Weddingbee Blog

At the beginning of our relationship (many moons ago… well about 44 moons ago) Mr. Veggie and I lived on his farm in Andover, New Hampshire. He had a 200 year old farmhouse on 36 acres of land. The property was at the end of a dirt road and butted up against a few thousand acres of forest. We lived off the grid, with a well for water, composting toilet, and photovoltaic power. We had an acre of cleared land around the house where we would grow veggies while Bruce the dog lazed in the sun and ate raspberries from the bushes.

(Personal Photo)

During this sun-drenched summer we lived in a bubble of new love. We talked about our future plans, our future babies, and even our future wedding. Funny how the wedding conversations tailed off as the prospect of actually getting married started to cross Mr. Veggie’s mind. Hmmm.

But anyway, we had decided that our house would be the perfect spot for a wedding. We could do the ceremony at a nearby lake and the reception at home. We could have people park at the log landing. We could rent out the Inn at the top of the hill. We could plant flowers in the spring that would be ready for late summer. Our best plan was that we would grow all of the food for the wedding ourselves. Heck, maybe even raise some animals for the big day. What better way to spend an engagement than working the land together in preparation for a marriage?

But plans changed. We quit our jobs. Mr. Veggie enrolled in a PhD program. Bruce the dog moved in with an auntie. We sold the farm and moved to New Zealand. Maybe the new owners will still let us have the wedding there? Probably not. We certainly can’t grow all the food anymore.

So, as I started looking for venues I had a rough idea of what I was looking for:

• A beautiful space for an outdoor ceremony
• Willing to work with our desire for local organic food. Maybe some place that can grow the food, or has contact with a local farmer
• Since we don’t get to see our family and friends very often, why not make this a full-weekend event?
• Let’s try to find a place where everyone can hang out all weekend
• A relaxed and friendly atmosphere
• A place that would work within our small budget

What did I find? Stay tuned.

Did you have a specific list of “needs” when searching your your venue? Did your venue meet all of your criteria, or did you have to make a few compromises?