Weddingbee Blog

I don’t really need a big lead-in to this because you can just look at my hover cloud/bio thingy and see that we’re getting married at the Vandiver. Kind of ruins the surprise, doesn’t it?

Anyhoot, I had been looking at the Vandiver Inn for a while. A few things let me know right away that this place could very well be our wedding venue:

1. Fantastic reviews on Weddingbee and Wedding Wire. Check.

2. Their website has a whole section dedicated to weddings…with basic price points listed. Chhhheck! This hardly EVER happens, at least with most of the venues I was researching. There’s usually a fun game where you email or call and wait for a response back that can take days or weeks, and I’m an antsy pants. One place I looked at didn’t respond for five months…what?!

4. Those price points listed? Are totally in our budget. BIG CHECK.

3. The day-of coordinator (herein referred to as DOC) answered my email and called within 48 hours. Check check check.

4. It’s located in Maryland, on an inlet that leads to the bay. This means water. Lots of water…and having grown up 10 minutes from the beach, I’m a total sucker for that. :)))Check times 10.

Since I was already falling in love without even laying eyes on the place, I made an appointment for Foxy and me to meet the the DOC (who’s really more of a quasi-wedding coordinator—she’s seriously amazing) and take a tour of the place. After an hour and a glass of wine, we were sold. Two weeks later we faxed over the signed contract. BAM. Venue: donesky! This totally goes against my usual indecisive nature, but when I just love something that much? I get impulsive and hope it works out.

Some background for you: the Vandiver Inn is an old mansion that is now run as a family-owned bed and breakfast and really seems to have found a niche in the wedding market. The town it’s in is so cute and quaint, like it was taken from some old, historic New England town and dropped in northeast Maryland. The water is two blocks away, and “downtown” is about four blocks away and full of cute little shops and restaurants. It’s almost as if we’re getting the upstate New York feel while still staying in Maryland. Score!

Also? If you sort of recognize the place…it’s because Mrs. Lox just got married there!!

There are two other smaller houses affiliated with the Vandiver Inn, located right next to it. The Vandiver has eight guest rooms (where Foxy and I + family will be staying), and the two other houses have another nine rooms total (for more family and wedding party). I LOVE this, because we can all stay together and it will make getting together for the rehearsal (dinner) so so so much easier.

Images via Vandiver Inn

The mansion itself has a very rustic and old-town feel, like the town itself. There’s a porch that leads into the first floor of the mansion, where the cocktail hour will be. If weather permits, they can open the doors and windows (that act as doors) so people can mingle both inside and out on the porch. There is also a grassy area with a few tables for people to sit at out front.

Images via Vandiver Inn

The outdoor ceremony location is to the right of the mansion, between the Kent house and Murphy house.

Images via Vandiver Inn

Is it ridiculous that I can already imagine walking down the aisle to that pretty gazebo? (Which makes me think…how am I going to decorate?!)

And last but most certainly not least, the reception will be in the pavilion just behind the mansion!!

Images via Vandiver Inn

How great is that? It can be open air on nice days (picture on the right) or closed off on crappy days (left), so you don’t need to worry about rain. The string lights on the ceiling are already in place, and you can add extra decorations pretty much however you want. To us, it’s perfect.

One of the greatest things is that the wife of the family who owns the place (Susan) is also the head chef. They get all their ingredients from local farmers and produce stands and cook everything on site in a kitchen no bigger than a closet, so you know it’s fresh. They even have their own herb garden and borrow herbs from neighbors if they need other kinds! How freaking adorable is that?! I just may move here after the wedding.

Oh…and, let’s be honest…the deciding factor?

There’s a street named Red Head Way two blocks away. Um, hello…meant to be?!