…of wedding planning, that is.
The logical way to start would be simply picking a date and place, but when you begin planning your wedding less than seven months (yes, we have a short engagement!) before you get married, you unfortunately have to tentatively decide on a date—and then try to find a venue that works.
For example, the venue I truly thought would be ours:
Image via Cleveland Park Event Center / Photo by Spartanburg County Parks Department
It’s beautiful, yes, but it’s also in a park with a ton of meaning to Mr. Lemur and I. We first stumbled across this park while geocaching after a Christmas shopping trip. We returned less than three months later for our one-year “dating anniversary.” We came back again several times before ending up here the day we got engaged—proposal story spoiler alert!
Almost fortunately, we didn’t actually get engaged in this park. Otherwise the email telling me the park was booked for all five—yes five, including two Fridays and a Sunday—dates I was interested in would have been more devastating (drama alert) than it already was. I didn’t love the venue so much that I was willing to completely reschedule our wedding plans. Not available for our first or second choice? Ok, I can work with that. Not available for our fourth and fifth choices? Let’s take a look at the other options.
Image via eventective / Photo by City of Greer
Image via The Davenport / Photo by Jennifer Stuart
These two were both booked for our top choice. Not only that, there is a Family Festival in Greer the weekend we want to get married—I’d rather not battle for limited parking spots and event space on the day of our wedding! Although they would make for some cool pictures.
So it was back to the drawing board.
After starting the search over—from scratch, really—there was a very short list of venues that fit what we were looking for at all. Five or six emails later, there were just two that fit what we were looking for, had availability on (at least one of) our dates, and were within our price range.
Image via Table Rock State Park / Photo by South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
Image via Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center / Photo by Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center
When we finally had two viable options, it was time to make a decision. First up was a tour of Pleasant Ridge!
Did you have any road blocks when choosing a venue?
So cool that you two are Geocachers! I had never heard of it until my old office manager starting telling stories about all the fun her husband and her have with it. Such a cool hobby! 
Bummer your first choice wasn’t available…but you had some pretty gorgeous second options to choose from!
I loved your last choices most of all Sometimes if it is meant to be,it is meant to be..
I am very intrigued by geocaching! Sounds fun! Great venue choice as well!
We also had a 7 month engagement! It was tough falling in love with venues only to hear they had no availability. It worked out for the best in the end, though, because our actual venues ended up being beautiful, low stress, and cheaper than the first venues.
My mom has just started talking about geocaching and what a fun hobby it is. I can’t remember in what movie I first learned about it, but the more I hear about it, the more intrigued I am. I wonder how much of a geocaching scene there is near me…
Awh I love how many people have heard of geocaching!
@pinkpre — a geocache proposal sounds like tons of fun!
@paw & @anemonie — if you’re interested you can message me your zipcode & I can tell if you there are any geocaches around! geocaching is a super fun cheap activity!
I know that I’m cheating a wee bit here (and that other considerations went into your decision), but I definitely (from the two pictures you posted) think that Pleasant Ridge looks much more elegant!
It’s too bad your first choice was booked, but I’m sure it didn’t work out for a reason!
I used to live in the Greenville/Spbg area. So many beautiful places to choose from!
Teehee I love the Sound of Music reference.
It sounds like everything worked out in the end and you found a venue you loved !
Mrs. Lemur, Greenville, South Carolina Age and Occupation: 22, Graduate Student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Security Officer Engagement Date: October 9, 2012 Wedding Date: May 2013 Venue: Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center About Me: I may fancy myself a doctor after too many episodes of House—but in reality I'm finally almost done with my degree in business administration (less than three months left!). My fiance and I met at school in undergrad hundreds of miles away from either of our hometowns and have been happily running and hiking together ever since. We're undertaking a long distance relationship as I finish school and we plan our casual wedding for a day after graduation—needless to say, it will be the busiest and most exciting weekend of our lives so far!
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