Crunch Time

It's not that we are approaching any significant date, but it seems like every time I log onto my Facebook newsfeed, I see that another couple has become engaged. While I'm very happy for them, I am getting really stressed out about booking a venue! We have a date we love. And a few catering halls that we really like. And our goal is to pick one this week.

Chateau Briand: It seems that the staff here does not know how to return a phone call, and the food entrees did not have much flavor when we last attended an event here. The place is gorgeous, and I love the outdoor facilities for the ceremony. But, regardless of how much I love it, it makes me nervous that they don't return my calls!

Swan Club: This place is BEAUTIFUL! It's right off the Long Island Sound, on the water, and the back of the catering hall has gorgeous gardens. There are paths that wind all around. The ceremony would be inside but in a room with windows as walls. The cocktail hour would be in a room with vines hanging from the ceiling, and the reception would be the one big party at the Swan Club that evening, and we'd have a huge room that overlooks the water. Downsides are that it's really difficult to get to and very low key.

Leonard's of Great Neck: This place is huge and ritzy! There are tons of rooms, which means there will probably be multiple parties that day, but the place is just humongous and beautiful. There are chandeliers all over the place, tons of photo ops on their winding staircase, and an option of an outdoor ceremony (or an indoor chapel). The reviews rave about the amazing food (BOTH the cocktail hour and entree are supposed to be amazing, where most places show their best work on just the cocktail hour foods).

Basically, we're leaning towards Leonard's of Great Neck. It looks so extravagant, and the bridal reviews are just amazing. And they wrote down our date without a deposit, so they'll call us if anyone else is interested in that time. They gave us the exactly ceremony and party time that we want, which is a 5:00 ceremony and 5:30-10:30 party. I really want an elegant evening party, so that really works for us. I know Neal wants the big catering hall feel-like-a-King thing, which he should have on our wedding day.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays, I'll keep you posted in 2010, Happy New Year!