Mrs. Sundae, Chicago/Lake Geneva, WI
Age and Occupation: 28, Knowledge Manager
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Investment Advisor
Engagement Date: July 20, 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: February 5, 2008
Venue: The Abbey Resort
About Me: It’s hard to believe that by the time Mr. Sundae and I get married we will have been together for almost ten years. When we first met in college we split dollar pitchers and now we share the mortgage payments. Despite our love for the city we are looking forward to tying the knot in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
The Ceremony
February 11th, 2008 @ 1:52 pm by Mrs. Sundae
When we signed the contract with The Abbey we intended on having the ceremony in this little gazebo on the bay. I actually wasn’t wild about the gazebo but it sounded so easy to have the ceremony and reception in one place. Then I started asking about timing and found out that not only was another wedding booked for the indoor ballroom that day (not a huge deal, but annoying that it hadn’t been mentioned), they were also having the ceremony in the outdoor gazebo. I really wanted a sunset ceremony, and in September in Wisconsin that’s around 6pm. The other couple is having their ceremony at 6pm.
I asked about alternatives, they weren’t good. I was upset because we had already paid the full deposit, part of which went towards having the ceremony in the gazebo. The solution that was posed involved our ceremony starting at 7pm, when the sun would be almost set, an hour after the other ceremony. Not happening! I had visions of our musicians shoving people out of the way to set up their equipment. Long story short, I was refunded the part of the deposit dedicated to the ceremony location and started looking at other options.
We really wanted to get married by the lake but also needed a good weather back-up plan. (I will no doubt be obsessively checking the weather in the weeks leading up to the wedding). Then Mr. Sundae suggested having the ceremony in the community where his parents have their condo, something I hadn’t really considered because I didn’t think there was a designated area that would work and had never seen weddings there. But as it turns out, they do have weddings there all the time and even though it’s a little narrow it’s going to work out perfectly. We get the entire area by the lake for the whole day, no other weddings allowed, and use of the large white back-up tent in case of rain:
Mr. Sundae and Lola checking out the space:
There was actually a wedding there the day before we arrived, sad that we missed it but we did get to see the chairs that come with the package:
You can see our back-up plan tent in the picture above. It has sides that can be attached if the rain is really bad, and I love that it’s still near the lake. Our other options involved being inside a room with no windows. It still might be a little risky, but I am just hoping for the best! Here is a view from inside the tent:
The view right behind the trees that will outline the altar:
And the place that I can hardly wait to take pictures in - this is the beginning of the lake path and just a few feet from where the ceremony will be:
Are any of you nervous about weather for outdoor ceremonies? What kind of back-up plans do you have in place?
10 Responses to “The Ceremony”
OMG - what a beautiful site!!! Just so pretty! I’m glad you were able to find an alternate, and it seems like a better option than the first!
My fiancee and I are having both ceremony and reception indoors - he didn’t want to take the chance!
Thanks, Rachel! It is quite the risk, we debated about an outdoor ceremony but felt better after asking a million questions about the back-up plan 
I think this looks even better then the abbyes gazebo. Being a hotel guest I have sat outside my room and witnessed those weddings. This seems more private.
Also, I am getting married outdoors, the backup plan is to be married under a gazebo which means my guest will be further away. The location is both indoor and outdoor, the outdoor has a tented roof so if rain is bad the sides come down.
Back-up plan…not so much. We are having an outdoor ceremony and reception so the logical thing is to have a back up, but we just don’t. We are having the reception under a tent, so I guess that would be the alternative??
I have just decided that it will be nice. It just will.
Good thoughts for a perfectly sunny August 1st in Boston are appreciated!
Oh, that’s beautiful! I especially like that pretty, stone-lined path. Our back up is actually a library, which we love. But it’s Arizona. Rain is tres unlikely.
Beautiful space! I am thinking my backup plan would be umbrellas It may make very pretty pictures. — btw, I am in Seattle, a place well known for its rain 
so pretty! your picts are going to be fantastic with the lake in the background!!
So lovely! Our ceremony and reception are both indoors (had to be really on south coast of England in November!) but I’m still hoping for good weather for the photos. We’re getting married at about 4pm so that we can come out in time for photos at sunset at 5pm
we are having an outdoor ceremony in the end of oct in new york. at 7 p.m. I told FH that unless it’s 20 degrees and snowing, we’re getting married outside. I don’t care if everyone’s inside, we’re outside!! But the place we booked does have a gorgeous fireplace inside we can use in case of emergency!
We’re having an outdoor ceremony in mid-October… I’m a bit nervous as the weather can be wild that time of year. We’re having the wedding and reception at the same location - a stone castle in Upstate NY. I haven’t even scoped out alternatives for the ceremony. Maybe I’d better put that one on the list and stop worrying about the color of the shawls I’m giving my BM’s.
