Decisions, Decisions!

I have been really bad about updating this thing recently! Mike and I have been very busy going from venue to venue trying to decide where to have our wedding and reception. After much searching, I think the decision has finally been made!

Our journey to find the perfect venue for our wedding is very similar to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Some venues were too expensive, some were too far away (come on, I can't say none were "too cheap".... can you even use the word "cheap" when talking about a wedding?)... then we found one that was just right (no bears came home at the end to scare us away though).

We started at the Villa in Calverton (5 min from our apartment) and it was very nice. Granted, it's right next to 95 and you can hear the highway from the garden area outside, but other than that, the owner of the venue was very nice and the coordinator we met with was very personable and accommodating. We're not going to use the Villa (we found a much better price at another venue... which I will reveal shortly- stay tuned!) but I would definitely recommend it. They offered us a 4 course tasting for 6 people before signing any contracts, which is uncommon.

Mike and I also went to this golf resort called Heritage Hills in York, PA. We were told (mostly by the vendors in York) that it would cost us much less to have our wedding in PA than it would in MD. That peaked my curiousity, so I made an appointment at Heritage Hills to meet with their wedding coordinator. The resort was fine (kind of in the middle of nowhere) but when it came down to it, after all the taxes and fees it was just as expensive to have our wedding their than it would be to have it in Baltimore or DC. So... Heritage Hills was out.

It's a Del Gallo tradition to get married at Holy Rosary Church in Washington DC. Also known as "The Italian Church" many members of Mike's family have attended mass there and have been connected to the Church for many years. His father, aunt, and uncle were all married there so of course we were considering Holy Rosary for our ceremony site. Mike and I met with the event coordinator at Holy Rosary two weekends ago and the church is absolutely gorgeous. It was recently remodeled and the interior of the Church is trully breathtaking. Aside from the familial connection that Mike has to the church. it is a very beautiful place to get married. So, we have decided to have the ceremony at Holy Rosary.

Holy Rosary Church has an adjoining reception hall called Casa Italiana. Mike and I were considering using Casa Italiana for our reception, assuming it would be much cheaper to rent the hall and pay for catering separately- but that is not the case! We've talked to caterers and it actually would end up costing more to hire caterers to come in and serve a seated dinner than it would be to get an all inclusive package deal from a reception venue.

When I went to the Baltimore Bridal Show last month I met a woman named Heather Johnson from Pier 5 Hotel in Baltimore. I made an appointment with her to tour the venue and, in the craziness of wedding planning, forgot about it for several weeks. I was at work last week and a reminder popped up on my calendar (thanks google!) that I had a meeting a Pier 5. I think it was fate... Mike and I visited the venue on Saturday and it was perfect. They have valet parking (and also a lot right next door) and their ballroom overlooks the inner harbor. It is absolutely gorgeous. We thought it would be really expensive, but actually their pricing is quite reasonable. We get a great discount one of their suites for the night, as well as a complimentary suite during the course of the day to use for getting ready/relaxing. I loved the package they offered us, and once we saw the price of catering at Casa Italiana our minds were made up!

So... the plan is to have the ceremony at Holy Rosary Church, and the recepion at Pier 5 Hotel. We realize that the church is in DC, and Pier 5 is in Baltimore, but that seems to be the best plan for us overall. We're thinking about having the ceremony in the morning at say, 11, then have the ceremony begin at 5 or 6 that evening to give our guests time to go home and change and drive to the Baltimore area. Who knows- we may not even have the ceremony on the same day as the reception. That's the last piece we need to figure out.

Ah yes, and the date- I want to have the wedding and the reception on Labor Day of this year (Monday, September 7th). The date is availabel at Pier 5, but we'll need to talk to the priest at Holy Rosary to find out if he is available to marry us that day. I really want to iron out all of these details by the end of the week.

Then, onto my next adventure, which is to find the perfect wedding dress....