Today on A Practical Wedding, Meg answered a question that I posed to her via email a few days ago. As you all know from an earlier post, I’m lobbying hard for a Saturday morning/mid-day wedding. Meg, a newlywed who was married on a Sunday morning in August, had wonderful advice to offer!

I felt that the cons that Meg offered (a very early, rushed wedding day morning) were absolutely right-on. That’s something I’ve wondered about, especially since J and I are open to taking photos with each other before the ceremony. If we were to have a morning ceremony, that would be nearly impossible. However, Meg also makes another wonderful point:  if you do decide to have the photographers click away before the ceremony, that means less time spent in formal (and boring) group shots – yes!

As I read through Meg’s list of the great things about morning weddings, I found myself nodding my head along with her the entire time. With the sunlight streaming through the windows of our reception venue, I feel like Vintage would resemble a dreamland, which is exactly how I want to feel on my wedding day: like I’m living in a dreamland. I also love the smells and sounds of morning – dew, birds chirping, wonderful stillness.

What Meg offered about drinking and dancing really struck me; if J and I lead the way, why wouldn’t our families and friends get up and dance with us? Furthermore, if we offer a mimosa bar or morning cocktails, why wouldn’t our guests follow suit and imbibe? I think that’s such an important point to make in the argument for a morning wedding, one that I may try to use!

While I love the idea of the freedom we’ll have after the wedding subsides, it also scares me a little. I’m one of those people who would ask, “What the heck are you going to do for the rest of the day?!” But, as some members of Team Practical commented on Meg’s post, you can choose to relax in the comfort of your hotel room and eat dinner with your new husband (like Meg did), or you can choose to don some fun duds and head out for pizza and beer with your best pals.

I also think it makes sense for J and I to do a morning/mid-day wedding because of the venue we’ve chosen. Because we’re having our reception at Vintage, which is housed on the grounds of the Ultimate Golf Academy in Sioux Falls, there’s SO much to do outside, and I would hate for darkness to arrive too early for our guests to take advantage of the driving range or the mini-golf course.

Plus, the best part for me:  brunch! I just LOVE breakfast foods like french toast and coffee cake, and I would love to eat comfort food at my wedding. Or, alternatively, if we had a later morning wedding, we could absolutely serve lunch (think finger sandwiches!).

What do you think, readers? Have you ever attended a morning wedding? If so, what was it like?

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!