I know, it seems WAY too early to already use that title in a blog post, but really, it has fit the first few months of wedding planning. Even though our wedding isn't until the fall of 2011, B and I have already felt the stress that comes along with planning a wedding. The difficult decisions are definitely right at the beginning of the process, as you have to deal with the most important questions right away-- the budget, the location, and the number of guests. These are all huge, and stressful, decisions, which I am happy to say have all been decided! The most difficult decision was the location. B and I currently live in the DC area (obviously!), but my family is from central/western Pennsylvania, and his family is from the eastern part of the state, with other relatives spread across the country. No matter where we have the wedding, someone will have to travel. This made our decision easier and harder at the same time. In the end, we decided on a DC wedding (yay!), for numerous reasons, but mostly because it is what we really, really wanted.
Once we had the big 3 questions answered, it was time to select a venue. There are so many options here, so we were a little overwhelmed at first. While our budget and number of guests helped us narrow down the choices, it also seemed to make the search a little difficult, as DC venues are generally very expensive and we didn't want to blow our budget. B and I also have a very specific vision for our wedding- we want something elegant, different, and that could also host the ceremony. After numerous venue visits across the DC metro area, we decided we definitely did not like the hotel ballroom option and basically had to start our search over. After narrowing it down, we were left with three possible options- the Tower Club, DAR Constitution Hall, and the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Each venue was unique and beautiful, but one blew us away. The Carnegie Institution has everything we were looking for and is a quintessential DC space. It is perfect for our wedding, and when we went to see it, I could see myself walking down the aisle in their gorgeous rotunda. I'm excited to say that we were able to book it and we officially have a venue and a wedding date! We are both so happy to have a beautiful venue (and to have the hardest decision made) and cannot wait to start planning the details. Up next- catering! Food is incredibly important to us, so this will be another big decision that will likely take some time and effort. You will be sure to hear all about our catering search and many more details as we continue planning one of the most important days of our lives!
