I think the best way to learn more and get ideas about venues and vendors is to talk to other brides! I would love to tell you about the details of my Kansas City, KS wedding. I am not completely finished with the planning process, but I want to talk to you about the three things that were/are most important to me:
1. The ceremony venue
2. The reception venue
3. Our photographer
The Ceremony Venue
After picking the date, which wasn’t too difficult (it’s just a couple days after our “dating anniversary”!), we needed to decide on the ceremony venue. I have been in Manhattan, KS for the past 6 years and don’t really have a home parish here in KC and Geoff really didn’t care either way. We are both Catholic and really preferred to get married in a church. So, I decided to carry on a little tradition in our family! Not only did my sister get married at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in KCK, but my mother did as well! I think this just adds a little more of a personal touch to the venue! It was an easy decision really and I wanted to finalize it quickly, because most places need you to book at least 6 months to a year a head of time. Blessed Sacrament is a beautiful church in the inner city and will be just perfect for our big day!
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, KCK (The beautiful bride in the photo is my sister, Jen!)
I love the interior of this church! The stained glass windows and arches are amazing!
The Reception Venue
I don’t really know where to begin with this category! This part of the planning process was definitely the biggest issue. I originally wanted a smaller, more intimate reception on our big day, but you know how things go…well, they just change! Geoff and I also have very different taste…we love anything and everything vintage (50’s), swanky, or modern. We wanted something that would definitely represent us and celebrate our style. I had found a place called Bacchanalia in Overland Park, KS. I LOVED this place! It had a very Tuscan feel (I was thinking Under the Tuscan Sun with Diane Lane…I LOVE that movie) that was cozy and different! Well, after almost being sold on the idea, I noticed that the venue seated 150. I thought that that was a great number…exactly what I wanted! Well, it was perfect until I realized that 150 people meant 150 individual people. I was completely forgetting about guest+1 or +2 or even guest+gigantic family (not Duggar family gigantic, but more than 2 individuals)! So, I had to scrap that. Our small-ish wedding is now looking more like 270-300 people…I wasn’t being very realistic. I decided to research swanky clubs, theaters, or even lofts in KC. I don’t know about any of you, but I found it really hard to find anything online. I kept finding the same ‘ol things. It was annoying. I decided that I liked Club 1000 & The Uptown Theater. So we checked into them. Yes, they would have been perfect if only it hadn’t been for the ridiculous price tag (see title of this blog)! One place was acutally $60/head. Ok, mental math here people…$60+300 people=Geoff & Beth living in a box FOOOOOREVER!! I was lost. Where could I find something cool, but affordable??! My mom suggested Painted Hills Golf Course to me and I wasn’t too keen on the idea. Geoff & I are definitely not golfers, but I decided to take a look! I am soooo glad that I did! “The Room With A View,” their banquet room, was so nice! It isn’t that swanky club/theater that I wanted, but it wasn’t a school a big empty space either! The room has windows all around, looking over the course, which I will admit, is beautiful! The thing that definitely did it for me…the patio! They have a wonderful patio overlooking the course and they give you the option of renting a tent for more seating! I was sold! It also worked out great that it is pretty close to the ceremony site, family’s houses, and The Legends (there will be time to kill in between, so why shouldn’t my guests shop??). They provide catering as well…a package deal…less stress & mess for you! The banquet room is extremely accessible for handicap guests or elderly guests…no stairs whatsoever! Done deal…YES!
Painted Hills Golf Course, KCK
Once again, for you new brides, I will remind you that a lot of places want you to book way in advance…a year to the date sometimes! For my sister’s wedding, she chose George Meyn Hall in KCK for her reception site! It is definitely a great option for large receptions! My dad had to stand in line a year before…and draw numbers…can we say intense? Woah! So, keep that in mind!
The Photographer
This was one of the top things on my “To-Do before it’s too late” list! I honestly had no idea who to contact for pictures! I had attended a bridal extravaganza and picked up different fliers from photographers, but really felt helpless! Pictures are so important and being on a budget, I wanted to leave room to spend what I needed to so that I would have the BEST pictures! I can’t tell you how many countless hours I spent online looking at people’s pictures…crazy. Just looking at pictures wasn’t making my decision any easier…I wanted to be able to trust my photographer…really know and trust them! This is where fate stepped in…(I know you are all in the mood for a story:).)
I attended a bachelorette party back in October for one of my really good friends! It was a great time and I met a lot of awesome ladies! A friend of “the bachelorette” drove with us from KS to NE and we talked a lot about weddings, since she was recently married herself! I told her that I was having an awful time finding a photographer and she proceeded to tell me about her nightmare of a situation with her photographer. She NEVER received her pictures…NEVER. How awful! (This is what I am talking about when I say “trust your photographer!” You want to be sure that they are going to be around to give you your memories!) We chatted a little more and she said “You should check out my friend, Erica! She’s amazing!” Usually I forget to follow up on things like these, but once I arrived home after a fun weekend, I hopped on the net, and there she was…my photographer! It took me a matter of minutes to decide…”Yep, this is it!” I could see in her photos that she was really capturing moments and memories, not just poses and fake, forced smiles! This was a characteristic that I was looking for. I love creative and personal shots…ones that are candid… Ericamay Photography definitely provides that! One of the best features is that she provides you with a cd of all of your photos…this is AWESOME ladies! Not a lot of photographers do this! Make sure you ask when you make an appt.! If you don’t get the cd how will you share your pics on facebook? If I didn’t have them I wouldn’t be able to share them with you now!
After Geoff & I met with Erica, we knew that she was perfect for the job! She is not only my photographer, but someone who I can trust and who I look to for advice about my big day…I am a lucky bride! NEW BRIDES: GO TO HER WEBSITE (and check out her blog)…EMAIL HER…DO NOT MISS OUT!!!!
I absolutely LOVE this photo of my ring! We did our engagement photo shoot in downtown KCMO and she found the coolest backdrop for my ring!
I think that Erica definitely captured our style in this photo! I LOVE IT!
Good luck with this stage of your planning process, ladies, wherever you are in the planning process! Feel free to contact me about any of the venues or vendors that I mention!
Have a WONDERFUL weekend!
-Soon-to-be Mrs. P