Changing Wedding Venues... Again

The "again" in the title of this post isn't exactly fair. We only put down a deposit on one location. We have, however, settled on a location more than once only to change our minds.

So what happened?

Glad you asked.

Thursday evening, my mother calls me with fretful concern over our choice of venue. There are a number of reasons she listed, but the top two were:

1. She'd heard from reputable sources that they tend to... shuttle people in and out on the day of their event.

This could be a valid complaint since they hold multiple events in multiple rooms on the same day.

2. She was worried that no one room was large enough to accommodate our guests and we would be crowded into two adjoining rooms. The thought of having a "B" room where people can't easily see the first dance or the cake cutting, and have to hear toasts through a speaker had become increasingly less appealing. Just imagine them trying to shove into the doorway to watch the proceedings.

Add to these two very reasonable concerns an uneasy feeling in her stomach/heart/mind, and she had a pretty convincing argument on her hands.

My family rarely uses emotions in their arguments, so when we do, others take notice and it carries extra weight.

So Easy and I went by my parents' house after his gig and we talked numbers. We tried to figure out our options. We had already put down a deposit with our first venue and didn't want to lose that money.

My first love (no not the Botanic Garden, that was just a fantasy) was the Haley Mansion in Joliet.

Imagine it with snow for February.

It seemed originally outside our price point for budget. But we moved around some numbers and it seemed feasible.

On Friday, my mother and father drove to Joliet to take a look at the mansion. My father finally understood what the fuss was all about. The question was now how to sort out the issue of the deposit.

But we were in luck! The mansion and the chateau are owned by the same people! They told my parents they could transfer the deposit from one venue to the other after they sign the contract with the second venue.

It still feels less than real that I will actually have my wedding at my dream venue. It just has so much to offer. The third floor, for example, is dedicated entirely to the wedding party having a place to hang out and get ready.

I want to jump for joy, but I will hold it in until the contract is signed and the deposit is transferred. If you'll excuse me, I have to go change around several things on my wedding website.