Bridezilla, Already?!

There hadn’t been much to report on the wedding front recently, until yesterday, that is.

So we have had our wedding venue verbally ‘locked in’ for a couple of months now, and even the date was set… which is not until September 2012 mind you 

Anyway, I received an email from the new event’s manager, the lady I had previously dealt with is on maternity leave.  Anyway(!) apparently another couple is interested in our venue for the same night, and so > Do we still want to hold our event on that day?  Um, that would be a resounding YES, thank you 

And so things were moving forward just a little bit more quickly > how many guests, what dinner service, etc, etc.  Then … here is a contract to be signed, terms and conditions, and 50% deposit required in about a month.

Insert some deep breaths here

Now here is my almost bridezilla moment:  The contract states 5:30 guest access, after I had discussed with the previous events manager about moving access forward, as we will be holding the ceremony at the venue.  So I enquire about moving access forward to 4pm (with no food/beverage service required, just earlier set up).  The cost for that hour and a half extra you ask?  = $1000.

Yep, um no.  I expected some cost associated with earlier set-up, but even for the addition of 1.5hrs to staff; $1000?

So, I am in negotiations.  As I said, I don’t mind covering the costs required, but to reduce these somewhat, these are the options I have come up with:
-  We have the venue until 1am, can we bring it forward to 12am, and therefore bring the access forward to 4/4:30pm
- Reduce the time of the earlier access, only 1hour earlier?
- I want to have sufficient time for wedding photography, so the venue will be closed to guests for 1hour following the ceremony. This will give staff time to complete set up in the dining area (the ceremony is on the balcony, weather permitting).

I think this all sounds reasonable, but I do have the feeling that the event’s manager is fed up with me already.

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Have Our Cake and Eat it Too

So our wedding venue is booked, or ‘on hold’.  So what is on the menu?  Our plan was to have a classic, formal dining reception with an entree and main, and source a small wedding cake from somewhere in Sydney. (Remembering we are only expecting to serve 25-30 guests).  Doesn’t have to be too extravagant – although I was kinda in love with this >But the cakeage costs were a bit of a shock.  But … we are told if we serve a full menu (entree, main and dessert), the cakeage cost is all forgotten(!)  And not only that – it actually works out to be exactly the same cost to serve our guests an entree, main, dessert, and wedding cake, as it would to serve an entree, main and wedding cake.  So either we save money = no wedding cake, or we follow tradition = and our guests have dessert and cake and coffee with petit fours.

SO we know one thing for sure – there will be no lolly bar, despite how adorable they are.  (Image: Ooh La La Lolly Bar).
Nor any food items as bonbonierre.  Because otherwise our guests will be waddling away from our wedding!  But what about the “wedding” cake?  Yay or nay?  We are not into the whole ‘cake smash’, or ‘cake in the face’ routine.  But, it will be our wedding day after all.

So that got me thinking.  Not that I am big into DIY, but what if I baked the cake?!  Shock, horror – Mr. J will read this and say – “Jen, baking?  Yeah, … nahhh”.  But we don’t need a tiered cake, and surely it can’t be that hard?  Right?

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A Wedding – An ‘Intimate’ Event?

Planning a wedding? Have you set a date? Are you getting married in your hometown? Is the ceremony in a church? How many people in the wedding party? How many guests will be invited?

- Typical questions I have been asked, and many are surprised by my answers. Don’t get me wrong, I know that Mr. J and I are not your typical wedding planners …

But most of all I was constantly surprised by the growing number of ‘intimate’ weddings, with 80+ guests. Or ‘intimate’ weddings with 10, or even 20 people in the wedding party. Perhaps in my search for wedding inspiration, I should search for “small” intimate weddings, better described by discerningbride. And as they say, and I believe, less is more

Or at least I thought I did(!) As the guest list is really the first thing you need to consider – before the (scary) wedding budget, and then later finding an appropriate venue for selected number of guests – It really got me a bit worried.

Will it be too formal? Will our wedding be remembered for being “too” quiet. Will anyone dance? Should we give up on the idea of dancing? Will the various guests get along with people they don’t know? How will we work the seating plan out? Will our friends/family-friends be offended when they realise they aren’t be invited? Should we bother with a ‘wedding cake’? Is an ‘intimate’ wedding more hassle than it’s worth to Mr. J and I? Should we buckle to the trend of a ‘Super’ wedding, and give up on our dream location?

Hmm ‘Super’ wedding style, or ‘Royal‘ wedding style

No … I still think this is still more our style

And so … although it is early days, we have decided to hold our wedding in Sydney. With the ceremony and reception at the same location (which is not a church). Mr. J has his Best Man, and I have my Maid of Honour. And at this stage, the guest list is 25, but our maximum is probably 30. Dancing is yet to be decided. Cake is also yet to be decided

Anyone who hasn’t stressed over planning their wedding, obviously has a good wedding planner(!) Hint, hint, Mr. J

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The Contenders

Mr J and I have finaly decided on a wedding venue! So very exciting! It is perhaps the most special venue ever(!), and a venue that I didn’t even think was possible/available for a small-time wedding!

But how did we get here? If you ask Mr J, he would say that I am a very indecisive person. If you ask me, I am just very sensible, cautious, etc etc!

I am not ready to share my venue location (we are still 15 months out from the wedding), but I thought I would share a bit about the lovely locations we ruled out.

The Bathers Pavilion, Balmoral Beach – click
Source

I know it seems silly, but I fell in love with this venue after seeing the above advertisement in a magazine. I loved the idea of getting married at a beautiful location, and doing the beach photography thing. And then following with an amazing reception at the restaurant with wonderful views over the beach/ocean, with private balcony. Mr J and I visited Bathers, walked the length of the esplanade, dined in the restaurant, and hence fell in love with it even more. The food was a-ma-zing! And the service was impeccable.

However(!), after a bit of back-and-forth, and with a bit more thought, a few factors pulled Bathers out of the running. The 30 people minimum requirement, the slower than preferred email contact, and the budget. I guess that more than anything, there was something causing me to hesitate, and holding me back from locking it in.

Probably because, I was yet to come across the most perfect venue!

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