Weddingbee Blog

This weekend, Mr. Lox and I went to the B&B where we’ll be getting married for a mini weekend getaway. We drove up Friday after work, went to a beer dinner Friday night, then stayed over and went to a wine dinner Saturday night. Now that we’re at home, I want to show you all of our awesome pictures and tell you all about it!

WARNING: Very long and picture-heavy post ahead!

First, we checked in and saw our room. I no longer have any doubts about referring our guests to stay here!

OMG, this room was so amazing.

Mr. Lox and I both agreed, this was the most comfortable bed we’ve ever had at a B&B!

Then, the food. I have pictures of (most of) what we ate at the beer dinner. I gave up at the wine dinner. But I’m glad we went because we learned a few things about what we want to do and what we don’t want to do. These dinners are all that we get in the way of tastings. So we were there to learn about their cooking style and get ideas of what we might like and not like for our wedding.

The beer dinner was a seated meal, which was served to us in five courses.

Grilled shrimp skewers with banana-dijon dipping sauce

Broccoli and sharp cheddar bisque

Grilled chicken breasts on sesame noodle salad

This is where we learned something critical. We will not be having any chicken dishes at our wedding. While most of the food was great, the chicken was drier than we would have liked, and we’re not feeding that to our guests. Good lesson from a great meal! This is also where I forgot to take a picture of the open-face bahn mi (barbecued pork belly on baguette slices topped with shredded daikon, carrots, and cucumbers). It was delicious, but I was so full at this point that I could only eat some of the pork. Mr. Lox polished off what I left behind, though. I was NOT, however, too full to eat this:

“Pot” brownie with porter caramel sauce. (Get it? Pot? Nice.)

We went to bed stuffed and happy that night.

Mr. Lox and me, stuffed and happy after the beer dinner!

The last time I went to our venue, I didn’t have my camera with me. I was not about to get caught like that again. After breakfast on Saturday morning (with delicious bacon!), I dragged Mr. Lox around the grounds to take pictures with me. He’s really quite patient.

This is the ceremony space from the back gate where I would enter. Picture chairs and an aisle leading to the gazebo.

This is the same space, just a little closer to the gazebo. Also see that porch to the left? That’s where the DJ will be.

And yes, I am trying to figure out how to spiffy up that gazebo so it is a prettier backdrop for our ceremony. Also, Mr. Lox has spontaneously decided that he *needs* a flower-petal aisle. Regardless of cost. He actually asks for so very little, so we will be having a flower petal aisle, no questions asked. Secretly I’m thrilled, of course. Now it doesn’t matter that our florist costs will be higher…it’s his request! Sneaky me. Now, on to the the pictures! The next set is the front of the main mansion and the porch where our cocktail hour is going to be.

The main mansion. I love the detail along the porch.

This is where our cocktail hour will be. Obviously it will be laid out differently, but the bar will be at the far end where the “Cocktails” sign is.

After cocktail hour, the guests will be moved around to the back where the pavilion is. And this is where the remainder of our reception will take place.

The pavilion from the outside

The inside of the pavilion

It was still set up from the beer dinner the night before. The white linens and chairs are included in our package with the inn. Also included, but not shown, is a colored (or white) overlay…our choice from the colors they have in stock. But we can talk about that another day…like after Mr. Lox and I have decided what the heck we want.

The visit had its highs and lows, but overall I’m more in love with our wedding venue than I ever thought I would be.

And now it’s time to tell you one of the biggest draws that this venue held for me: the photo opportunities. Seriously, I loved the spaces on the grounds when we saw them. But what made me lose it were the other places we could get to in under a minute that would make beautiful memories. One of the things I worried about most in our first venue was that our pictures wouldn’t be nice. There were no grounds, and we were in what looked like a bank building. Next to, get this, a bank. But this place, this place was by the water. And…well just look at the other places we could take pictures.

Pictures by a lighthouse? Yes please!

Pictures on a pier by the water? I’ll have a few of those, too.

Admittedly, a real photographer can get a more flattering shot of the promenade. Amateur me was tired, sweaty, and watching a horde of gnats to my right. But still, promenade pictures!

Did you scope out picture spots in advance, or did you let your photographers wing it? Were your photographers familiar with your venue, or was it the first time on site for them? What made you fall in love with your venue?

I admit it. I took all pictures in this post. Please be gentle.