Picking a wedding venue!

As you know, I have been engaged for quite some while and have been pretty lazy about actually making any decisions...

Well, things may have changed!!! Whoo-hoo!!!!

Today I looked at wedding venues and I think that I may have found the one! Eek! It's so exciting!

I looked at is Dam Neck base and an oceanfront hotel...I'm leaving the name out on purpose in case I pick it...i want it to be a surprise (a lot of people knew that I have been considering Dam Neck so there's no need to keep that a secret).

My reviews:

Dam Neck: There are 2 different locations on site that you can have your wedding (3 if your husband-to-be or you are active military). Since Dan and I are not in the military...we had 2 choices for wedding/reception sites on base. One of which looks like a giant conference room and I really loved the way it looked inside. The ocean is right behind the building which would make it quite easy to have pictures on the beach after the wedding...which I know that I definitely want to do! However, you have to have the wedding inside of the reception area on what would be the dance floor. One of my friends had her wedding set up like this and it did look really cool in the pictures. Guests are already seated in their reception seats and that would be convenient...but I really wanted the actual wedding to be outside. The next venue site on base kind of looks like a hotel from the outside. Its major selling point is the gazebo right by the beach that would be a GORGEOUS wedding site (the gazebo and deck are attached to the reception site)...however, it does have its drawbacks too. The seating area is split-level. The main seating area is level with the deck, but there are a few tables that are on the next level...i feel like guests who end up sitting there would be lonely...haha...well, you know what I mean...it would be awkward...i would rather all of the guests be together! Also, the room where all of the food would be located is a few more steps up...and I know that my mother will be in pain walking up all of these stairs and the table that she would be sitting at would basically be the farthest away from the food. I can't do that to my Mur! (Yes, I call my mom "Mur." I will explain the reason why one day).

Secret hotel: Today my friend Donna mentioned this hotel because one of her friends got married in this hotel last year. We walked in not having an appointment or calling ahead. The staff was friendly and the director of catering immediately came out and gave us a tour of the hotel. We could have the wedding on their private section of the beach and walk up about 10 stairs to the reception site (my mom could definitely handle that). The pictures would be gorgeous and it would be memorable! They also have a covered deck where we could have the wedding...either way would be pretty, but the beach would definitely be even prettier! I do like the looks of the inside of dam neck's first reception site more...but there is just as much room at this venue and there's even a window view of the beach from the inside too. Also, a lot of my family has punctuality issues...if the wedding is in the hotel and my "people" have their rooms booked there too (obviously we would get a great deal because we would be having the wedding there), then they wouldn't be late!!! How amazing is that? Haha. It would be so fun to have my bachelorette party on Thursday before the wedding and then walk back to the hotel room! (If you don't know I never, ever believe in drunk or buzzed driving). For those of you who don't know, I currently live 6 hours away from Virginia Beach so it would be easiest to have the bachelorette party the same weekend as the wedding. Obviously, I don't want everyone to get too crazy the night before the wedding. I don't really drink, but you know what I mean. I really think it would be fun for all of my out of town guests to be together on the same floor too!

As you read this, I know you're thinking, "Well, it looks like you have made your decision you biased little bia"...you're right. I have! Obviously! I have been so stressed since August when Dan proposed about the venue location! Tomorrow my mom is going to officially book the hotel and I'm going to really get this started! I am meeting with my wedding planner tomorrow to discuss my wedding further and to try to figure out the second most important wedding feature...the photographer and videographer! After it's all said and done, that's all you have left! I am so excited to finally really get started!

Side note: a few of you know that I joined Brickhouse Cardio Club here in Princeton. I am in love. I have been a member about 6 weeks and have been going about 4 times a week for the past 4 weeks. I can already see a difference in my legs and ass! I asked Dan to touch it today and I said, "I'm not even flexing it!" He said, "Yes, yes you are!" But...I wasn't! Hopefully, as I am losing weight I will gain a firm ass...a treasure that I have never obtained...even when I was a "thinny," I had a flat ass!

I didn't proofread this because I was too lazy and I work at 8am. Expect workout updates and wedding-planning updates from now on! :) Have a great night!