Rockin the Night Before Away!

One of my biggest fears of being an out of town bride was finding a rehearsal dinner location. When we headed down to Sarasota last Friday, this fear was on the forefront of my mind. I fear no longer! We found the most fun place to have our rehearsal dinner and we will certainly be rockin the night before away..

Drum roll!!! Or rather, Honk your Horn! The rehearsal dinner will be at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum! This place is cool!

So here is how it happened...

Groom and I were driving to scope out the wedding location (once again) when I got a novel idea. Wouldn't some of our guests love to stop in the Sarasota Classic Car Museum on their down time? Groom and I had been to a classic car museum in my hometown and had a really great time. Both Groom's dad and mine are both avid classic car guys. My dad has a Ford Fairlane and I have a 1965 Morris Minor (a lesser known fact about me, Dad graciously stores it in his garage).

Here's a pic of a 1965 Morris Minor (look a lot like mine)...

And here is a picture of a Ford Fairlane...

One of my most memorable moments growing up was when my dad took me on the back of his motorcycle (also a classic now) to a classic car show in a neighboring town. Dad and I checked out all of the classic cars and had a great time. Then dad and I joined a pancake breakfast that was being held as part of the show. Man it was cool! When dad and I sped off on his Norton bike, I knew I'd always remember that day. Growing up, there were plenty other swap meets and car shows for dad and I, but there was something memorable about that day. I don't think I will ever forget it.

Ok back to the story about the rehearsal dinner location. So we decided to stop in the museum and check it out. It has this certain old 1950's Florida appeal as you drive up. We were greeted by an adorable lady who answered all of our questions.

My first question was the most important. Can you bring in your own food? You see, Groom's brother actually graduated from culinary school and we really wanted him to cook for our rehearsal dinner. The lady was so cute when she told of "that is an option, I had a potluck here for my birthday". This was quickly becoming our favorite option.

Groom and I checked out the whole museum looking at notable cars owned by the Beetles and Ringlings. We loved the place! We chatted with the catering manager and were sold. Groom's parents graciously decided to fuel our little drive down memory lane, to which we are extremely greatful! Everyone was on board with our plan. Now I can't wait for our classic rehearsal dinner!

To check out the museum go to...

http://www.sarasotacarmuseum.org/

Here are some great shots of events within the space.

This is the outside space.

We found a great place that really grasps one of our shared loves.

Is anyone else having their rehearsal dinner at a unique location?

A Fantastic Weekend!

Well we are back from Sarasota, too soon at that! I must say, it was rather productive and we certainly had a great time.

The Hyatt Regency was great! Modern, fun, ecclectic. A very fun atmosphere. We met with a representative from sales and caterering who was really great. She showed us the different room set up and went over our room block options. We are working on our contract for room blocks now! They were even so thoughtful to send us strawberries and champagne, which we thoroughly enjoyed. I can't wait to go back and enjoy the pool, marina, and this cool little lounge area called the "library" that is great fun!

I think this picture shows part of the library..

One thing that was brought up was whether we would want to stay at the same hotel as some of our guests. I am pretty ok with it, since I suspect that when it is time for "we" time, our guests will be ok with that. What do you think? Will guests let the newly weds be, even if they are in the same hotel??

The Test Run

Kareem and I have decided to give visiting Sarasota a test run tomorrow. Anna, our planner, has given us some really great ideas on rehersal dinner locations, hotels, and the like in the area. We figure that heading down there is the only way to really get acquainted with the area. So tomorrow night, we will head down to Sarasota for the night to see what we can see. Of course, some dining out, beach time, and just plain ol' relaxing are in order as well.

There are two really prime hotels in the Sarasota area. The Ritz Carlton and the Hyatt Regency. Of course, our first inclination was to stay at the Ritz for our wedding night. However, Anna told us that the Hyatt Regency is really hip and that alot of brides prefer it because they have large suites, some with two floors. When Kareem suggested heading down there for a night, the idea of test running this hotel seemed perfect! So tomorrow we will stay at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Here are some pictures!

Check out more great photos and information about this hotel on www.hyatt.com.

If you know me at all, then you know I love to travel. Not only do I love to travel but I love to find great deals. Priceline has always been one of my favorite tools for travel planning. I used to work in a hotel and got an awesome employee discount. Ever since, I HATE paying full price for hotel rooms. It is just one of those things. : )

Priceline didn't fail me for tomorrow's Sarasota trip. Rooms were being listed at $199. My priceline deal?? $99.00!!! Pretty cool huh? Of course, Priceline is not always an option. It works best for areas that have a lot of competition. For instance, I almost always stay at 4 star hotels in the Orlando area. The reason? There is so much competition, even on the 4 star level in Orlando. From my memory (I haven't worked at a hotel in 5 or 6 years), the hotels take a certain percentage of their inventory and offer it to Priceline for them to sell at no lower than a certain rate. When you go on Priceline, you bid on a room within a specific area of town and certain star level. For instance if you bid for a 3 star in the downtown area, Priceline looks at all the arrangements they have with 3 star hotels within that area and evaluate if they can honor your price. There are several catches for you as the purchaser; 1) you don't select you exact hotel - you just narrow it down by star level, location, and price 2) once you purchase, you are pretty much stuck, with some exceptions 3) you might have gotten a better deal if you bid lower - there is no way to know. So say you bid $69.00 on that 3 star in the downtown area; you might have gotten it at "Hotel A". But maybe you wanted "Hotel B" or maybe "Hotel A" would have accepted $59.00. Your stuck with "Hotel A" at $69.00.

I have made some tried and true rules for using Priceline. 1) I always do research on the hotels within the location I want to stay at first, noting their prices 2) I never bid on a star level lower than 3, this is really just because I am particular about hotels and usually can find a good deal without going any lower 3) I take into consideration the likeliness of them accepting my bid. This third rule relates to another drawback of Priceline. If your bid is denied, you must modify your search to another star level or location before being able to bid again. If you want to present the exact same bid but for more money, you have to wait 24 hours. If I don't have time to wait, I may be more incline to make at 60% - 70% the first time.

So those are my thoughts on Priceline. If you want to check it out visit www.priceline.com.

Ok, so how does all that relate to the wedding blog?? Well, you might just want to use it when visiting Sarasota for our wedding. We are currently working on room blocks and will have that information soon. However, you might be interested in staying near the beach or up in St. Pete or Tampa areas.

So tomorrow we are off to our test run of Sarasota. I suspect I will have updates on the hotel and Sarasota in general. Check back next week!!

It's a Piece of Cake!

It's a piece of cake? Yeah not really! Picking a wedding cake can be a pretty tough decision. One of the biggest decisions you have to make is whether you want traditional icing or fondant. I have been asking a lot of my friends/co-workers their preference in the past couple days. I knew I had to hear something pretty good to overcome my love for traditional icing.

Strangely enough, my unofficial survey didn't end the way that I thought it would. Every wedding magazine and website show beautiful cakes with their smooth appearance. Perfect reigns supreme with fondant cakes. I thought for sure this would be the front runner.

I grew up on traditional icing cakes. My mom made the majority of my childhood birthday cakes. She made clowns, Disney characters, all sorts of amazing cakes. She was known for her cake decorating and other parents soon wanted these beautiful creations for their children's birthdays.

I always tell my mom that she should start her own cake decorating business. She is amazing. People still want my mom to do their cakes. My cousin, Michelle, got married a couple years ago. Growing up, she was a beneficiary of my mom's amazing cakes and she always knew my mom would do her wedding cake. The result? See for yourself...

I will tell you, there was cake left for an army! This was a massive cake. My mom did a great job. My sister helped out quite a bit on the details. These are talented women. Seriously, shouldn't they go into business together?

Ok back to the survey...

Results

Bride #1 - Traditional

Bride #2 - Traditional

Groom of B #2 - Traditional

Culinary School Grad - Traditional

Fondant scored none in my very small yet super fun survey.

To give fondant its credit, you really get a flawless look with it. Since fondant is a sugary concoction with a similar consistency to a tootsie roll, it is easily flattened to be smooth over the surface of the cake. Once the fondant is smoothed down the look is really clean and smooth.

Check out these beautiful creations with fondant.

Can you tell the difference? Which one is fondant and which one traditional icing?

They look pretty similar right?? Ok, here's the hint I learned.... Fondant has rounded edges. The traditional icing has straight edges. Do you see it now?

And now for the fun part. As you already guessed, my groom and I chose traditional icing. We want a very simple cake. I appreciate simple and classic. Below are two of our favorite designs. I have totally left it up to my mom whether she wants to do our cake. I want her to be able to enjoy everything and relax. All secrets told, I would love for her to do our cake. Time will only tell!

My Groomzilla - Reinforcing why he is the one

So I like to make fun of my Groomzilla. In fact it has quickly become my favorite joke to make. The truth is though, I wouldn't have it any other way. An overactive groom can be overwhelming at times but when it come down to it, he is all I could ask for.

Some of my friends have told me that their grooms didn't help with any of the details. I have heard stories of fighting because he doesn't care about the color of the linens or doesn't understand how it is so difficult to choose between three flowers that are all the same color? A rose is a rose, right? Or, they aren't all three roses? LOL.

My groom has played a super active role in our planning. In fact, he chose our location. Yep, ladies, he went on the web (probably theKnot.com) and found a place he wanted to marry me. He had specifics of what he wanted and he found just the perfect place.

Out of all the details my groom has helped out with, there is one that I emphasize is necessary not only for a successful wedding but also a successful marriage. That is the awful B word, BUDGET..

My fiance are I are at the reigns of our budget. The two of us poor over details and numbers practically every day. My fiance has spreadsheets and Microsoft Money all over our budget. I can't imagine not having him there for me regarding these important details that really impact our continuing lives together. In fact, his assistance in this has shown me exactly how financially responsible he is and I appreciate that for our future lives together. I know he will take care of me and make sure we are comfortable.

Although my groom sometimes drives me crazy when he make comments about ideas for my wedding dress (a conversation that is now COMPLETELY off limits to him) and who I can have in my bride's room, having him play an active role in our planning reiterates the exact reasons I am marrying him. I know he will take care of me, I know he will support me emotionally, and I know that he will be my partner in love and business alike.

I love my Groomzilla and can't wait to be his Mrs.

Here is a picture of my groom being a great daddy to our big fat English Bulldog "Atlas".

Extra, Extra Read All About It

The program to me is one of the most functional pieces of your ceremony decor. The program can act to set the theme and colors of your wedding but it can also really educate your guests on you, the couple, and everyone/thing surrounding you.

I was recently at a friend's wedding where they incorperated several cultural traditions. Their programs were used in part to bring their guests up to speed. This really made her guests feel like they were a part of her day. It also gave them a better appreciation for her culture.



After giving it a lot of thought, I think we will go with a booklet format for our program. Our ceremony will actually be quite short but I would like to introduce some interesting/exciting things to our guests about our engagement, our bridal party, and our personal histories. Having information like this really gets your guests thinking about you and your day. Plus, they won't be wondering for how long you have known your maid of honor or third bridesmaid from the center. Short blurbs about your wedding party can help guests put names and faces together that they might have heard about before. This will give them talking pieces later at the reception. Programs can also be used to highlight the engagement or honeymoon details. Your boss or co-worker might not know every detail of the engagement but might just find it adorable how your fiance fumbled when he put that ring on your finger. Also, the program is a great place to honor those that have past.

These are some programs that I really like. I think we can easily create these ourselves in our colors.

What do you think?

I personally love the idea of the fan program but since we will be getting married in January, even if it is Florida, I don't think they will be necessary. :)

The decision to get a planner - My bff for the next 9 months!

I fought my fiance tooth and nail not to get a planner. "Oh, I can do it! I am great at planning events! It is going to be so much fun!" Very soon I realized two things 1) it is way more fun when it isn't your own budget 2) Time is key and well I don't have much of that!

I told my fiance that our planner better be my new best friend for the next 9 months because I will likely rely on her more than anyone. When we found Anna, I knew she was gonna do great as my new bff... Anna likes to give hugs when we say goodbye, lol, she is already up our alley! She is so receptive to our ideas and is willing to think outside of the box. With our location already selected, when we chose our planner, we knew we wanted someone with experience at our place. Anna has done tons of events at our location and used to work with a big-time caterer near there. She has a lot of connections in the area and has been able to negotiate some great deals in the past.

We knew we had our girl when she was receptive to hearing our non-conventional ideas like making our own programs, invitations, and bouquets. She even gave great ideas of where to find our supplies and has offered her help in putting things together.

Since we found Anna I have been WAY less stressed! Instead of having numbers floating around in our heads, we now have an amazing spreadsheet with everything lined out. She also keeps us updated every couple days with new ideas she has.

So far Anna has decreased my stress level, offered her time and crafty services for our do-it-ourselves, and given hugs when needed. Isn't that what a bff is all about???

Anyone else hiring a planner? Why or why not?