Monday, February 11, 2008

Ceremony and Reception Site

Though we haven't yet met with them, J and I are pretty much already decided on our reception location. What's nice is that we can also hold the ceremony there as well!!!

There is a lovely place nearby called Inne of the Abingtons. Their website is on my link list.

Their website offers several angles from which to view the ceremony site. I chose to show this one so you can see the background. Picture it in late autumn, with all the leaves changing/falling...

J and I stopped there this weekend to get a first hand view of the place. While I'm not sure about the pavillion/gazebo, J seemed to like it. I might actually prefer some of the open lawn nearby, instead, but we'll see. J doesn't have many "must-haves" for this wedding, so if he expresses a like or interest in something, I want to accomodate. If we do go with the pavillion/gazebo, I would probably do some potted mums in oranges and some autumn inspired garlands for the rails and pillars.

What's really nice about this location is that it is all easily accessible. My mother has difficulty walking, so that's a big concern for me. I don't want a place that has a lot of steps or difficult terrain. That's another thing that makes the pavillion better than a lawn.

The Inne has several rooms for a reception. The room I like best is too big for our needs. We are trying to keep the guest list to a minimum, so we've decided on a max of 100 guests. This is called the Ivy Room. Again, you can visit their website for more pictures of the room, but this is representative of the room.

I did not see this firsthand, but from viewing the picture, I can say that I'd definitely want to add some of my own touches to the decor. I don't really like the ivy trim, but there isn't much I can do about it. I'm sure I could talk to them about removing some of the plants from the mantle and replacing them with decorations of my own choosing...maybe something similar to the centerpieces I'd like to use.


For an additional fee, they offer seatcovers and coordinating linens. I would most likely choose ivory/cream seat covers with a brown or gold sash. I want to use orange as just an accent color, so I wouldn't put it on the chairs. I think adding the seat covers will really help change the feel of the room.
I've never attended an event at the Inne, but one of my girls is in a wedding there this summer, and she says it's lovely and the staff is very accomodating. Another one of my girls attended a graduation party there and said the food was very good.
Their prices are also very reasonable. And, since J and I decided on a Sunday ceremony, it should be even more affordable. I don't want to break the rules of ettiquette by talking money, but the truth is, we have to be realistic with our budget. If we can cut costs somehow, then that's what we'll do. The nice thing about the Inne is that, so far, it seems we won't be sacrificing quality for cost.

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