The day I always dream of and how it really came to be

After Mike proposed and I said yes. Then after going away for two weeks to Antarctica. Then after sorority recruitment I was finally able to start planning ideas about the wedding I wanted.

First things first:
Where would we like to have the wedding? Both of us grew up in the same area so Hampton Roads is home to us and since our families only live 15 mins away from us we wanted to keep it there. We had plenty of scenery and cities to choose from:
Virginia Beach - beach wedding
Norfolk - Norfolk Botanical Gardens (LOVED!), Rose gardens at the Virginia Zoo
Chesapeake - Waterfront venues, country style venues, modern hotels and lots of good offerings
Suffolk - we can do family backyard wedding, traditional weddings, farm/field areas
Smithfield - convention center, historical venues, farm/field areas, parks
Williamsburg- vineyards, Yorktown freight shed, colonial appeal

I really really really wanted to have an outdoor wedding in a garden. I love nature, birds, flowers, and the feel of outdoors. I wanted to have an outdoor ceremony and then have an indoor reception. We wanted to keep the events all on the same lot to avoid travelling of guests. Mike and I were looking everywhere and we needed to find a place that catered to what we wanted in a reasonable price. At the time our parents were still getting used to the idea of planning a wedding and I initially proposed that Mike and I pay for everything.

During the time Mike and I were looking for a wedding venue we were throwing around dates along the way. We knew we would get married in 2012 because its right after I graduate college and gave us an engagement lasting about 1 year and half depending on what month we chose. We liked the idea of an October wedding, the nice cool breeze and the colors but we were unsure about the timing because there is a lot of family birthdays too close to holidays. We liked the idea of summer and spring as well. I didn't want a wedding in the months of July or August because they are too hot for me but possibly May or June. June became out of the question when it was determined my brother was graduating from high school. May was considered a spring month and I like the idea of something in May because its a rather simple month in perspective to Mike and I. Now time to choose a day. We really were stressing on having a Saturday wedding because lets face it Saturday weddings are easier. Guests, attendants, and family are off work and out of town guest can easily travel for a weekend. The first Saturday in May the 5, was a little too early for us. The 12 was college graduation for my fellow Hokies still up at VT and I didn't want them to sacrifice graduation or my wedding. It was narrowed between the 19 and 26. The 19, was a good solid day and my favorite number. The 26, the Saturday of memorial day weekend so people have three days off work. I let Mike have the ultimate decision on the date and he randomly chose, May 19.

Wedding day: May 19, 2012

We fell in love with 2 places. The Norfolk Botanical Gardens and the Williamsburg Winery. It had what we wanted. Only downside to both was they were expensive. We ended up not choosing those venues even though my heart was set on them. But you have to compromise. My mom came around and told me she would help out and pitch in for the wedding as long as I kept to a tight budget of $5000. In this day and age, it is kinda impossible. We learned this the hard way I have to say. I still was trying to find my garden wedding. We didn't go that route at all. We ended up decided to have a traditional church ceremony. All through high school I was active in my Lutheran church and having it in a church would save some money, we all thought. Church weddings are just as expensive because you have to rent the church for the rehearsal and day of the wedding. Mike and I decided to go with the church in Suffolk I attended as a girl scout. My mother and I really like the pastor and the overall appeal of the church even though we were not members. Luckily, we were able to strike a great deal with the church even though we were not members because my mother is very active with the girl scouts and helping out the church.

Ceremony place: Oakland Christian Church Suffolk,VA

Jena Cornell Photography

Now time for the reception. I didn't want my guest to be travelling to far in between the ceremony and reception. The church didn't offer much of area to host a reception. Mike and I looked elsewhere in reception venues. We tried the art gallery Suffolk has that used to be an old high school. We tried a place called the Planter's Club that is a house owned by the city that can be used to rent at a reasonable rate. We looked into traditional hotels. All in all, I decided that Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront would be the place to host the reception. It was a traditional ball room but was close enough to the church that guests wouldn't be confused and allowed out of town guests to stay the night before and after the wedding. There was also a pretty decent package that came along with it.

Reception Place: Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront Suffolk,VA

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