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Mr. Dew Drop and I got engaged in December, and we made our first wedding-related decision right away. Actually, we made a few wedding-related decisions (but only because they sort of went together).
It was a good thing too, because after that I went back to being my indecisive self immediately. It may have been months until I made another useful decision.
Anyway, the decision that started it all was our wedding venue. We’re getting married at Ralston Hall Mansion in Belmont, CA (about a half hour drive south of San Francisco). It’s all I never knew I wanted in a wedding venue. A lawn in front with a fountain and a bamboo grove and grazing deer. A beautifully patterned hardwood floor in the ballroom. A balcony and grand staircase for photo ops. A side courtyard for guests to steal away to if they’d like.
For the curious, here are a couple of pictures, courtesy of Ralston Hall’s website:
Like the chairs? Yeah, so do I and so does Mr. Dew Drop.
But we don’t get used to them. Those won’t be ours.
Even though Ralston Hall has a deal with a vendor on chivari chair rentals, we can’t figure out how to justify the price. Especially since chivari chairs are not particularly comfortable. Instead, we’re decided to go with the padded gold ballroom chairs that Ralston Hall provides in the venue rental price.
Neither of us are in love with the leaf pattern on the chairs (really, couldn’t they just have been plain?), and Mr. Dew Drop hates the look of chair covers with a passion. What to do? One of the coordinators at the venue suggested we use linens with gold in them to de-emphasize the pattern in the chairs.
So that lead us to our next wedding decision—colors. To avoid paying around $1500 on chivari chairs, we had to use gold in our wedding color palette. It was very easy to agree to this (although I will admit to still having periods of possibly inappropriate longing for chivari chairs—um, that’s not weird, is it?).
To go with the gold, I decided on turquoise. But gold and turquoise aren’t exactly flower colors. So I added in pale pink and ivory.
I think they all go nicely with the classic, vintage-y feel of Ralston Hall. Don’t you?
(Why, yes, I did get the idea of using Color Combos from Miss Latte.)
Did you make your first few wedding-related decisions all at once, or one at a time?
Great idea! Love this color scheme - I think it will go beautifully with the venue, and the turquoise will add a very elegant feel to the other colors and make it pop!
I can totally understand your love for the chivari chairs, but I also agree they are not the most comfortable ones to sit in! The ones at my venue are included in the fee price and they are not the prettiest things in the world. I’m really loving your color choices to help distract from the chairs 
Can’t wait to see it all put together!
I incorporated white into my color scheme as well to avoid renting table linens. I absolutely appreciate how to be “creatively cheap”!!
Love your color scheme! I would have never believed that I can care so much about CHAIRS either!! As a wedding guest, I can honestly say that I never remember what the chairs look like, but in shopping for venues, it’s become one of the “must ask” questions: “What kind of chairs do you have?” Nuts… just nuts.
wow the room looks GORGEOUS! and yes i have the same chair dilemma but i think we’re going to go for the fancier yet pricier chairs…ah!
I love your color scheme and think it fits great with your venue! Very pretty!
We knew it’d be a beach wedding and that our colors are orange and blue. Living in Florida & being huge Gator fans made that decision easy for us!
very sweet color combo! I think your venue and colors work perfectly together!
It’s really a nice combination I agree with you on the chivari chairs, also. We LOVE them, but really can’t spend that much just on chairs! Luckilly, our venue provides cushy banquet chairs as well. I’m so lucky that they don’t have a pattern and that the shade of pink they are match our colors!
Thanks everyone! The venue seems to be playing a really big role in how we’ve determined the look and feel of our wedding. Maybe that was a given, but it keeps surprising me!
OhhH I am so with you on this!! We wanted those chairs just because they look cleaner and elegant, but the thought of replacing the location’s totally sit-able chairs with ones that cost $8 a chair seemed wasteful. Thus, we need to figure out what color we want to cover the chairs with- that is included with the venue. But I feel you! They look so pretty! And going along with your leaf situation, our venue has big curtains that has roses on them. I am all for roses, but I think something more neutral would be called for in a room that will be used with so many themes and color palettes!
gold is good! gold is grand! go for the gold!! your venue looks pretty awesome. i don’t think anyone will notice you aren’t having chivari chairs. love your color combo. i heart indian weddings because of all the pretty colors!:-) can’t wait to see what else you have in the works!
Great colors, my colors have sort of evolved as we’ve had to find that things that worked out. Bridesmaids dresses were a big factor. Hard to find something that’s not black.
ooh that venue is pretty! and i do think your colors are perfect for it. great choice!
I love your color palette - it will be gorgeous! Your venue is incredible as well…love it!
your venue looks incredible. booking my venue helped me lock things in pretty quickly. we were originally debating between 2 very different venues - classic hotel ballroom and an intimate restaurant. the venue set the tone for the rest of the wedding.
Nice colors. I’ve attended 2 weddings at Ralston Hall Mansion and although I can’t remember the chairs used, it’s simply beautiful inside the hall.
I have the same dilemma about chairs. I don’t particulary like the ones provided by our venue but can’t possibly justify the price of renting chairs. I keep telling myself that no one will remember the chairs. I can certainly say I’ve never reflected on the chairs at a wedding. Yet I still want pretty chairs! Something about weddings make people focus on crazy things! Glad to know I’m not alone.
“although I will admit to still having periods of possibly inappropriate longing for chivari chairs—um, that’s not weird, is it?”
It might be weird, but I’m right there with you. My venue only offers ::gasp:: metal folding chairs, which before I ever got engaged I promised myself not to use at my wedding. So, I’ll have to rent chairs. Whether we’ll spring for the chivari or find something cheaper remains to be seen… I haven’t even priced out our local rentals yet, so who knows??
the venue is amazing!! as are the chavari chairs… i went with a cheaper venue.. compromized with my parents.. so my TREAT is that i get to have the charavi chairs.. sigh.. i will not be looking forward to that bill.
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Miss Dew Drop, San Francisco Age and Occupation: 31, Attorney Fiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Managerial Type at an Internet Company Engagement Date: December 12, 2008 Wedding Date: September 2009 Venue: Ralston Hall Mansion About Me: I'm a food-and-baking-obsessed, occasionally sword wielding Bay Area native who is quickly becoming overwhelmed with planning a wedding and opening a law practice at the same time. (Brilliant move, that one.) I love reading, online shopping, ice cream, my Macbook, Bollywood movies, hoodies, the UCLA Bruins, and of course, Mr. Dew Drop.
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