"Indecision 2010" or "K and B Pick a Venue" - (Part 1)

Choosing a location for our ceremony was a no-brainer.  Ever since I was a little girl, I've imagined getting married in the same church where my parents were married.  Combine that with the fact that B's parents were married there, and that our relationship grew from our mutual participation in the Cathedral Choir, and it's easy to understand why we can't imagine getting married anywhere else.  It took a bit of convincing to get my parents on board with having the ceremony at a location other than my hometown parish, but they understand B's and my sentimental attachment to the Cathedral, so they support our decision.

With that much decided, it was time to move on to the reception venue.  This was far more daunting.

Ask anyone who has ever planned a wedding and they'll tell you, the reception is usually the most expensive part of a wedding by FAR.  Any decision you and your fiancé make regarding the reception will have a major impact on your budget.  Hors d'oeuvres or full meal?  Buffet or plated dinner?  Formal affair or backyard barbeque?  Weeknight or weekend?

Well there was one decision that was very easy to make.  There was no way I was going to even consider having our reception outdoors.  Ab-so-lutely not.

No thank you.

I'm a control freak.  I'll admit it.  And Mother Nature's sense of humor and I rarely see eye-to-eye.  Our state's unofficial slogan is "South Dakota: If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes."  You simply can't predict what the weather is going to do, and this is August in the Midwest we're talking about.  We're getting married on what is traditionally one of the hottest weekends of the year, with a frequent history of tornadoes, hail storms, and all-around mugginess!  So the whole outdoor wedding thing was never even considered.

With that much decided, it was time to start looking into indoor reception facilities. 

Stay tuned for Part 2!

How did you decide on a venue?  Did you have any dealbreakers that influenced your decision?