And so it begins...

From Healdsburg Country Gardens

I love long weekends! For President's weekend we headed up to Sonoma County to begin our search for the perfect place for our wedding (read: PARTY, and special beautiful setting, preferably with a barn).

A few things we realized:

1) Wine country weddings are pricey (duh, this is nothing new, but it became very real in person)

2) I like barns and feel it means myself and my bridesmaids have full rights to wear cowboy boots

3) Our list of invitees needs trimming :(....this is sad. We have 220 people on our list right now, almost all of them are very close friends or family no further than 1st cousins. How does one wrack up that many close humans in 30 years?

To the last point--It seems that most places in Sonoma have funny restrictions, probably due to age old permits that have a cap at 150. The places that have more space are vineyards that make you drink their wine or that feel so ostentatious you could be at Disney....(Ledson). Some are very beautiful (Chateau St. Jean) but just not our style. But this size thing is just such a bummer. Do we really have to sacrifice inviting people that are close to us for the 'perfect' wedding venue? We both went into the weekend feeling like we would not want to do that, but left feeling like we might have to. And then there's that whole attrition question--how many of those 220 people will make the trip to Cali? Will a lot come because it's a great excuse for a vacation, or will many have to say no because it's close to the 4th of July holiday or they just don't have the funds...or, they have some other wedding to go to. We are that age after all.

So here are the pictures. Different albums for the different venues.

Healdsburg Country Gardens is our very favorite, but has a max of 150 (160 if we pay extra).

We thought we could fit 175 at Beltane, but it seems that is not the case.

Kenwood Ranch seemed nice when we first arrived, but we were a bit put off by it's proximity to the highway and the guy trying to sell us stuff.

Annadel was gorgeous and I think it would feel like we were in some kind of mix between Downton Abbey and Down on the Ranch...The problem here: the price tag. To stay within budget, we'd need to be our own florist and hang the lights ourselves....

Stryker was way up in Geyersville--gorgeous, amazing tasting room with a kick ass view and the ability to have dancing in the barrel room. Just not the style we are going for...

Dawn Ranch Lodge--Could I please get married at camp?!?! The property was GORGEOUS, we'd have our choice of where to have our ceremony and reception, we'd have the property all weekend so rehearsal dinner would be a bbq with everyone that's around. There is a private 'beach' right on Russian River. The downside? the cabins are like pool houses and we are not sure it's fair to ask our guests to stay in them for the minimum 2 nights.

So that was our first endeavor....Next weekend we head to the South Bay and Peninsula to see Nestledown, Fogarty Winery and the Mountain Terrace....(oh, and I get my ring back! I can't wait)

Ms. Sudow's Getting MARRIED!

Yup, it's true. On December 11, 2011 Zack proposed as we walked across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was awesome. Here's the story...somewhat compressed: He went to DC in early November, under the auspices of visiting our friend Tim, asked Dad at dinner. Dad was of course thrilled not only because Zack few across the country to ask him (in person) but also because he really likes Zack, like, a lot. Then a few weeks later when we were home for Turkey Day, we went out to dinner with Mom. She (inappropriately) wore her mom's engagement ring to dinner and flashed it in our faces....awesome Mom, thanks for bringing up a subject we don't already talk enough about. Insuing argument ends in the idea to try on emerald cut rings to see what we think. And prompts Zack to secretly ask Mom to send the ring across the country...She does, UN-INSURED! yipes.

A few weeks later our friends Zack and Jon ask us if we want to do brunch and hiking in the Presidio, this is totally normal weekend fare for us, so of course, I oblige, only make a lot of excuses about having a ton of work to do and going to Oakland to meet Whitney...strangely that morning Whit cancels on me (something about watching students in a play) and Zack and Jon cancel on us (something about buying a house and Jon frantically printing tax documents). So we venture out on our own, brunch at Liverpool lils complete with bloodies and mimosas, and a stroll in the Presidio. Zack refuses to touch me as we're walking--joking around I assume. But then as soon as we get on the bridge he offers to hold my hand. Something he would NOT do 4 years earlier when we made the same walk before we were dating.

At the first pylon we stop, look at the view, act all lovey dovey. I tell him I love him. He tells me he loves me too, and that's why he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. He gets down on one knee.....I hear nothing else. Commence tears, see the ring, freak out it might fall into the Bay, get confused as to how he has DD's ring in the first place. He asks if I say yes, OF COURSE I DO!

(I would have a nasty cut on my knuckle the day I get engaged...)

Amazing. So here we are, embarking on an adventure to plan a wedding in the Bay Area that will live up to our friends' expectation of what a wedding hosted by Aly and Zack could and should be.

.....so now, fundraising blog turned travel blog turned rant of a new teacher, is turning into those wedding blogs people talk about--let's see how it goes.