The Venue

I know many brides visit a plethora of venues. I did not have the time, nor did I even want to make the time. Schlepping to twenty places and eventually becoming confused because all venues begin to look the same did not sound appealing.

So, I began my research online. I looked on weddingwire, general Google searches, and many other websites for places that suited my "vision." I wanted

• a romantic, whimsical setting that reminded me of an Italian piazza at night (with strings of lights and that "glow"). 
• an outdoor setting, but I am ever practical, so the venue needed an inclement weather back-up plan. 
• a place that did NOT hold more than one wedding in a day. Who wants to feel rushed on their big day? Not this girl.
• a venue that did not require guests to use their caterer. I have specific dietary needs, and I'm not about to get locked into a contract with a vendor who makes terrible food that I cannot taste until three months before the wedding. 

Somehow, at the end of some cyber maze, I found Ostertag Vistas, a charming farm settled on 164 acres. Perfection. The ceremony was held beneath a breathtakingly beautiful willow tree, and the reception was held in a unique four-story barn (how cool?). The delightful owners are descendants of the original settlers of the property, which was founded in the 1700s. I hit the jackpot.

Gorgeous ceremony site (photo taken by Eric Stocklin)

The inside of the barn (taken from one of the upper levels). See what I mean about the strings of lights? Love it.

If you're near the Western Maryland area and want a picturesque wedding venue, do check out Ostertag's site: Our Wedding Venue, Ostertag

The Rings

After Jeff proposed he asked me, "Did you know it was coming?" I responded, "Well, until the day of, no. But, when you asked me to go on a picnic, which we never do, at the end of October when I have to cover myself in all but the sheets on our bed, I was a little wise to the idea." So, he asked me on a picnic at Piney Run Park, where we've gone on many a bike ride. It was sweet, and I could tell that even though he had bought the ring two months earlier, he hadn't concocted a grand plan. He was just so nervous. Plus, had he tried to devise an elaborate scheme, I would've figured him out much sooner.

Anyway, he bought my ring at Littman Jewelers in Westminster. They are incredibly nice at that location, so we decided to buy his band and my bandS there. Yes, I said my bands. That's plural. I'm not a jewelry monger (the engagement ring was the first jewelry that he bought for me in our seven years together), but my engagement ring needed two bands to accompany it. Yes, needed. Though I teach English, I appreciate symmetry. See how nice they look? BAM!

His ring is tungsten carbide. Apparently, he'd rather have his finger removed in a wood chipper accident than lose his band. So, he picked the strongest he could find.


FYI: if you plan to engrave a tungsten ring, it's best to choose a laser engraving. It's more expensive, but the engraving is deeper. I did not know this bit of information, so his engraving was "etched" onto the ring. Had I known earlier, I could have ordered the laser engraving, but I brought it in too late. (I was afraid to bring it sooner; otherwise, I might have spoiled the surprise of what I had engraved on his ring.) His ring now says "I love you more 8-20-2011." I thought it was pretty clever. His first response was, "You suck," which means it really was quite clever. Wife-1, Husband-0.

Though people have discouraged me from having my rings soldered, I cannot handle their moving around all willy nilly. These people told me the ring will "never be clean enough." Regardless, lack of movement may win over "not being clean enough."

*Note: Last two pictures courtesy of Erick Stocklin Photography

The Dress

     At our wedding, one of my friends from college, Christine, said to me, "I wondered 'what kind of dress is Danielle going to be wearing?' When I saw you, I said to myself, 'the perfect dress, that's what kind of dress.'" Thanks, Christine, I did my best :)

   When I was in high school, I must vainly admit that I wore some of the coolest dresses and rocked some of the most awesome hair styles every time I attended a school dance. As superficial as it might be, I do believe the dress is a reflection of the person who's wearing it. Luckily, it didn't take me very long to find "the" dress. I honestly thought it'd take me much longer than it did. Thank you, planets, for aligning in my favor.

    In street clothes, I wear a size 0. Spare me the "you're so skinny" comments. I have some of the most ridiculous dietary concerns (allergic to chocolate, gluten intolerant, and fried foods are the devil); couple those restrictions with heredity and you've got little ol' me. Being small, I had a heck of a time finding a dress shop that offered dresses near my size. (Again, shut your sarcastic mouth about how "sorrrrry" you feel for me.) I felt a little like a small child playing dress up every time I tried on dresses. Note: it makes perfect sense why boutiques would stock larger sizes (a small girl can try on a larger dress, but it doesn't really work the other way around.). So, I did my homework like the good teacher that I am, and I found a smaller shop in Hanover, PA to try on dresses. 

      Meet Simone's Bridal (click on the link to visit their site). The shop is owned by this lovely French woman named Simone,

who turned this adorable Victorian home into a bridal boutique and spa. (I'd attach a picture, but I have none.)

I worked with the lovely Stepfanie

So, I told Stepfanie that I did not want to break the bank. I explained that I did NOT want a strapless gown (the thought of tugging at a strapless down all night was unappealing at best). I did not want pure white because I'm pretty pasty. I pointed at pictures, and she pulled out the perfect dress. For about $1,000, I had a veil, flower piece, and dress. Yay. So, how did it look? See for yourself.

 

The front of the dress

The back with the veil. 

And a closer look at the back.  

Okay, one teeny tiny problem with the dress: I couldn't dance with it, especially not with the bustle they called a bustle. Dancing was vital for me. There was no way I could settle for what they called a bustle.

So, take a look at what my Aunt Linda did for the reception!

 Honestly, it's not really a French OR an American bustle (had to research these). It's a bustle all its own. My aunt created this impressive "snap" system so that my dress sort of folded under. If I receive more pictures of it, I'll post them. Either way, I could dance without a problem at all because my Aunt Linda is so talented. It's amazing how many talents you find out (when you're planning a wedding) that your friends and family members have.

Either way, I loved my dress, and I wouldn't mind finding another occasion to wear it. Haha. Right.