Journey to 'Jager'

November 9 will forever hold a special place in my heart. Even more so than 3/14 (Pie Day), my other favorite day of the year. This is saying a lot.

November 9, on a cold but bright morning in Monterey, Calif., a bunch of cute, fat seals witnessed sneaky Matt revealing a shiny piece of jewelry I still can't believe I'm wearing (even 102 days later...holy crap, that many!?) November 9 was the start of a whole new chapter in this pretty fabulous journey I've been on for the past four years.

But that fabulous November Monday might now have some competition... because Matt and I are finally setting a date!! Here it is, ladies and gents: January 28, 2017. 1-28-17. Has a ring to it, yes? (god another pun... just caught this on a final read through.)

Let me tell you, coming to that conclusion was quite the task. I had put zero thought into the fact that one of the biggest tasks of wedding planning - finding a wedding venue - is the first big thing on the list. The moment you get engaged, one of the first things people ask is if you set a date. Now, more than ever, I realize how ludicrous this question is.

A lot of time and consideration goes into that decision - time finding out what style you want, doing the research to find venues in the area, visiting those venues, and then figuring out what's in budget and what's not. Oh, and if you are Catholic, throw in finding an appropriate Catholic Church within reach willing to conduct your ceremony.

And shopping for a wedding venue is like shopping for a car. So many dang salespeople! It's hard to know whether or not they are genuine. The moment they say "we are cutting you a deal," I immediately start to tune out. For the most part the employees I have met at the various venues have been very nice. I reeeeealllly liked the people at the Loft on Pine. Kalli is so sweet and the venue is gorgeous. This leads to the other thing about wedding venues: they cost your first born child. Who are these people that can shell out their entire life savings for a wedding?!

Me being me, I was totally overwhelmed. I have inherited my dad's love of strict and prudent spending. Cue heart palpitations ever time I saw a wedding venue's budget sheet. Yow. Remembering to be realistic is hard, especially when it's your "one big day," but God it's so important. Word for the wise: as much as you want to avoid that budget, reeeaalllly tackle that thing before you even begin the venue search. Give yourself wiggle room, of course, but not that much. Debt is no joke, and I can see where it's easy to go into debt for a wedding, especially with the pressure of TV shows, the media, etc that show lavish, perfectly polished wedding extravaganzas.

It's been hard for me to be practical with what we can manage, especially when you see some of the beautiful ballrooms. And as it turns out, I had a more specific vision for what I wanted than I thought, which kind of limited our choices. Matt and I naturally gravitate to the exposed brick, historic spaces that are a little less traditional. We went to a standard golf course venue that is absolutely breathtaking, but it just wasn't it. The spaces that we have found that match our "look" tend to either be 1) too small (keeping this wedding under 200 is going to be a trick. Ohhhhh Catholic families) and 2) high in cost. Also, because they are few and far between, they book up quick.

When I thought all hope was lost, that I would not find a place that matched my heart's desires (and our pocketbook's), I stumbled into a venue that was the best of both world's. I immediately felt giddy, a feeling I had almost forgotten when this search began. It's in historic city center of Riverside, Calif., just down the street from the Mission Inn called Loft .84.

It's part of what used to be called the Aurea Vista Riverside Hotel, built in the 1920s. It later served as a ballet theater and now, my wedding venue. Just to tie it all together: the church down the street is St. Francis de Sales, who just so happens to be the patron saint of writers and journalists. Fate? Perhaps.

Apparently it was fate for many other brides too because the place is pretty booked, which made me nervous. Picking your wedding venue isn't something you want to rush into because it kind of sets the tone for the whole dang affair. Then there's the matter of the nonrefundable down payment most venues require to reserve your date. With the available dates dwinding, or at least the venue's acting like they are all being snatched up, you get thrown into a panic! Such has been my state. It's been hard to keep my head, finishing my due research before committing to any place, let alone Loft .84, which I had an inkling was the one. It was extra hard as some of are first choices were snatched. We are currently in the scramble to finish paperwork and such, which is why I haven't really been publicizing the date as of yet. Crossing my fingers that it will I be filed and I can breathe a sigh of relief by early next week.

With this set, I feel like I can finally make headway in other arenas. It's hard to figure out colors and plan out other details without knowing the time of year and style of your venue, ya know? Next up: booking a photographer! More on that next post. For now, let me sum this wedding diary up with a few questions I hope to include in my future wedding posts:

Countdown to the Big Day: 344! I at first thought we might be considering an October/November wedding. While a little bummed that those dates were not going to work (that venue is so booked), I do feel some sense of relief in the fact that a year to plan feels much more manageable. And I now don’t feel that I am “missing out” on the engagement experience (refer to previous post about “FOMO”. It’s real.)

Sleep: I am embarrassed to say that I am having way more wedding nightmares than I feel I should be having at this point. My latest-I was wearing a white dress with blue and pink undertones, trumpet style with poof at the color and bottom that is not unlike something Barbie might wear. I hadn’t remember buying it and started to feel sadness about “missing out” on the wedding dress/bridal salon experience (see what I mean about FOMO?) I was also stressed out because the wedding was about to begin and my hair and makeup were not done. Good grief.

Best Moment of the Week: Finally getting a call from the venue about proceeding forward with the rental agreement.

Currently on my Mind: Getting the finalized copy of the rental agreement. And booking a photographer.

What I am Looking Forward to this Wee': Bridal Expo!! My mom is taking me to my first expo on Sunday. Can’t wait!

Emotions: Slightly anxious, will just feel so relieved once date is officially, officially booked.