end of my dress saga, at least until it comes in! I am so happy with my choice and so excited for D to see me in it. In fact, I'm just SO ready to get married... Why do we have to wait until July, again?

I have made the decision not to put a picture of my dress on this blog, because I really want to try and keep it secret from as many people as possible until the big day. But let me just say, it fits in to all the criteria I had, and more. It is absolutely lovely! And I can't wait for all of you to see it... in approximately 7 and a half months!

Did you struggle to find the right wedding dress for you? Did it turn in to a huge ordeal, or did you know right away?

How Engaging!

So, engagement photos were something that I thought were a great idea, but I couldn't really justify the price. As amazing as engagement photos look, we didn't REALLY need anything and the money that would go towards them could be better spent elsewhere. And, when we booked our wedding photographer, we really splurged, so as far as I was concerned, in terms of photography, that was it.

But we were lucky! The first weekend in September, I went to a local wedding show with my mom and future mother-in-law, and I entered a contest to win an engagement session with one of the exhibitors. And I won! I know people always say this, but I've never won a contest before. Very exciting.

So we set up our photoshoot for a weekend that D came home, and we met our photographer in downtown Ottawa. I was a bit nervous about being photographed all afternoon paparazzi style, but it actually was fun and not scary. Our photographer was so nice and encouraging, and even though we had a few passersby stop to watch, it wasn't bad. It was my ANTM moment! And I definitely can't complain about spending the afternoon holding hands and being kissy with D!

Anyways, here are a few teasers! We are planning on printing them into our guest book, so I don't want to give them all away, so they really are just teasers! They turned out SO well, I'm so happy! Despite all the butterflies I might have on the actual wedding day, at least I know the photography part should be a breeze.

All photos courtesy of Tracey Lynne Photography.

Oh Hi, Little Miss Rylee!

Did you have a tough time deciding whether or not to get engagement photos?

Finding the Dress: Narrowing it Down

** D! Dress spoilers! Don't read!**

Okay, so when we last left, I had me my heart's desire, and then had a disastrous shopping experience with our lovely neighbours to the South. The one decision I had made, the lovely Rachael, was still in my mind, but I let many, MANY months pass by and it was time to get back in the dress-shopping game.

In early October, a few of my bridesmaids were in town and we decided to make a day and go dress shopping with my mom and future mother-in-law. I picked three new shops to go visit, and after an early wake-up call and a quick Starbucks run, we were at the first store waiting for it to open (oh, yes, it was that early!). We went inside and after meeting our shopping consultant, she led us into the room where all the dresses were kept and we started pulling styles. Unfortunately, even though they sold Maggie dresses, they did not have the Rachael, and they had just sold the Essense dress sample that I loved, so we didn't really have anything to go on. So, after explaining what I was looking for, and pulling a bunch of dresses, we started trying them all on. There were some definite contenders, and then I tried on the dress that was the 'winner' of the day: Mori Lee's 4524.

Source

This dress was totally gorgeous and very similar to the Rachael, but at a fraction of the price. It was the one that gave me the most of the 'feeling,' made my mom cry, and we kept comparing everything else to it all day, calling it 'Number One.' The only thing I wanted to change about it was the belt, adding a different sparkly belt instead. Love. So after the first appointment, this was for all intents and purposes, the ONE.

Our next stop was a fairly new bridal salon just outside of Ottawa, that had fairly limited styles, but was the only salon in Ottawa to carry Jim Hjelm Blush. They also had consignment dresses, so I thought it was definitely worth a look, because you never know what you will find. The store was closed just for us (that is, they only take one appointment at a time, which was nice), so we all walked around looking for dresses. As I said, their selection was fairly limited, so we ended up pulling only a few styles. This is where a huge wrench was thrown in my wedding dress plans... I found a dress that I loved, but that was SO absolutely and completely different from what I thought I wanted, and now I was confused. The dress... Jim Hjelm Blush 1050.

Source

Gorgeous. This is more of the style I thought I wanted when I first started looking at wedding dresses, and after months of not really looking and this I was set on a ballgown, it's like I totally forgot this style even existed! I had never tried on a dress with this shape, and I. Loved. It. Loved it. I think there is just something so elegant and stylish about a fitted dress, so after trying this on and loving it, I was confused. Everyone who was shopping with me (BMs and Moms) said they still liked the first one (Mori Lee) on me, and that it was more 'my style,' but I just didn't know anymore. What to do, what to do?

So we left the second shop and ventured to the third and last stop of the day. This store carried dresses that were all of a certain style, and not really what I was looking for. Lots of all-over bling, ruching, pick-ups, etc. Now that I was more settled on either an empire-waisted ballgown or a mermaid style, I didn't want to try anything else different on. I didn't want to get more confused. So, needless to say, there wasn't anything noteworthy in this shop, and I went home still debating which dress I liked more (the Mori Lee or the Jim Hjelm Blush). Big choice!

I promise there is an end in sight! I have only made one more trip, and my decision is now made. Yay! The (exciting, I'm sure) finale is coming up. Yay, wedding dress!

And for anyone from Ottawa reading, these are the three shops we went to. I have nothing but good things to say about any of them. They were nothing but friendly and helpful during my time shopping there.

Sinder's Bridal Salon

With Love Bridal Boutique

All That Glitters Bridal

Being a Long-Distance Fiancée

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but D and I are living apart this year. Le sad... He is finishing his last year of law school, and I moved back to our hometown, which is also where the wedding will be, because I finished school in June and came here in hopes to start my career. Well, it's November now and there are still no jobs (in my field) in sight. So I can't help but wonder, what exactly is the point of us living apart?

We have been together for over ten years now, and we spent the past three years living together. During that time, we really hit our stride as a couple and learned the ins-and-out of cohabitation and how to make it work for us. For example, I hate anything to do with garbage or nasty leftovers in the fridge, so D takes care of it. In return, I handle the bathrooms and most other cleaning. It works. Also, if one person cooks dinner, the other person does the dishes. It took a little while, but we really hit our stride. Obviously, we did have problems adjusting to living together, but over time it all worked itself out.

So now we are living apart, and it SUCKS. Mega kudos to those ladies whose hubbies are overseas or who have been doing long-distance for a long time. It's only been two months, and we are barely hanging on. I think after spending so much time together, and being used to hanging out every day and going to bed together every night, it has been quite an adjustment. We try to talk via Skype at least every other day, and if we don't Skype we usually text or email. Also, we try to plan visits every few weeks, which usually involves me driving down for the weekends.

So we are making it work. Honestly, I think D has it much worse off than I do. I am living at home with my parents, I get to keep our fur-baby, Rylee, with me here, and I am around all of our family and in the place where all the wedding plans are taking place. He is five hours away, away from family, and has to study and go to school. I think it is a bit more lonely for him out there, but I still miss him like crazy and am counting down until April when he moves back for good. Can't wait!!

Also, I feel like since I am here, and a lot of the wedding planning is coming from me, it's hard that he's not around to be a part of things. I don't want to be a too controlling, take everything over, it's my way or the highway type bride, so I am trying really hard to keep him involved in things through our daily chats (and this blog... Hi D!). Anyways, I am heading up there next weekend, and then he is back for almost all of December, and then we just have January - April, and he's coming home. I am just so excited to get our own place again and settle back into our routine.

I feel like this post came across as a bit whiny, so I just want to end by saying that I know we have it pretty good, and these eight months of long distance is not the HUGE deal that I'm making it out to be. Others definitely have it worse off than we do. But, D truly is the love of my life and I just can't wait for our grown up lives to get started - together.

Hmm... Let's add a gratuitous puppy pic to end this off. This is our little pupperoo, Rylee!

(Personal Pic)

Have struggled with a long distance relationship? How did you deal?

Eeeeeeek!

Word on the street is that our engagement pictures are ready!

Story and pictures to follow... (as long as they aren't ugly... I'm kind of nervous!)

And by 'the street', I mean my email inbox...

So excited!!

The Hunt for a Perfect Venue

I have fairly strong opinions when it comes to wedding related things. Things that are typical or the norm usually aren't my style. That's not to say that our wedding will have a lot of things that all weddings typically have, but there are some things that will be different and fit more to our style.

Confession: I hate hotel ballrooms. And I hate conference centre ballrooms. I pretty just hate rooms that have ugly carpets and beige walls, and everything gets draped in white and tulle. Actually, let me rephrase that... hate is a pretty strong word. I dislike all of those things, and they are totally not my style, so I knew for our wedding that I wanted to avoid a venue like that.

When we first started putting our guest list together, it looked like we were going to have about 100 people. One of my first thoughts for a reception venue was to have it in a restaurant. If we could find place that was big enough to hold 100 people, and would have nice enough decor and style to fit our wedding, it would work perfectly. So the search began. I used google to look up restaurants in the city and try and find some that fit our criteria. We made a list, narrowed down our choices, and emailed the prospects to set up meetings. Then we planned our visits!

#1 - The Courtyard Restaurant



This place is gorgeous! It is a historical building right in downtown Ottawa, and the whole second floor is dedicated to events. The prices are really reasonable and the decor was definitely unique (hello, stone walls and exposed beam ceilings - love!). They even have a max capacity of 120 which would work. But, the thing that didn't work for us was the floorplan for the room. We would get the whole second floor, but we didn't realize until we got there, that the floor was divided into 3 rooms, and we wouldn't get to seat our guests all in the same space. It basically broke down that we could seat 40 people in one room, 80 in the other, and they were separated by a smaller middle room where the bar was located. No bueno. We really tried to think of ways to make it work, but when it cam down to the logistics of who to separate, where we would sit, and how things like speeches and the first dance would work, we realized it just wouldn't work. Le sad...

Here are some pictures of the gorgeous venue. I still think it would have been such a beautiful location for the wedding!

Room 1 - The 80-person room

The bar area in the middle room

Room 2 - The 40 person room
All photos from here

#2 - Crowne Plaza Hotel

Source

Yes, shock of all shocks, the second place we went to see was a (gasp!) hotel ballroom. The thing that set it apart for me was that the ballroom was in the penthouse of the hotel and had a stellar view of the city. Well, pretty stellar. There are taller buildings around it, but since it is right downtown, it was pretty nice anyways. But that was pretty much the best thing about the room. The hotel itself is a bit older, so the ballroom was kind of shabby and run down. They only had round tables which I did not want, and there was an overall dinginess to the whole room. So that was a no.

#3 - The Empire Grill



Continuing with the restaurant trend, we booked an appointment to see the Empire Grill. From the moment we walked in, I knew this was IT. It was trendy yet elegant, NYC-themed (which I love!), and the walls were purple. Purple! And they had cow-print chairs. There were so many small details in the restaurant decor, it was so easy to envision exactly what our wedding would look like if we had it there.

The event space is at the back of the restaurant, and is completely partitioned off from the rest of the patrons, but we wouldn't have the whole restaurant to ourselves. The back room is equipped with it's own bar, and the seating ranges from booths to small and large tables.

Source

This place is absolutely perfect. It has everything we were looking for, and is such an amazing venue for a wedding. We actually have been for dinner as well, and the food is great. That's one of the reasons I was so keen on having the reception at a restaurant - you're guaranteed good food! The menu pricing is a bit more than we were looking to spend, but I think it will definitely be worth it in the end!

So, after time spent researching what was out there are narrowing down our choices, and finally making a decision, we finally have our venue. What do you think?

Did you have a very specific idea in mind when it came to your reception venue?