Venue Found!!!

Really great news... Sara and I went out to check out Camp Mivoden today. The sad news is that we can't serve any alcohol there. After checking it out, I was sad to admit that though it is a great place, and Marshall and I don't drink all that much so I didn't see a huge deal about not being able to serve booze, it still felt a little weird to not be able to even do a champagne toast!

So Sara and I figured that we were already all the way out in Hayden, why not check out this new venue in Sandpoint. The thing is, if I was willing to look all the way out in Hayden whats another 15 minutes of driving? Thank god we decided to go check out this place because... Its Amazing!!!! There aren't any catering rules (full catering kitchen), we can bring in our own alcohol, there is two rooms... so we can have the ceremony in the theater, and have the reception in the old gym! They even have this smaller hallway room that we can use to have a cocktail hour. It is perfect!

So this first picture it of the theater where the ceremony will be, the photo does it no justice, there the amazing gold trim, and the stage is lovely, the people who have remodeled the whole building even have done all the woodwork on their own I can't begin to explain how beautiful this place is!

This next photo is of the old gym which is now the reception hall. Yep, amazing!!! And lots of space to dance around, eat food and be merry!

The view of the outside of the old Sandpoint high school that is now the lovely Sandpoint Events Center, so happy to have found a venue that fits all of the things that I wanted. Its like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Fantastic!

So random thought, Marshall loves cheese... Thinking of instead of doing a grooms cake that we would do a cheese table with lots of different types of cheese, some apples and pears. People that don't like dessert can eat cheese and fruit.

Still searching for a venue...

Since my last blog I have ruled out the Lincoln Center, because they also now require you to use the Glover mansion Catering Company... LAME! ... and they wanted $4,700 to rent the whole building!!! I don't get why so many venues use Glover, they have the worst customer service, and awful food! Anyway... in the long search for a venue the amazing Sara came across Camp Mivoden in Hayden Lake. It has dorms, both indoor and outdoor places for the ceremony depending on the weather, I actually really love the indoor auditorium. They are reasonably priced, and then all the out of town people would have a place to stay, it is $58-78 a night there and that includes 3 meals and full use of the camp. They even have an indoor pool and hot tub.

I think it would be really fun to get there a day early and do the rehearsal dinner there, just a really huge bbq with anyone who shows up a day early instead of doing a formal dinner that night. That way we will be able to hang out with all of our out of town guests who get in early a little bit more than just at the wedding. Then maybe have brunch Sunday morning for the people who stay Saturday night.

This is a image of a wedding in the auditorium.

I haven't been able to find any invites that really jump out at me at this point, but here are a couple that I have bookmarked. I like the idea of having a formal invite, because if we end up at the camp the rest of the weekend won't be very formal, but I would really like to have everyone dressed up at the wedding at least. Having a formal invite really seems to set the stage, and give the people an idea of how to dress for the wedding.

I have been pretty sure since we first got engaged that I just wanted the bridesmaids to just pick out a purple dress, any color, any cut not matching just purple. But the girls haven't really seen anything that they love, and so I have been on the hunt for something that I like. Today when Sara and I went to the bridal fair and during the runway show a girl was wearing a dress like these dresses made by twobirds in NYC. They have lots of different colors, so the girls could all have different color dresses.

I never really thought I would ever want to do the whole awkward guarder removal deal... and I still don't think I will be down, but I would really, really love to rock one of these lovely guarders! So pretty!
I am still in the planning a wedding isn't fun at all stage. I think I would be just as happy getting eloped. But, I really want to have my family with me, and when Marshall and I both add up our families its a lot, and I would hate to leave any of them out! That and we have way too many friends :)