Venue Location - Part 2

When I first started reading Weddingbee, the posts I had the most trouble reading were the posts about venues.  It wasn't that the posts were boring - it was just that I couldn't identify with 1. the location and 2. the search itself.  But when I started researching for my own venue, I scoured the web for any glimmer of Boston venue posts.  I really hope that this can help someone with their Boston venue search!

I know at this point Brian and I had only visited 3 places but it was 3 venues within a week and a half and I was starting to get tired.  It really felt like we were apartment hunting again - only way more expensive.  But then I watched a couple episodes of Say Yes To The Dress and REAALLLY wanted to start searching for my wedding dress.  But I couldn't get a dress yet until I knew the setting, right?  So that meant we had to keep on going or I wouldn't be able to get a dress.

On we went!  A venue hunting we will go!  Onward and upward!  I think that's Willy Wonka's glass elevator but it's a good mantra to have in life.  Sheraton Commander in Harvard Square was our next destination - also in Harvard Square but a few more blocks set in.  This was also a location that offered a GREAT wedding package.  Their wedding package was very flexible, inclusive, and affordable.  They had a ballroom that was spacious and great for a larger wedding.  But, once again, it just wasn't for us.  Our wedding would have felt cavernous in the ballroom and it just didn't have the type of light/openness we kept obsessing over.

Next we moved back to Boston proper and looked at The Westin Copley.  I honestly really liked this venue while Brian was a little more mixed about it. If I could describe it in one word, it would be modern.  It had very clean lines, open ballroom (you can see it in the picture - the window right below "The Westin" sign).  It overlooks the Boston Public Library as well as Copley Plaza.  The price was a little more expensive than what we wanted but the coordinator was very open to negotiation.  Ultimately, it was a little too modern for us an it didn't quite have the warmth we wanted for our celebration.  I could definitely picture this venue for

I hope I don't sound too much like Goldilocks (too hot/too cold) but we really wanted something just right and we didn't want to feel like we were settling.  If Brian has taught me anything, it's not to settle.  If it doesn't feel right, move on and be patient.  Something right will always come along.  Thanks, lovie.  :)  (gag, right?)

FINAL TWO VENUES!  Home stretch, guys, you can do it!

I tried to quickly find a picture of a lighted tent at night at The Commandant's House but they're all on photographer's blogs so this pic will have to do.  Honestly, my heart skipped a beat when I saw these pictures and I just imagined a night outside with tons of candles, music, dancing and laughing. I really thought I would have my wedding here at The Commandants House out in a tent but for people that live in New England, then we all know how rainy this whole summer was.  We wanted to see how the inside of the house looked also in case we needed to hold our wedding indoors.  It's a very intimate place that gives possibly the greatest views of Boston.  Located right in the Charlestown Navy Yard, the front window looks into Boston and it's magical (or as magical as the Boston skyline can be).  However, if we went with this option, then we would need to coordinate with the tent rental company, the caterers, and get insurance on everything and it was just too much for us to organize.  Also, I really am not an outdoor person - I don't even like walking on grass barefoot.

The last place we visited was the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center - located one block away from Cambridgeside Galleria.  How amazing is that photo?  We both LOVED this place.  It had huge ceilings, charm, and a wonderful outside courtyard.  As a BIG plus, they hold the cocktail hour in a gallery on the first floor and the exhibition for next summer is "Paris at Night".  How romantic and perfect!

We really liked this option because it offered us a lot of flexibility and control with the price.  Our main concern with The Charles Hotel was how expensive the liquor was.  At CMAC, we could bring in alcohol for a fraction of the price.  Also, we thought that by having caterers, we would be able to save some money in that aspect as well.

My only concern with CMAC was the size of the room.  I loved the size, but it also meant we had to do a lot in terms of decorating to make sure it didn't feel too empty since we weren't having that many guests.  As you can see, lighting can do a ton to a room.  While CMAC does provide very good lighting options, we would definitely need a lighting specialist to help design the lighting, which was an additional cost.

SO at the end of this long journey, Brian and I narrowed our choices down to CMAC and The Charles!  We agonized over the decision and did a LOT of number crunching.  I'm not lying, I can send you my Google Spreadsheets of all my venue calculations (10 tabs!) if you want proof.  Ultimately there were a series of events which lead us to our decision...dun dun dun!  Stay tuned!

I Want Your Address! (No Stalking, I Promise)

I think it's pretty typical for people my age to move around a lot and, quite honestly, I don't really need anyone's address since I only contact with people through email, gchat, or facebook.  However, my love of paper and pretty has forced me to not send out electronic save-the-dates (STD's ...hehehehehe).  However, the thought of emailing all of the guests and getting each individual address back, and having to copy-and-paste everything into one spreadsheet nauseated and exhausted me.  The solution?  GOOGLE DOCS (how I love thee).

I love using Google Docs spreadsheet for my wedding related items because I can work on them at home but also work on them during my lunch breaks at work.  When I was playing around with the spreadsheets, I noticed a "form" option.  I then a found great solution to just send out a form to my entire guest list for them to send me their address and Google Docs automatically places their address into a spreadsheet.

Step 1
Google Docs
You must already have a google account for this.  Create New: Form

Step 2
You need to then create the fields for the user to fill out.  I only had two fields for them - name and address.  That way whoever fills out the form will be always remember to add their name so you do't have to guess who lives where.  Here's how my form fields look:

You also can choose the theme of how the form will look to whoever you email to.  Just click: Theme

Here's how my form looks to whoever I emailed it to:

Step 3

Email the form!

Step 4

View responses.  Here's how all the responses will look

Then you can sort the spreadsheet however you like!

The only thing I wish I could change is a better way of keeping track of how many people responded out of who I sent it to.  I forgot who I sent the form to and really had to dig to find the list I originally emailed the form to.  But other than that, I love this form!  Nice and easy to get addresses!

Pretty Maids All In A Row

I knew Brian and I would be having a small wedding party so I automatically knew I'd be asking my 3 cousins to be my bridesmaids.  My two older cousins will be co-maids of honor.  I was g-chatting with my oldest cousin Alice when she asked who my maid of honor would be.  I then realized I had never officially asked anyone and just point blank asked her then.  So much for the plans of hand-making pretty cards...next best plan = gchat  :)  She then immediately asked if her sister Virginia could be a MOH as well which I hadn't thought of but said yes anyway.  The more the merrier!

I then started combing through the web for bridesmaid dresses that all 3 could wear.  I was a little concerned about finding a dress that would also be appropriate for my youngest cousin who will be 15 at the time of the wedding.  I also wanted to find the typical cliche wish for BM dresses: affordable and re-wearable.  That's why I by-passed the traditional BM dress designers and immediately went to Nordstrom.  I found a couple of choices I liked and turned to my trusted Google Docs to create a slideshow for my cousins.  (P.S. More on how much I love Google Docs to come)

I was REALLY relieved when they all said they liked the 2nd option the best by DeLaRue since it was the most affordable and also the one I liked the most.  As a surprise, I bought the dresses for them and gave it to them as a Christmas present.  Luckily, the sizes I bought for them just fit them perfectly but I have since forbidden any of them to lose/gain weight (KIDDING for anyone who thought I meant that - I don't care if they switch sizes with each other, as long as I don't have to buy a new dress - KIDDING again).  But here are their reaction's to the dress which I thought of as a positive reaction.  P.S. Please don't kill me for posting this pic!