Can we please just get on with this?

So, it seems like EVERYONE I know is getting married (Sarah, Martin & Kelly) or has just gotten married (Hilary & George, Jess & Dan, Aaron & Jackie, Charlie & Jenna). It makes me just want to get ON with this whole thing. I don't WANT to wait 10 months. I want to see Jon more than once a week (our schedules are almost opposite, so we're lucky if we see each other once a week, really lucky if it's twice). So, weddings are definitely on the brain. I find myself obsessively checking websites like www.bryanmitchell.com (our photographer) and www.rockandrollbride.com for super cool photo ideas. Shannon (my best friend and maid of honor) is flying in from Boston in a few weeks and I can't wait to see her. Of course part of the plan for that weekend is to go bridesmaid dress shopping and for her to meet all the other girls, but I'm super thrilled just to see her. I haven't seen her since last summer when we met up in DC!

So, because I'm obsessing over things like the limited edition Williams Sonoma only Kitchen Aid 90th anniversary stand mixer in candy apple red (see here) and Le Creuset dutch ovens in red enamel (here) and so forth, I figured I'd just get some of this out of my system and do a wedding-related post.

This summer was a flurry of activity in terms of finding a place for our reception, looking for a dress and giving people money. First order of business was finding a reception hall...

We first went to Dominick's. A true Ann Arbor favorite, we liked the fact that we could get the entire back patio for ourselves and, of course, their divine sangria.

Ultimately, we decided that it was a bit too casual and wanted something fancier in the way of food (we'd pretty much be limited to pizza and sandwiches) so, the plan is to do the rehearsal dinner at Dominick's, which has the added advantage of being just across the diag from the church where we're getting married.

Stop two was at The Gandy Dancer. Another Ann Arbor institution, the Gandy Dancer was always the place my family went for VERY special occasions. I didn't really think that it would be in our price range, but we decided to take a look anyways since some bridal magazine I had indicated that their prices weren't as awful as one might expect.

Now I realize this doesn't look like much from the photos, but the outdoor courtyard at the Gandy Dancer is quite nice. Unfortunately, the woman in charge of catering and groups wasn't in that day so we were only able to get a packet with info on menus and so forth. We liked the space, the fact it was "outside" (but not so outside disaster would ensue if it rains), and it was elegant. A strong contender, but we still had other places to see and a lot of questions for the catering woman. Another visit would be necessary.

Next stop was the U of M Botanical Gardens. It quickly eliminated itself since we didn't need a place for the ceremony, the reception could only be indoors and the room where they hold receptions looked like a school lunchroom. The photos are lousy because we couldn't actually go in and I was taking them through the window. Still, not so great.

Our journey continued onward with a stop for a beer and a chance to sit down at Corner Brewery. While there, we figured we'd inquire if they do receptions. They do, but it just wasn't the right feel for us and we moved onwards.

Wellers in Saline was the next stop and posed numerous problems. This was a true "wedding factory" and they charge extra for EVERYTHING. You want glass wine glasses? That will be extra per glass (you get plastic otherwise). It costs extra for a Saturday night. You can't just have the gazebo (which would seat about 150 people) you have to ALSO get the carriage house. They only do a buffet dinner. You can only order alcohol from one place in Ann Arbor. There is a cake cutting fee. It quickly seemed ridiculous, so despite the fact that the grounds are pretty, it was out almost from the get-go.

Our last stop was Cobblestone Farm. Immediately, there was a problem. They were booked for almost ALL of next summer already (if you wanted a Saturday). The only available weekends were either before school let out for the summer (I'd be a madwoman) or the weekend of art fair. We already ruled that out, so the fact that I didn't really like it and it looks like a barn (ok, ok, it IS a barn) didn't matter.

So, after all that, where did we end up? We're going with The Gandy Dancer. Awesome food, in our budget and no crazy extras. No cake cutting fee. No fee for glass glasses. No problem bringing in an outside cake. We dont' even have to tell them how many chicken dishes and how many beef before the reception. Because they're a restaurant, people get to pick off our little set menu that night. Not to mention that when we did get to meet with the catering lady, I liked her A LOT. She seems very with it, friendly but knows what she's doing. I'm very excited for this! We can even have a little dancefloor :)

Next post? The wedding dresses...the good, the bad and the ugly (no, I'm not posting a photo of the one I picked, not till the wedding!)