Wedding Venues 1 & 2

The search is on! The wedding advice ladies at school tell me that if we want to get married in 2008, we must quickly find a venue. It seems that we are coming late to the party already because many venues fill their summer reservations more than a year in advance. Therefore, while we can wait on many things, we must get this first detail nailed down ASAP. Over the weekend, with my mother along for moral support (and because she's fun to have around), we went out and looked at the first two potential locations.

The two venues happened to be fairly close to one another, so we were able to see them one right after the other. The first was The Plateau Club, a golf and country club in Sammamish. Driving up, it looked like most country clubs with perfectly manicured greens, imposing front doors, and special parking for golf carts. We knew going in that it wasn't likely to be a very "us," but we thought we would give it a try. Walking through those imposing front doors, I knew immediately that it was a no-go. It smelled. In fact, it reeked like a diner with a deep-fat fryer that hasn't been cleaned in decades. It did not matter the decor or the prices or the menus, we were not going to use this location. We all dutifully went on the tour and received the brochure, but when we got to the car we all agreed that it was not going to happen. We went off to a Starbucks to recover our sense of smell before the next appointment.

The next place was just about as different as you can get from the first. Located in a city park, this small lodge was just about as quaint as they come. In a beautiful wooded setting, with log finish on walls and ceiling, and windows looking out at the lake, it was a perfect picture of pacific NW aesthetic from about 1940. There were many things to love about it (including the low rental fee) but there were also some drawbacks. First, it had no AC, and the only summer date available was July 26th. Second, it had no truly private bathrooms. The lodge's bathrooms all included doors to the outside because they serve as the bathroom facilities for everyone in the park as well as wedding guests. Last, it's just not that big a space. It could be tough fitting a dance floor, buffet tables, and seating in the one room. This venue stays on the list, but we are not finished looking.

And so, the search continues. M and I would really like to find a place that feels just right. Of course, we may dither so long that nothing is left, but in that case we can just change our date to an off-peak time. Wedding in April anyone?