Venues that Weren't - The Mansion at Maple Heights

A few weeks before getting engaged, the FI and I attended a friend's wedding.  It was the first wedding I'd ever been to where the reception followed the ceremony immediately at the same location.  We both loved this set up and decided right away that we wanted something similar.  This would be especially good for us because neither of our families are familiar with Pittsburgh.

And, to be honest, I started researching venues a couple days after that wedding, even though we weren't engaged yet.  Soon after, I had our entire wedding planned.  It would all take place at the Mansion at Maple Heights and it would be fabulous.

Seriously, this place looked amazing:

From the Mansion's website

After our tour of Phipps, and a quick debriefing in the cafe, we all piled into the FI's car (we weren't going to chance my mom getting lost again) and headed to Shadyside to see the Mansion.  We headed up a steep hill, used the intercom to let them know we arrived, waited for the gate to rise and drove up to the Mansion.

This venue offers some very cool options for a wedding.  First off, it's a bed and breakfast.  So, bridal parties, close family guests and the bride and groom are able to stay in the rooms the night of the wedding (the rooms can be booked for the night before for an extra charge).  

There is an amazing entertainment room upstairs, that would easily occupy younger guests (supervised, obviously) or the groom and his buddies.  It has a huge projection TV, theater style seating and a couple game consoles.  We were shown a brief promo video while in this room.

The ceremony would take place outside, somewhere in the yard, which is beautiful.  The reception would happen under a tent (like the picture above).  And, the catering?  They work exclusively with Big Catering!  So exciting.

There were so many amazing details throughout.  And, I had such an emotional response to the idea of getting married there.  Seriously, at one point, our guide was leading us back downstairs, describing how the FI and I would be presented as husband and wife coming down the steps.  I welled up and started crying.  I was shocked at the response, but I could see us and imagine how I'd feel.

So, on our drive back to my mom's car and later that night, we discussed the venue:

Pros:

- This place is impressive, from the first moment people drive up to the gated drive to the beautiful rooms and grounds

- Close family and friends would have a place to stay the night of the wedding (so would the FI and I if we wanted to)

- The bridal suite was amazing and would be a great place to prepare for the wedding and/or unwind afterwards

- Alcohol is purchased by the couple, not the caterers.  This is a great opportunity for savings

- Speaking of the caterer, it was the ones I wanted to use: Big Catering

- Everything was customize-able, down to the curtains and salt & pepper shakers

- The feeling of this venue, while impressive, is homey.  Its relaxed and private and there are plenty of spaces for people to sit and chat (besides their dining table)

Cons:

- Everything was customize-able.  For a couple who has a hard time picking out salad dressing, this was incredibly overwhelming.  How in the world would we be able to make all those choices on linens, flatware, etc.?  And, did we really want to?

- The customization could lead to $$$.  Although the basics were covered in the main package, upgrades could add up quickly

- And, on the subject of money, the price was higher because of the included night's stay in the B&B rooms.  Our original budget hadn't incorporated this extra expense

That's about all I can think of for cons.  The Mansion was definitely a gorgeous venue and stayed in the running for awhile.  It wasn't until our next venue tour, the Heinz History Center, that The Mansion fell off of our maybe list.

Venues that Weren't - Phipps Conservatory

Phipps Conservatory has long been one of my favorite locations in Pittsburgh.  It's a peaceful, beautiful excursion year round.  It's a chance to see some exotic plants, beautiful sculpture/glass/trains (depending on the season).  And, I always thought it would be an amazing wedding venue.

Photo from the website of Phipps Conservatory

My mom, FI and I planned on meeting at Phipps to take a tour and talk with one of their events coordinators.  Unfortunately, my mom got lost on her way and the FI (a.k.a. knight in shining armor) had to drive around Oakland a bit to find her and lead her back.  This experience showcased one early issue with the venue: standard GPS's were not able to locate/direct people to the botanical gardens...  There was an alternative address we could give guests, but this seemed like it may cause some confusion.

Once we had all arrived, we started the tour in the Outdoor Garden.  It was gorgeous.  A tiered garden with fountains, walkways and a great view of Oakland, it was easy to imagine our ceremony and reception taking place here.

Potential Outdoor Gardens Ceremony Site - Phipps Wedding Site

Next, we took a quick walk through the conservatory to reach the Tropical Forest and Special Events Hall. This is where I really wanted our wedding to take place.  It is one of the most impressive parts of the gardens: a walkway through giant plants, ending at a fountain and giant fish pond.  The hall itself was a blank canvas, not much different than other halls except that the windows (when not covered with floor to ceiling curtains) show the Tropical Forest.  Plus, there is a great patio area off the hall where guests could enjoy the outdoors.

The Special Events Hall - from Phipps Events Page

As our tour wrapped up (we didn't see other parts of the gardens because our guest list would be too large) talk turned to catering.  As a self-proclaimed foodie, one of the things I was most excited about for the wedding was picking a great caterer.  I had my heart set on Big Catering from the moment I saw their menus and I knew that Phipps was listed on their preferred venue list.  So, it came as a bit of a surprise when I learned that Phipps has their own caterers that have to be used for weddings.

After thanking our guide for her time, we sat down with some cold drinks in the cafe area.  We had a bit of time before our next appointment and decided to review the menu and discuss the venue.  Below are a few of the talking points that came up:

Pros:
- Phipps is, hands down, one of the most beautiful venues in Pittsburgh
- We could purchase tickets for guests ahead of time - tours to Phipps would be a great favor
- The catering menu was impressive, full of sustainable/trendy/yummy sounding items
- The events group knows what they are doing and a lot of the decision making would be negated by standard packages, etc.

Cons:
- May be hard for people to find (only for GPS users, not for people with smart phones)
- The Tropical Forest & Special Events Hall wasn't available for any Saturdays in 2012.  We'd either have to agree on a Friday/Sunday wedding, be willing to have the wedding in the Outdoor Gardens or wait till 2013 to get married (I don't think so!)
- Catering would be expensive and was not exactly what I'd hoped for

Phipps would have been an amazing place to get married and allowed us to share one of my favorite places with all of our out of town guests.  But, it was not "The Venue" for us.

Next up - our tour of the Mansion at Maple Heights.

Not so much for the picture taking...

Usually, photos of me look like this:

Well, if I'm lucky...  The alternative is a silly face of some sort:

Obviously, this is something the FI agrees with...  We never take photos too seriously because neither of us ever really likes the way we look in them.  So, when the engagement shoot loomed, we were both a little anxious.  

We both got a bit of professional grooming.  Him a haircut at a salon (instead of the clippers, at home).  I got my eyebrows done and a french manicure.

Then, we shopped.  For hours.  I don't even know how long we were at the mall.

I had been hoping to find a "dressy" look and a "casual" look for the photos.  It was a bit much to hope for in one day of shopping.  I did find a couple skirts and a nice sweater.  But, the second costume had to wait till a couple hours before the appointment.  A quick trip to Target (for an umbrella I wanted as a prop and didn't even end up using, and a pair of tights for the skirt) led me to some cute casual tops and jewelry.

Hours later, after much primping and adjusting of final details, we headed to the Strip District to meet our photographers.  I'll explain a bit more of where we were when the pics are available.  For now, I'll tell you my overall impressions of our engagement photo shoot.

First off, it was weird.  I haven't had pictures taken by a professional since my last family portrait, years ago.  And, that whole experience probably lasted twenty or so minutes.  This was two full hours of posing, etc.

Second, I'm not sure why I felt it necessary to have a "dressy" outfit.  We are generally casual people and the skirt look probably didn't reflect our life...  Plus, I felt much more comfortable/myself once I changed into jeans.  I may love some of those first pics, but only time will tell if it was worth it.

Third, and lastly, it did get slightly less weird as time went by.  This gives me a bit of hope that we will feel much better in front of the lens by the wedding day.  It also gives me some hope that the last pics will show us the way we usually are together.

Now, the waiting...  We should have the pics within a month or so.  (And, then, I can get started on the Save the Dates.)

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche

a.k.a. Let them eat cake

As in, I have my cake flavors picked out and my date saved with the baker.  Hoo-ray!

The FI and I had our tasting on Saturday afternoon and it was AMAZING!  We showed up to the SweetHouse Bake Shop, in Mars, around noon.  We were quickly greeted and shown upstairs to the room where we'd be tasting cake...  Or, perhaps, I should say cupcakes.  As we walked in, I saw two pedestals, each with three gorgeous cupcakes.  Each of our six chosen flavors was displayed in glorious miniature:
     Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup (FI picked this first, which I totally expected)
     Strawberry Shortcake
     Blueberry Lemon
     Caramel Apple
     Cherry Almond
     Sweet Potato Citrus
 

There weren't the cupcakes that day but are from the SweetHouse Bake Shop's Gallery.

We sat down at the table and were joined by the baker soon after.  After a few pleasantries, we began

nom...

nom...

nom...

-ing.

Six cupcakes later (ok, we didn't polish off 100% of them all... just our favorite two, or three or four?) and we had our flavors picked: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup (a moist, rich, insanely dark chocolate cake with not-cloyingly sweet peanut butter frosting) and Sweet Potato Citrus (a sweet potato cake with blood orange frosting... easily my favorite).

We also picked out our tiers: 10", 12" and 14".  Although, that, as well as the color and overall presentation, may change a bit as we get closer to the wedding and have more details on our decor and attendance.

I am so excited about the cake, I can't stand it.

Plus, that's one more check mark on the ever-expanding "To Do" list.

Up next - details about Sunday's engagement photo shoot!

I Have a Dress!

Ok, I don't really "have" a dress.  I have a dress ordered.  Close enough!

After last weekend, I thought I may have found The Dress but couldn't quite convince myself.  The dress was beautiful, fit my body like it was made for me and had some great details...  But, I just wasn't sure that it was "me".

So, I made an appointment at Bridal Beginning, in Mt. Lebanon, for Thursday night.  I picked up my mom after work and we headed to the store.  After filling out my info card, I was introduced to my consultant, Leslie.  She led us to a fitting room and sat us down to talk for a few minutes.  We discussed the venue and I showed her my favorite dress from Sunday (the one I was going to buy if I didn't find something else I wanted more):

Leslie left the fitting room while I changed into my strapless bra and the slip and shoes she brought in.  She came back with a few dresses.  The first one I tried on was gorgeous.  I already knew that I wouldn't be buying the one from MB Bride.

I continued to try on dresses and found myself comparing them all to this first one.  It had some fun details like the 3D flowers and mocha color accents.  Plus, it had a lace-up back and a great shape.  It was going to be hard to beat...

But, it did eventually happen.  I ended up trying on the first dress again, and then the contender.  Both dresses made trips out the front of the store for a look in the three way mirror (not too many were worth making my mom walk on her broken foot).

After a private chat with my mom, I realized that the last dress was the one for me.  It was perfect for my venue, my vision of the wedding and made me feel like the version of myself I want to be on that day (elegant, timeless, simple, and awesome!).

I'm not going to give too many details on the dress I ordered, but it is completely different from the two above.  I'll just say that I can't wait to wear it!

Finally, since I have two experiences to compare, I'll give my opinions of shopping at the two bridal shops.

MB Bride

- Huge selection of dresses

- Nice fitting rooms with curtained area for changing

- Self service + some guidance for picking out dresses to try

- Reasonable prices

- Consultant seemed to know what she was talking about but got distracted/rushed at the end of the appointment (when she learned that her next appointment was early and waiting)

Bridal Beginning

- Gorgeous, unique dresses on display

- Smaller fitting room with no private area for changing (I had to change in front of my mom)

- Consultant finds dresses for you based on input

- Reasonable prices (I was totally expecting the dresses here to be more expensive but they were still in a good range)

- Consultant was awesome and seemed to really enjoy her job.  She took the time to completely lace-up all the dresses and was extremely thorough with her explanations to our questions

I wouldn't say that one was better than the other; they were completely different experiences and I enjoyed both.  I did learn that its a lot easier to get focused attention and less rushed feelings on a weeknight.

Next up, gotta get going on the wedding website and STD's (save the dates, that is).