How my man makes my dreams come true (Part 1)

For my fellow brides out there, you can all relate to the inevitable venue search that ensues once the wedding planning begins.  For some, it is an exciting, fun, and even favorite part of the wedding planning as you scout out locations, interview caterers and banquet staff, and walk through sites discussing where the ceremony will take place and how you'll make your entrance.  The conversation then turns to where the guests will lounge during cocktails and how you can set up your dining tables, dance floor and so on.  Imagining our wedding day and planning out the day's schedule and locations is one of the best feelings for some of us.

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However, for others, it's a nightmare.  If you live in small town, you may not have many options available to you.  If you live in a large city, you may find that most places don't seem to accommodate your vision...perhaps you want a rustic farm feel but only have large buildings, hotels and such at your disposal?  It's pretty disappointing when you visit several locations only to find that things like time limits, music restrictions, space accommodations or religious desires do not fit with what you have been dreaming of.  But even more disappointing when you fall in love with a place only to find that it is way, way out of your budget!  Even worse yet when you find something you love only to find it's unavailable or closed down!

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Alas, when you finally nail down that location (whether a beautiful venue you barely have to touch or a blank slate that you will design and decorate from floor to ceiling), nothing excites a bride (and groom) more than being able to say that *THIS* is where we will be getting married.

For me, I've planned many friend's and family's weddings and have attended quite a few.  So I know a lot of spaces and places that are available when it comes to wedding locations in my area.  I also had a great resource on the net at my disposal called http://www.herecomestheguide.com/ which led me to so many places I didn't know about.  But when I came across this one place, a private estate about 15-20 minutes from my home that was available to rent for weddings, I nearly fell off my chair.  I had never heard about or seen it and the web site boasted gorgeous landscapes, unique bridges, beautiful rancho style architecture and even a private zoo on the grounds open only to those who utilize the facility for their events.  I found it while I was bored at work one day browsing the net about 4 months before I became officially engaged...but I knew I would be getting the proposal soon so I had started to just 'put out feelers' to get some ideas.

Here are some pretty shots I found on photog's blogs that were taken at this wedding venue:

 

*  Notice that the tress in the photo above are all bare?  When we get married in April they will be in full bloom covered with green leaves! 

When Mr Fix It suggested around November, 2008 that we should 'maybe start looking at some wedding venues' I immediately called up Rancho Las Lomas and scheduled an appointment.  And when we visited the site and all that it had to offer, Mr Fix It stood in the center of the outdoor Teatro and said "This is it, we don't even need to look at any other place."   SCORE!  I knew it was a great idea to take him there first. 

But a girl's dreams don't typically unfold that easily.  And once we received the quote from them as to how much the rental items and catering bill would cost along with the venue rental fee (which includes absolutely nothing), Mr Fix It quickly changed his mind and said that it was a no go.  I was devastated.  There was no way we could afford the $30,000 they wanted for rentals, venue and catering.  That was more than Mr Fix It wanted to spend on the entire wedding including vendors, favors, invites/stationery, attire, and so on and so on.  But I was not about to let this stop me.  I had a plan and I put it in motion.

And over the next several weeks, I took Mr Fix It to about 12 other different venues to show him what our other options were and how they compared (budget wise as well as logistics) to my dream venue. 

Stay tuned for part two...but until then, how about all you ladies?  Do you feel like you found your dream location for your wedding?  And if you did, how did you find it and were you able to book it?