Weddingbee Blog

Yep, nerdy title from a theatre kid ::wink and a smile!::

We started our (internet) research in the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania, hoping to tie in our engagement week’s trip to Sonoma into our wedding theme. We clicked on websites of a few fairly local wineries and found our way to Open Aire Affairs. These folks handle events and rentals for Sandcastle Winery, in ridiculously beautiful and quaint Erwynna, PA (technically, not the Brandywine Valley, which is a specific region in Chester County for all you Philly bees). It is set up on a hill on sprawling grounds of hearty grapevines fighting for their lives in the fickle weather of Eastern PA… or Anywhere, PA for that matter.

The only problem is the castle itself. It is just a little like… a lego castle? It’s just so darn NEW. Which means clean and full of amenities and well planned, of course. The winery owners are very proud of their hard work and blueprints. I would be too… I just need, some ivy growing up the sides or something. I need more rustic for a vineyard… well I mean for a vineyard for our wedding…

{all photos from Open Aire Affairs}

And the other not-so-insignificant problem with Sandcastle Winery was that Mr. Thimble didn’t really care for a vineyard setting at all. He didn’t think it reflected us as a couple—we’re not really wine experts or anything. Not together, at least. My spin in the world of the fine dining day job has certainly given me an appreciation for fine wine. But he had a point. And PA wine isn’t always fine… like I said about the poor little grapes just trying to make it through the season.

However, the beauty of Open Aire Affairs for my folks and I is that you can bring in all your vendors. You don’t have to use an on-site caterer or florist, you don’t have to choose from a list of preferred vendors—although they are happy to make recommendations. And they manage more than one venue.

With Fall 2010 set as our wedding date goal, I had visions of campfires, s’mores and hay rides dancing in my head. Larry from Open Aire Affairs was completely on board and pointed me in the direction of a caterer with a penchant for s’mores at our first open house and the first venue we ever visited—the Pearl S. Buck Estate:

Pearl S. Buck’s House

rustic barn-like cultural center

{photos from Open Aire Affairs}

We only really came here to meet Larry and to hold us over until the Sandcastle open house the next week. From the pictures, I thought this place looked a bit too typical for a wedding. The classic estate wedding. Yawn.

In person, something about this place felt like home… but I was not about to fall for the first and only venue we’d seen.

Which brings me to the final quintessentially Bucks County venue we checked out, and that makes me swoon every time I think about her… yes, it’s a her. She’s got some serious character:

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Aldie Mansion. Of the wealthy Mercer family of Doylestown, PA. A home where the likes of Charlie Chaplin and other celebs of the day are said to have come for a bit of a retreat and a visit and I imagine for a fine cigar or two on the terrace. Jeffrey Miller Catering has the exclusive on this primo D-town wedding venue. And they did a fantastic job adding on a banquet hall to the home:

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Just look at that tray ceiling with skylight windows, and those arches floor to ceiling windows all along the walls. ::sigh:: I knew I didn’t want a typical country club banquet hall. This room was just a perfect compromise between view of the outside and comfort and convenience of indoor seating. It felt fresh and light.

And on to the outside terrace:

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Fountain, gooorgeous arched windows with light pouring through from the inside…

However, I didn’t love the idea that the caterers here are also exclusive caterers for several venues in the Greater Philadelphia area, and I’m concerned about the big-time company’s attention being divided several ways on our day. Meanwhile, the dining room addition holds only 180 guests… if you squeeze them in to every nook and cranny. It’s looking like we might have around 175, and we want a band and a dance party.

Finally, they have TWO events on Saturdays. One in the afternoon and one in the evening. We can’t start our bit until 6PM, and we can only stay until 10. Four hours isn’t gonna cut it for a ceremony, cocktail hour, pictures and dinner. And this, of course, is before we decided on a Sunday out of unforeseen necessity… but Mr. Thimbz didn’t love this place as much as I did anyway. So we crossed it off the list.

Now, of course, I wouldn’t be a well-repping Philly Bee unless I ran down the list of places we visited in Center City. Each was generally chosen for its quirky coolness or historical relevance, and we visited them in one whirlwind day with as many interested parties (and opinions) as could fit in one minivan. So at the risk of writing the longest post ever, here goes:

First up, remember how nostalgia is part of my sorta-theme? Imagine, if you will, hosting your wedding in one of your mostfavorit(est) places to visit from your childhood. A place all about history, science, puzzles, games, Benjamin Franklin, really large movies, and school field trips. I present to you that place for most Philly kids…

Ben Franklin overlooking a massive celebratory banquet in Franklin Hall

The Franklin Institute

You can have your ceremony in the planetarium (Mr. T’s vote), or on a rooftop option overlooking the city for an outdoor ceremony {My vote!!!}. There were a couple classic banquet rooms that were getting set up for a businessy conference presentation when we were visiting, but the best place for the reception is Franklin Hall with cocktail hour in the Hall of Science where everyone can play with the exhibits. Seriously, can somebody invite us to a wedding here?!?

Next, we checked out the F.U.E.L. House, where the Bruschettas celebrated their reception. The FUEL House is currently a modern art gallery, hosting the artwork of cutting-edge emerging artists. I am all about supporting the arts—especially young up-and-comers. I totes get it (as in been there/am there in my own way) and it would be super cool if our event could help fund the next exhibit, no?

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Before it became this incredible event space and art gallery, it lived a strange year as the MTV Real World house in 2004, thus beginning its contemporary-cool transformation from its original role as The Girard Corn Exchange Bank built in 1902. In the ’70s, it was placed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. Why so special? Must be the a-ma-zing location, down the street from Independence Hall and next door to The Betsy Ross House, where cocktail hour could take place:

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Oh! Hello childhood obsession amazing woman who sewed the first American Flag during the coolest time in history. I’m sorry? Are you telling me that if I book the F.U.E.L. House for my reception venue, I can have a cocktail hour, or even my wedding ceremony in the courtyard of your historical home next door!??! Yes. Please. But I digress… onward to our last venue in the running…

Reading Terminal Market: In the search for my identity in the early stages of planning and “themeing” the wedding, long before I gave it up and admitted my supreme love of and comfort with girly flower rufflyiness, I wanted to delve deeper into this want for eco-green and try to be an urban indie bride.

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An historical farmers market in the heart of Philadelphia, the merchants at RTM have been selling and preparing local fare since 1892. And to my surprise, The Reading Terminal Market Merchants’ Catering Company can help you plan an event there. Guests would NOT be disappointed by the food or the presentation as you can choose a few merchants to keep their shops open. They can wander around and check out what the market has to offer and mingle.

Unfortunately, this local, green urban market inspired an overwhelming “Cool! but NOT for your wedding,” from the group. And I mean yeah… there was a lot of concrete…

I will, of course, let you all in on how we came to a venue decision. But lets take a breather for now, shall we?

What are some of the factors you considered when searching for the perfect venue? Did you have a specific vision in mind?