Wedding Blog

I try not to break my promises, so here is our venue!

You already saw how we began to be quietly edged out of the city by venue costs and our dreams of a chic city wedding with lovely views began to fade. Mom D’orsay convinced me to take a peek at Oakland, so I scheduled visits to Elkridge Furnace Inn, O’Callaghan’s Hotel and Oakland all in the same day.

Armed with my new camera, I was determined to photograph every inch of the home to show to Mr. D’orsay for his long-distance approval. I’d been to the home before (at the age of 11) and knew what to expect, but I had never looked at in the critical “Could I get married here?” sort of way.

The front of the house:

I’m in love with the front porch, which I found out in a conversation with a caterer that Oakland will be renovating it in the winter. I hope it’s looking good in August!

The entrance foyer:

And if we look to the right:

Just imagine he isn’t sitting there. It’s a mirror image to the right with the addition of a piano. There are also two mantels flanking the entrance to the ballroom.

The ballroom (and the Oakland coordinator, my mother and my grandparents):

Just imagine there isn’t a conference about to happen here…

Our choices for eating dinner were either in the ballroom above, or under the tent outside. A seated dinner for 80 people in the ballroom is VERY tight and a few tables would possibly have to be in the foyer. This would also inhibit our guests that have difficulty with their mobility and those in wheelchairs, so we went for option # 2:

The tent in the backyard:

The tent at Oakland can fit approximately 200 people, so it will certainly allow enough room for people to move around during dinner, along with the added tables for the buffet.

Here is where we could really use your help; there are two options for an outdoor ceremony.

Option A: The bishop’s garden:

Pros: Brick that high heels can’t sink into and a very intimate space.

Cons: the maximum seated amount is 80 people. So it could be a bit cramped… There is also a lovely view of the parking lot to the right.

Option B: Near the tree on the side of the tent

Pros: Much more open space, possible ceremony seating in a semi-circle, possibly more light

Cons: Sinking high heels in grass and it’s a bit of a slight slope. I also have no idea where I’d walk in.

So, which ceremony site should we pick? Are you having your ceremony/reception in the same place?