This weekend my Mom, my maid of honor and I attended the B2Bee Bridal Show held in Sioux Falls. It was my first bridal show experience, and I have to say – it was a HUGE success! First of all, the champagne was a-flowing; you can’t go wrong with a bunch of women and a champagne bar! Plus, I tried some of the most AMAZING cake balls (yes, they’re literally balls of cake) made by an event planner in Huron, SD.

As my Mom, Kristen and I waded through the crowds in the trade show event hall, we (literally) stumbled upon a booth whose sign advertised an event hall in Sioux Falls named ”Vintage.” After sharing surprised looks with my Mom and Kristen, I wandered into the booth and began talking to the owner of Vintage, Chad. After glancing at pictures of the event space and looking at a price sheet, I told Chad I’d call him the following day to set up a tour of the space.

J and I went out to the Ultimate Golf Academy, where Vintage is housed, yesterday afternoon, and needless to say, within ten minutes of stepping on the grounds, we were hooked. The European-inspired space boasted exposed faux brick with terracotta-colored walls done in Venetian plaster (I know that term from my childhood days spent watching “Trading Spaces“). The space, which can hold about 120 people, is in the process of expanding into a pavilion space, which will hold more than twice the number of people! Chad expects the addition to be complete in Spring 2010, and while that’s cutting it close for a July wedding, we immediately trusted Chad’s expertise.

Housed in a secluded wooded area, Vintage also has many amenities to offer within our budget:  the beverage minimum for the full bar can include mini-golf and driving range passes, four “picnic” games (like bean bags and croquet), a sound system for music, and a big projecter screen (how fun would it be to play old movies on the screen throughout the night!!). I can already imagine how much fun our guests will have playing mini-golf, watching old movies, dancing and exploring the grounds. Plus, Vintage allows us to use our own caterer, which is EXACTLY what J and I were looking for! We really couldn’t ask for more from this space, and we already see that Chad is (and will continue to be) very flexible with us.

J and I left Chad with a few prospective wedding dates in mind (July 10, July 17 and July 30), and after we decide on a photographer and a church, we’ll reserve our date! It’s SO exciting to finally have solved such a huge piece of the puzzle in our wedding planning – we feel so fortunate to have found this space!