I am happy to report that Dogwood Dude and I found every single one of our parameters when searching for our destination wedding! The Key Largo Grande Resort & Beach Club is an hour from Miami Airport, budget friendly for us and our guests (especially for those Hilton Rewards Members), has two amazing 3rd floor rooms overlooking the ocean in case of rain, has a beach covered in arching hammock trees….and PLENTY to do! The funny thing is that so many people ask me how we chose Key Largo, which seems so remote to most, and I always tell them…we just had five parameters!
Here are some pics!
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I am going to be honest with you from the beginning… we spent A LOT of time figuring out where we wanted to get married! The good news, Dogwood Dude and I did it all from the comfort of our own couch! All we needed was Google Maps and a bunch of browser windows. We started in North Carolina and went all the way down the east coast of Florida and back up to the panhandle to find the perfect location. I know that seems a little daunting, but you just have to set parameters and I suggest tackling one city a night.
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I will say this about finding your “dream wedding venue”: it’s a lot like finding your Dude. First of all, you’ll probably find plenty that just aren’t right for you. When you think you’ve found the right one, it’s all about a feeling – you can write a list of what you’re looking for, but when it comes down to it, it’s all about what feels right. For instance, when I met Iris Dude, I just knew he was right. And when I walked into Marbles Kids Museum, I knew it was right too.
When looking for our venue, I did have a brief list of “needs”: I needed a place where we could have our ceremony and reception in the same place. I needed a venue that was entirely indoors, or had an easy (and free) rain plan. I preferred a place that would let me choose my own caterer. And I needed somewhere fun, somewhere that felt alive and exciting and playful. What better place than a kids museum?
This picture was taken from the second floor, looking down at another event in the main area where our ceremony and reception will be held. Isn’t the globe great?
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Location plays a very large role in the “look and feel” of a wedding, which is one of the reasons why venue was at the top of Periwinkle Dude’s and my decision list after we got engaged. We began our search for the perfect reception venue by browsing through a book I picked up called “Wedding Sites and Services”. Who knew that a $5 investment was going to turn out to be a HUGE help in the planning process. The compilation of data in the book for each venue (e.g., price range, capacity, cuisine, sample menu, etc.) was a great starting point and let us compare and narrow down the different options from a numbers perspective before we went out for site visits. Tip: There are different volumes available for various locations throughout the U.S. which means there might be one out there for you — and if so I would highly recommend you check it out if you’re in the market for a wedding site!
 Wedding Sites and Services Periwinkle Dude and I both grew up, went to school, now work, and have family & friends in the big apple – so we were pretty certain we wanted to get married in the New York area. We looked into a few Manhattan venues, but quickly learned the capacity limits were not very high on the limited number of places that might be construed as affordable, and all the “big names” with great big ballrooms to match were out of our target price range.
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We haven’t been out to our venue (3 hour drive away) since New Years, and like my dress, I have been missing it lately. With all the wedding planning that has been surging through our heads/bodies/and home, really all I want to do is curl up in front of the gorgeous picture window where we will be having our ceremony… and RELAX!! BUT, no rest for the weary… this PhD has some serious momentum, and wedding to-dos are getting checked off the list as efficiently as possible. So until I feel even remotely confident that I will in fact finish this PhD on time, for now, well, it’s just day dreaming about the beauty that is our wedding venue… the Elk View Lodge!! Well, our boys over at 6:8 have done it for me again… pictures that will, at least for the rest of the day, inspire my daydreaming, have popped up on their site. They did a whole blog post on our venue, and answered my question… are you there venue, it’s me bride?! Yup, she’s still there, in all her glory… check her out!! from the driveway:
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For all the non-brides out there, or at least for the non-bride in me, it is excruciating to hear brides talk about their wedding being “so us”! “We did golf tees for favours because we both love to play golf”, sounds more like “what do you mean you and your fiance don’t share all the same hobbies?”.
Of course I know I am being a bit dramatic, but the truth is, Geranium dude and I are opposites in so many ways. He drinks beer… and only beer! I love to try new wines, champagnes, and martinis. He plays Sudoku, I read wedding blogs. He thinks a potluck wedding would be awesome, and I think… “are you kidding me?!?!”. So needless to say, picking a wedding style and venue was a bit of challenge for us! In reality, we weren’t completely sold on the idea of having a wedding until we saw this:
 By 6:8 photography
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The first decision we wanted to nail down was the venue. While a beautiful venue would certainly be nice, convenience and practicality were more important to us. We didn’t have a specific date we were tied to, but the priest had provided us with a couple auspicious dates to choose from. Lastly, we needed a venue that could accommodate the number of people that will probably be at the wedding and allow us to have the fire necessary for a Hindu ceremony.
 Photo from australianindianweddings.com.au Keeping our priorities in mind, we decided that a hotel ballroom was going to be the easiest way to go. All of our events could be at the same venue so we wouldn’t have to worry about arranging transportation. We wouldn’t have to worry about pricing things like linens, tables, etc. all separately. The price (and extra work) can add up pretty quickly that way.
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There are so many available venues for weddings out there. So before we started searching, we sat down and discussed what we were looking for in a venue. We came up with the list below:
- Between the cities we live in
Since we live 4 hours apart, we decided to get married somewhere in between. We also figured that my family and friends are more likely to travel, so locations closer to Tulip Dude will also be in the running.
- Close to water
We love the water and getting married close to water is one way our wedding can reflect who we are.
- Ceremony and Reception both on-site
We like everything in one place so our guests don’t have to travel far from the ceremony to reception.
- On-site catering
We are not hiring a wedding planner, so we try to minimize the work we need to do.
Using the four criteria above, we narrowed our venue choices to four:
Belle Mer, Newport RI
Castle Hill Inn, Newport RI
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 Image from chrismadden.co.uk Visualize! Visualize! Visualize! If you close your eyes, what do you see? Here is what we envisioned. We wanted to have everything in one location. Our other goal was to be in a place where we can truly enjoy the space with our friends and family and not feel like we had to be in and out in 4-6 hours. And oh man, did we find the perfect place for us!
The Five Bridge Inn in Rehoboth, Massachusetts is where we will hold everything – from the rehearsal cookout the day before to the ceremony and reception. They have a preferred caterer, Ralph’s Catering, and though you have the ability to go with who you want, we are taking their advice because Ralph’s is said to do a wonderful job! And, oddly enough, my brother held his stag party dinner at Ralph’s restaurant… small world! He had nothing but good things to say about the food so that was a plus! We also get to have the entire house and grounds the night before the wedding. So the moms and bridal party will be able to relax and have some bonding time before the craziness begins!
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The first thing I learned when planning my wedding was that the traditional wedding guide is for the average gal. I was planning my wedding in a medium size college town (Madison, Wisconsin), in the busiest month of the wedding and football seasons (October), and with a head count that includes all of my very large extended family (220 or so). Nine months was not enough! I called around and found out that the most popular places were taken 13 months in advance! This sent Dahlia Dude and I into a frenzy of trying to book everything we could, site unseen before our planned trip home a few months later.
I know we could have found a place, regardless of the planning window, but we were committed to having a wedding that was both fun to attend, and eco-friendly. I will share details of the wedding shortly, but I’m glad to say that we found the perfect place, for both the reception and ceremony, and guests will not need anything but two feet to get there.
Has anyone shared similar experiences? Have you had trouble finding vendors available on your day?
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