Productivity!

A sign from our last Atlantic City visit

Earlier this week we did a walk-through of the venue with  most of the vendors. It was a hassle to work out a time that fit everyone's schedule but I thought it was useful. 

It was great for everybody to see the space, get all of the technical info, ask questions and get a global picture of the wedding beyond their area of expertise. I definitely appreciate the vendors who showed up (shout out to Kiss the Bride Films, DJ Gaza of 74 Events, Sara Kate Events, Midtown Florist).

Chooo Chooo!!!

Caveat:  It’s really not that bad but I just needed to vent. I’m still very grateful and appreciative for all the good fortune I’ve had.
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Ladies and gents, the disappointment train has left the station and is now making local stops.  

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Round and Round We Go

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The other little kink in the plan is the setup of the ceremony. Given the layout of the space the catering director suggested doing the ceremony in a round. Lovely suggestion!  During a bit of bridal induced mania I once considered this option but had to let go of the notion. It just didn't work in the previous space.  Another digression, I apologize.

What about the Aged and Infirm?

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When last I left you there was a decision to be made. @Steph c @Laura & @Danielle, you probably know where this is going. I’m about 99.7% sure I’m going with the ‘shrooms, which then presents the problem of less than half of my guests being able to get a seat during the ceremony. So who gets to sit? Why, the aged and infirm of course. The sick part of me keeps picturing people sending in doctor’s notes with their RSVPs.  I digress.

Venue Lemonade

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When your venue gives you lemons… you make lemonade!  Lest you forget what lemonade is like, let me remind you. It’s tasty tis true but it can also be a bit tart. Pucker up dah-lings as I bring you the sweet and not so sweet about the venue.

Venue Lemons

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When last I mentioned the venue I was perhaps a touch overly dramatic. I have since gained some perspective and calmed down a tad. Alas, I am still left with some lemons when it comes to the venue.

Venue Update

Quite frankly the most stressful part of this wedding planning thing has been drama with the venue. Previously on Hearts & Whimsy I thought all the drama was behind me. Well guess who showed up in my in-box the other day?

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I’m Your Biggest Fan!

The guest experience is a big deal. As a couple our goal is to make sure our guests have a great time and that they feel special and well taken care of. Sick of my crazy ideas yet? Well too bad! Mwhahaha. I’ve got another one.

What if. . .

No More Drama

Previously on Hearts & Whimsy there was a bit of drama surrounding the venue and catering.

• What's Fong Here?
• He Said...She Said
• Sister to the Rescue
• Apologies & Departures

Well no more!

Sister and I met with the new team at the museum last week. To be honest, I was all set for a fight. I was ready to get my ‘zilla on.

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Venue Stalking

So we did a little informal venue walkthrough yester-eve. It was Lil Sis, Sister, Mumsie and me. Here are some pictures (as taken by Lil Sis).

The ceremony space is the front lobby area of the museum.

We haven't decided how to orient the seats yet. We also haven't decided how the bridal party should enter. So many things to consider. Gracious me! This probably won't happen until we get closer to the date since they like to move around the statues and installations in this area.


The cocktail hour will be in the ambulatories surrounding the reception space.

It's nice because we won't have to dress it up too much. There's art on the wall for people to look at and talk about. Instant conversation starters.

Since the reception space is right there we were thinking about draping or screening to close it off so there's a reveal. Or we could just leave it open and dark which might be interesting. Once the lighting is up the space would come to life. We have to play around with that concept. My only concern is people trying to enter the space before it was time. Hmmm...

This is the reception space. Yums!!!

I'm hoping to make an appointment for later this month to do another walkthrough and talk to the new catering director. Sister took tons of notes during our informal visit and we have tons of questions. Given the past drama I'm a little apprehensive about the new person but I'll try to stay positive.

Eleven Eleven

Woo hoo! It’s officially a year to the day till the fancy par-tay! You know what I did to celebrate? I bought me a wedding dress that’s what. Yes sireee! Sorry to disappoint but I won’t be posting any pictures. A girl has to keep some mystery. What I can tell you is that I’m a Cymbeline bride.

The other way I celebrated was to visit the venue. Since they are now open late on Thursdays we wanted to get a feel for the space during the evening hours.

Any 11.11.11 brides want to share how they spent the day?

Hello November So Happy To See You

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It’s officially 12 months till my wedding month. Hot Diggity!!! Look who’s crazy now. You want goals for this month? I’ve got plenty. 

(1) Formally invite my bridal party. Mr. H. already invited his groomsmen. Overachiever! 

Apologies & Departures

And it continues. . .

My First Bit of Wedding Drama

Spoiled? Me? Well maybe just a touch when it comes to this wedding planning business. It’s been smooth sailing thus far. As per my meticulously planned schedule it was time to start talking to the caterer. Food and beverage are the biggest chunk of change out of any wedding, big or small. This shindig I’m planning is no exception. But things don’t always work out the way you plan. . .

My venue comes with an exclusive caterer.  Good news? Eh. I didn’t have to pony up the dough to book the caterer when I booked the venue. The fella who I met when we first looked at the Museum was actually part of the reason we went with them. He understood my crazy vision and was super responsive to all my questions. Well guess who doesn’t work there anymore?  Needless to say I was a wee bit disappointed. Sigh.

Next up… There’s a new catering director in town.

And the Winner is . . .

Ha! I didn’t tell you which venue I booked. Can you guess? It starts with “Brooklyn and ends with –useum”. Ladies and gentleman, the winner is the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Well there are a couple of pretty awesome reasons why we decided on that particular venue.

Oh The Places We’ll Go – Venue Search Part III*

Useful tools for making decisions?
Why a checklist and a handy dandy spreadsheet, of course. Gotta make sure I'm comparing guavas to guavas. The checklist was made with the help of my wedding planner.

My checklist

Being new to the whole venue search thing I had no idea what questions to ask but having a checklist to refer to ensured that I didn't forget to ask about the things that were important to me.

My spreadsheet

Oh The Places We’ll Go – Venue Search Part Dos*

THE FINAL FOUR

Capitale

Stage 6 @ Steiner Studios

Brooklyn Museum of Art

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Of course being the indecisive bride that I am I couldn’t possible make this decision solo. I needed assistance.  The judging crew included the following: Moi, Mr. H (sometimes), Mumsie, Sister, and Racaca. More on them later.

Oh The Places We’ll Go – Venue Search Part 1*

Date? Check. Theme? Check.  Location? Working on it.

Once we (mostly me) picked a date it was time to find a place to hold this little soiree. My initial list looked like this: Gotham Hall (the front runner), Broad Street Ballroom, Capitale, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Stage 6 at Steiner Studios, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. I picked three in Manhattan and three in Brooklyn.

Two of the locations got cut quick.