08.08.08
The start of my insanity.
So we have finally started the planning process! I know, very exciting.
I have been working on figuring out about how much everything will cost, considering i’ve never planned a wedding before so I have no clue! My first resource was this blog entry that offers a Wedding Cost Estimator excel file to help you with planning. I will admit that I was one of the people who thought that $25,000 was a ridiculous amount to spend on one day. But once you start figuring out how much each element is gonna cost; reception and ceremony site fee, catering, rentals (chairs, tables, linens, etc), the list goes on, things start adding up. My first estimate (that wasn’t very researched) was around $16,000. Which seemed like a good number, but when I realized that those numbers weren’t very accurate (the catering was way off) I tried again and came to about $22,000. So we will see…
I did end up going to visit Chase Court in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. Turns out it wasn’t all that great. It was difficult to get to, and parking would be a nightmare for guests. It was in bad need of a paint job, and the garden didn’t look all that prolific. Loud traffic from the Baltimore streets and a much smaller footprint in the garden than expected make it less than ideal for a ceremony. The ballroom was quite large, but it took a lot of imagination to picture a reception there. There were some weird religious figures on a stained glass window at the entrance to the caterer’s area that I didn’t like. Chris had already decided he didn’t like the place before we even got there. My dad hated it. My mom pretended to like it I think.
I had already had several other places in mind though, so I wasn’t too disappointed. In the end, a garden wedding at a historic site isn’t really our style anyway. So off to visit the National Aquarium in Baltimore! Very different and unique, it would be perfect for us.
Last Friday we trekked back to Baltimore to meet with the events coordinator at the Aquarium. We had all been to the aquarium before but needed to see how it could be used as a ceremony and reception space. Of course it was beautiful. We really want it. But the part that I like the best is, of course, more expensive.
More expensive option:
Ceremony- Guests would come into the aquarium, and the ceremony would take place in the Harbor Overlook area, which is so amazing, I love it. It is on your left when you walk in and kind of in this corner space so each wall is all windows. So there is an amazing view of the harbor on one side and the glass enclosed Australian exhibit on the other.
Cocktail Hour- After the ceremony guests would make their way over to the cocktail hour nearby, in the area with the blue bubble cylinders. This space would make some cool pictures. Cocktail tables of varying heights would be set up here with a bar and some food displays. This is when Chris and I will be taking pictures with the photographer so I think it is a great solution to guests having to wait around.
Reception- Next comes the reception! Guests would walk through the aquarium at their leisure and then make their way through the walkway that goes to the Marine Mammal Pavilion, which is really pretty and has a view of the whole harbor. After getting to the dolphin viewing area, you arrive at the atrium.
This is where the reception would be set up with room for tables for a sit down dinner as well as a dance area and whatever else I want! Also, guests are allowed to go through the exhibits again at any time during the reception. This option is more expensive because it requires the rental of both buildings.
Less expensive option:
Ceremony- In this scenario the ceremony would also be in the Harbor Overlook area, which I didn’t take a picture of myself, but here is the space set up for a reception (from the events coordinator)
Cocktail Hour- Guests would also enjoy a cocktail hour in the blue bubble cylinders area in this scenario. At this time the caterers would be setting up the reception space.
Reception- Back to the Harbor Overlook area! I had asked if it was possible to use the space for both the ceremony and reception, and the events coordinator explained that they hadn’t tried this yet, but this Fall a bride is trying it for the first time. The caterer’s would work out the details on converting the space. Hopefully there would be a curtain set up so that the guests wouldn’t be right there sipping their drinks and watching the set up. I will have to ask about this. I think that guests would be walking through the exhibit during this time anyway. So when they returned the reception would be opened up to both the cocktail hour area and the reception area in the Harbor Overlook space.
I really want my wedding to be at the aquarium, but the problem is that they only work with one exclusive caterer, The Classic Catering People. They are pretty expensive, so what I’m going to do is get together a proposal from them and talk it all over with my dad before signing with the aquarium. We are also continuing to look at other sites in case it doesn’t work out.
Other notable wedding planning events so far include; trying on dresses with my brother’s fiance, Jaime, at the David’s Bridal in Rockville, where I unexpectedly fell in love with a gown (try to guess which one!), finding the perfect photographer, discovering that said photographer is too expensive for my dad’s tastes, trying on more dresses at The Columbia Bridal Boutique with Jacki… and being disappointed in their collection. And there are more coming soon!
Check back next week for reviews and photos of The American Visionary Art Museum and the Port Discovery Children’s Museum. Both, of course, in Baltimore, where everything cool and unique is.
