Real Weddings: Choosing a venue and a date

Our first wedding planning task was to find a location for our wedding. We weren't planning a church ceremony, and both agreed we liked the idea of holding the ceremony and reception at the same place. We also looked mostly north of Pittsburgh, since that's where we live.

Some of the place we looked at online:

• The Grand Ballroom at Cornerstone Commons, Butler
• Succop Conservancy, Butler
• Cranberry Highlands, Cranberry Township
• Armstrong Farms, Saxonburg
• The Atrium, Prospect

By looking online and contacting these sites for some more information, we narrowed our choice down to two: The Grand Ballroom and The Atrium. After visits to both, we selected The Atrium.
What we loved about The Atrium was the light, open feel of the whole place. It felt perfect for a summer wedding. Also, David very much liked the idea of an outdoor wedding, but the thought of weather issues scared me. At The Atrium, they offer an indoor greenhouse for ceremonies, as well as an outdoor gazebo. We didn't need to decide until the day of the event which option we would use.

I also loved The Atrium's packages, because they were so affordable and included a lot of things we would have had to pay for elsewhere, like centerpieces. At the same time, there was a good amount of flexibility for things like menu choices.

Now that we had our location, we needed a date. We had decided on a late summer wedding, because I wanted about a year to plan and because all of our brothers were in school out of town. At the time, all of the August dates were already booked but one--and it was on hold. We picked the last weekend in July as a back up, and waited another week before we got the call that August 11 was free. . .and our wedding officially had a date.

Favorite Wedding Movie Moments

Over at IDoSugar, BuzzSugar posted her top five wedding moments from the big screen last week, including Princess Bride, Coming to America, Sixteen Candles, Father of the Bride and this great scene from Love Actually:



Take a look at her list and tell me, what other movies feature your favorite wedding scenes? Personally, I am a fan of Sweet Home Alabama, with its super fancy botched ceremony ending in a punch followed by the down home reception at the bar. . .and the happy couple arriving in handcuffs.

Comment below and share your favorites!

Green Wedding Tip #4: Natural lighting

A daytime wedding will require less lighting, and thus less electricity, and be much more environmentally friendly. But if you're planning an evening affair, you can still reduce your energy impact by using candles to light your event.

Besides saving on electricity for your green wedding, candles can had a romantic, intimate feel to your ceremony and reception. Choose soy candles for an eco-friendly glow.

Find more green wedding advice at the Perfect Memories Wedding Store.

New Year's Eve wedding in Etna

Head over to the Post-Gazette to watch this video and read this story about a couple who were married in Etna on New Year's Eve.

The couple, Franklin and Daniele, exchanged wedding vows outside at the same gazebo where they met as teenagers at the bus stop. Very cute story, and I love the cars honking their good wishes in the background!

Pittsburgh flair: Heinz Chapel weddings

One of the most popular locations for ceremonies in Pittsburgh, Heinz Memorial Chapel is a gorgeous setting for weddings. Couples have been saying "I do" at this historic chapel in Oakland since 1946 (check out this great story about three generations of brides who wed at Heinz Chapel).

Of course, since it is such a popular venue, having your wedding there can be tricky business. You or an immediate family member must be affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh in some way (as a student, alumni, faculty, staff or board member) or be an employee of Heinz. Booking your desired date and time at the chapel might be a bit challenging, especially on popular dates. To secure your spot, take the advice of some former Heinz Chapel brides:

• Call Heinz Chapel on the first of the month, 12 months before your wedding, at 8:30 a.m. (so if you're having a July 18, 2009, wedding, you'll want to call on July 1, 2008).
• Recruit several family members to call as well to increase your chances to get through (you'll often face busy signals and will need to keep redialing).
• Try calling from an on campus phone at Pitt. Many brides swear you'll have a better chance to get through.

Of course, if you can be flexible with your date and especially with your time, you'll have an easier time. Many Friday and Saturday morning time slots remain open, and if you pick an off-season date, you can often find Saturday afternoon and evening ceremonies available.

If you're getting married at Heinz Chapel, remember that you'll face some restrictions since so many couple marry there each weekend, most notably with time and decorations. The benefits, however, far out way the restrictions, as you'll be sure to have a beautiful ceremony with great memories (and photographs!) to last a lifetime.

Images from Heinz Memorial Chapel

Cute holiday wedding idea

I was browsing through the latest Williams-Sonoma catalog this week and came across this kissing ball/pomander made from evergreen and holly:
If you're having a holiday or winter-themed wedding, wouldn't this be a fun idea for your flower girl to carry? Or you could use them as pew decorations to decorate your aisle.

Wedding vows a la Dr. Seuss

Polka Dot Bride posted last week wedding vows written by Marty Blase in the fashion of a Dr. Seuss book. I love the whimsical lightness of these lyrical vows. . .though you'll notice that all of the serious stuff in traditional vows is still in there. Imagine how entertained you would be as a guest if the couple exchanged vows like these.

A snippet:

Pastor: Will you answer me right now
These questions, as your wedding
vow?
Groom: Yes, I will answer right now
Your questions as my wedding
vow.
Pastor: Will you take her as your wife?
Will you love her all your
life?
Groom: Yes, I'll take her as my wife,
Yes, I'll love her all my
life.
Pastor: Will you have, and also hold
Just as you have at this time
told?
Groom: Yes, I will have, and I will hold
Just as I have at this time
told,
Yes, I will love her all my life
As I now take her as my wife. .
.

You can read the entire vows here. I do think it's a little bit long, especially since this is just the groom's part. Maybe you could mix in the bride's vows as well, so there's a back and forth between the officiant, bride and groom.

Obviously vows like this will only work for certain couples. You need to be okay with being lighthearted during a ceremony celebrating a very serious commitment (Marty's bride actually vetoed this idea, so they didn't even use them). And what makes it is the quick-paced banter, just like a Dr. Seuss book, so you'll need to be comfortable with performing in front of your guests--and confident in your memory skills. Even so, any bride or groom is subject to an emotional memory lapse when they're reciting their vows, so a cheat sheet is definitely a must.

An inside look at a Pittsburgh Pirates wedding

Did you ever wish you could see the wedding of a Pittsburgh sports star? Saundra at planning. . .forever events recently planned the wedding of Pirates starting pitcher Zach Duke and his gorgeous bride Kristin in Indiana. You can get an inside look at their wedding, and at the life of an event planner in her four-part recap:

• Part I
  
• Part II
• Part III
• Part IV

Enjoy...and congratulations to Zach and Kristin!

P.S. My schedule's a little off this week. . .come back tomorrow for a brand new Fab 5!

Pittsburgh flair: PNC Park weddings

Take me out to the ballgame. . .err, wedding. . .
PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, can be a unique setting for your wedding. With many different options to choose from, the ballpark boasts amazing views of Pittsburgh. When the Pirates aren't playing, you can host your reception in the swanky Lexus Club or on the Pittsburgh Baseball Club Level, in Gunners or Keystone Corner (you can even leave out the pools tables for your guests, if you want!). Your wedding can be as formal and traditional as you like--added baseball elements completely optional.
Want to get even more creative with the space? Use the dugout for a cocktail hour. . .or as a memorable spot for your wedding ceremony!
I also love the idea of tying in a Pirates game with your pre-wedding activities. You could host your rehearsal dinner inside PNC Park, or at one of the nearby restaurants like Outback Steakhouse, Atria's or SoHo. Then you and your wedding party can enjoy the game. Or, purchase group tickets for all of your out-of-town guests for a pre-wedding get together (if paying for everyone's ticket is out of your budget, you could offer them the chance to purchase at the discounted price--they might be interested in a chance to check out the ballpark).

First image: Clip from Modern Bride, Photo by Weddings By Heather
Second, third and fourth image: Pittsburgh Pirates

Marriage license rejected on lack of religious affiliation?

Yesterday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured a story about a couple trying to obtain a marriage license that does not require an officiant. According to the article:

According to the lawsuit, the couple applied for the self-uniting license on Aug. 29. But they were told they would have to supply documentation that they were Quakers or members of the Baha'i faith, who believe that there is one God and that all humanity is one family.

Otherwise, a supervisor told them, the register had been directed to stop issuing self-uniting licenses.

I don't think the state and/or county should be able to decide or receives a certain type of marriage license based on religious beliefs. Isn't that what separation of state and religion is all about? Also, shouldn't the standards be the same across the state? Butler County doesn't even offer the self-uniting option. A license issued in any county can be used for a wedding anywhere in Pennsylvania, so the rules should be the same across the board.

What do you think?

Personalize your wedding: Saying "I do"

Depending on your venue, you may be able to incorporate some non-traditional ideas into your ceremony (some churches and religions may have restrictions and requirements that you will need to follow. Other locations may have site restrictions as well). Choose a contemporary song to walk down the aisle, something that has meaning to both of you. Pick a different unity ceremony—instead of candles, some couples use sand or wine. For the reading, write a poem about you and your soon to be spouse (or, have someone else write it). If you can, write your own vows for the ultimate personal touch. What can be more personal than making the ultimate promise of love in your own words?