Location, Location, Location

Posted by Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge

Just like real estate, the first thing on everybody’s mind when Aaron and I got engaged was “Where are you getting married?”

A month or so after our engagement we sat down to talk about where we wanted to get married. I guess I should explain first that Aaron and I are complete opposites when it comes to just about everything. That old adage about how opposites attract is pretty true when it comes to us. So I was a little worried that he would want something totally different from me.

Our families are from Boston and Virginia Beach but we decided that neither town quite fit our personalities when it came to the wedding. Delighted that we were at least on the same page about not having hometown weddings (sorry, Mom and Dad) we sat down for what was definitely one of the most fun parts of our wedding planning so far—coming up with fun places to tie the knot.

I find that people tend to let location be a real deterrent when it comes to weddings—either travel costs are an issue or people are worried that it will be difficult to plan something far from home. But we decided we’d find a way to make our dream location work no matter what. And so far it hasn’t been so bad.

We started by making a list of several areas we loved, and it came down to Savannah, GA, and somewhere near San Francisco, CA. The two areas couldn’t have been more different (just like us), but they were both places we loved and that held special significance for us.

Since Savannah was my choice, Aaron was kind enough to fly down with me to see if he loved it as much as I did. I can’t suggest traveling together to your destination spot highly enough. I think Savannah might have never made the list if we didn’t go down there together.

Even though I caught a nasty cold and was in a Nyquil haze for most of the trip, our visit sealed the deal and from about an hour into the vacation Aaron agreed that Savannah was the spot. There wasn’t any one place or one thing about the city that pushed it over the edge, but rather a general sense that this was the place that was perfect for us. And when you finally get that feeling you just have to run with it.

Deciding to capitalize on our time there, we took off on foot to check out wedding locations. Aaron was cool with my desire for an outdoor wedding, so we walked around to check out Savannah’s public squares and the main park, Forsyth.

It turns out the famous fountain in Forsyth Park books over a year in advance (well over a year and a half during some times) so that choice was right out for us. I guess I should have expected that, but having read only one wedding book pre-engagement I figured 10 months in advance was enough. Since we didn’t want to get married in Hurricane season or when it was below 40 we decided to look for alternate locations.

Since we knew we were thinking of a later afternoon wedding we walked Savannah’s squares and historic buildings until we found a space that was just right for us—a small grassy square with a fountain and just enough foot traffic that people could find the space but we wouldn’t be overrun with tourists.

With our location figured out I called the city department, booked our date (you can’t beat a $200 ceremony location cost) and took a deep breath that one of the biggest parts of the wedding was secured.

For the reception we looked no further than a beautiful building directly across from the park. I don’t want to give too much away since the magazine is going to publish the wedding, but when we found our reception site we loved that it was right across from the ceremony and was the perfect mix of “Gone with the Wind” and “The Addams Family”. After our deposits were made I started to envision our modern spin on a Southern Gothic wedding and couldn’t wait to move on to the next step—the cake. I know most people start with dresses, but I’m saving that for later. It was the most agonizing part of my wedding planning so I’m sticking to the sweet stuff next.

Image above courtesy of Planetware.com

Sneak Peak #1

Sneak Peak #2

Things I Learned:

1. Always go back and visit your wedding location before you decide for sure. Places may feel different than you remember and sometimes places you overlook (like the small parks for me) will end up being the perfect place.

2. It's never too early to book your wedding location. I thought 10 months out was enough, but it wasn't. You can always find a beautiful location for your wedding, but if you have your heart set on a special spot call as soon as you know your date and are ready to go. Please note: I am in no way suggesting booking a location before you're engaged. Nothing says romance like "we need to get married next March because that's when the country club could take us."

3. When booking a location be sure to check their noise ordinances and vendor requirements. Two spots I loved were straight out for us because they wouldn't let us use the baker we wanted.

Comments

[Alison B.]

Amazing post! Loving your bridal blogs!

[Jen]

I had my wedding in Savannah ... we chose Whitefield Square, the one with the gazebo. It was perfect ... My wedding was during hurricane season - September - so I could have booked Forsyth Park, but I liked the intimate setting of the smaller square more.

[amya]

What a great description! This is going to be a beautiful wedding. I can't wait to see more!

[Emily]

I went to school in Savannah, and always thought it would be lovely to be married there. There were always so many gorgeous ceremonies everywhere, but the loveliest I saw was at the fountain square on Habersham Street... Was that the square you chose?

[Lauren]

Your photographer will love you for picking such a delightful spot.

[One Love Photo Heather Gilson]

It looks picture perfect! Great choice, I don't think you can wrong in Savannah. I agree your photographer will LOVE shooting in this spot!!!!

[Susan]

I got married in June at Whitefield Chapel and held my reception at Garibaldi's. Everything was magical! Congratulations!

[Grace]

Thanks guys! The square we chose is "Orleans". :)

[Michelle]

great choice! as a savannah resident (and wedding phototgrapher's wife), I can say that I love the way this square is a bit out of the hustle and bustle of things. It's a favorite place for me to stop and let my little one play. and the neighborhood around it is so beautiful.