Potential Wedding Venue #3: White Cliffs Country Club

Round 3! Scott and I took a trip down to Plymouth, MA this weekend to check out the third on our list of potential wedding venues: White Cliffs County Club.

If you're looking for a place away from the fast-pace of the city with a beautiful water view for your ceremony/reception, this place is pretty hard to beat. Standing on top of a 200+ foot cliff, White Cliffs had a ridiculous view over Cape Cod Bay. Don't be deceived by the gray branches in the picture to the right, everything is green and in full bloom once Spring rolls around!

The event coordinator Linda told us that the grounds crew plants new flowers every season and keeps things in tip-top shape during wedding season. The photo albums we saw later had some unbelievable pictures of the bride and groom down on the beach below. The gazebo where they typically have the ceremony was really cute too (pic on the left) -- there was enough room to fit 160 chairs on either side of the path/aisle, and all of the pictures looked nice when the flowers and bushes around the gazebo were all in bloom.

As the view outside was awesome, we knew that the reception details would pretty much make or break our decision to go with White Cliffs. We met with Linda in the room where they'd have the dance floor and DJ (pic on the right) -- it had really nice high ceilings and big windows that looked out on Cape Cod Bay. It was what I'd consider to be a "classic" style, with chandeliers and more traditional-looking decor. The dance floor was well sized, but you couldn't really change the size or placement, like you could at Ipswich.

For the dinner/cocktail hour, they set up a tent over the back patio (pic to the left) that connects to the clubhouse (where the dance floor is). The tent holds up to 200 people, and they can set up stations in the corners if you'd prefer buffett over plated dinners. In October, we'd have to have heaters out in the tent in case it got chilly -- which it definitely could with the way the winds can whip off Cape Cod Bay.

I was, however, surprised to hear that the dance floor and DJ would be completely separate from the dining area. When I started thinking about the reception and having a great time dancing with family and friends, I realized how awkward it might be to have that big of a separation between the main clubhouse and tent. When "Don't Stop Believing" comes on, I want to be able to just reach out and grab Katie Traut or Ben Haber (after he's had a few raspberry beers) and bring them right in to the joy that is fist pumping! I told Scott I'd rather have the dance floor right in the middle of everything, so if my Grandpa or G-Ma want to sit and watch the "kids" dance and just chat with friends, they could still have a great time and not feel like they weren't a part of the celebration.

The menu had tons of options for all different tastes, although it was definitely more expensive than the other two venues. We ran the numbers and it was definitely a $$$ on a $$$ scale. White Cliffs didn't have a bridal suite but Linda said the girls could use the office if we needed to leave our stuff or touch-up makeup and whatnot. Scott and I asked about nearby accomodations since we have a lot of guests coming from out of town, but it didn't seem like there were many nearby options -- I realized that for an ocean view like that, you might have to compromise on a few things, like proximity to hotels. But then I said to myself... screw it! It's our wedding... compromise-shmompromise!

Did I mention that the bar must be closed by 10pm (5 hours after the start of the cocktail hour at 5pm)? Let's be serious people... we all know what the real dealbreaker is here.

My rating for White Cliffs Country Club: 3.5 out of 5

And so it begins... P90X

Guess what arrived in our mailbox the other day??? Duhn duhn duuuuuuhn...

P90X baby! In preparation for Scott's cousin Ryan and Melissa's wedding in early June, we decided it was about time to jump on the fitness train. Well, that... and the fact we were probably ever-so-slightly brainwashed by the infomercials that have roped us in each and every Saturday morning for the past few months.

In the last week Scott and I have accumulated a collection of fitness paraphernalia that consists of free weights (my wussy 6lb ones for the stand-in-place cardio exercises... I mean come on, I am not jumping around with 20lb weights for 60 minutes to begin with... I'd give up by day 3!), a chin-up bar for the doorway, and an elastic resistance band (I made sure to get a cloth-covered one in case of any slingshot-style accident).

We're on a mission to find some yoga mats this weekend that do not cost $45 a piece. And yes, I do get some sick satisfaction and excitement thinking thinking about the week that Scott will be forced to do yoga.  And now for "downward dog!" 

We originally were going to try to do P90X in the basement... but given the unfortunate circumstances of last week (and the fact that Scott's head is only a couple inches away from touching the ceiling, we'll be moving our "gym" into the living room and kicking off the torture this week.

If you don't hear from me by Monday, call 9-1-1! I may have to invest in a Life Alert (Remember those?!! "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!")

Potential Wedding Venue #2: Ipswich Country Club

This past Saturday Scott and I took a trip up Old Route 1 North to visit the second on our listing of potential wedding venues -- the Ipswich Country Club. We had a nice scenic ride up the lightly-trafficked road, passing miles of trees, brooks, small little town centers and the Topsfield Fair grounds (which has since turned into a giant lake from flooding of the Ipswich River).
We were greeted at the gate by a super-friendly cute old guy that gave us directions to the clubhouse -- which amazingly enough was exactly one mile away from the gate, down a road lined with gorgeous homes and landscaping. The clubhouse had tons of parking and stood on a hill that looked down over the greens, a pond and a few other beautiful houses on the edge of the golf course.

As we waited to meet the event coordinator, Holly, someone showed us out to the back balcony so we could poke around and get a better feel for the space. The view was really awesome -- I could instantly picture how pretty the scene would look come October, when the Fall foliage started to kick into high gear. The deck was huge - one of two levels - and seemed like a really cool spot for the cocktail hour and hors d'oeuvres (there will never come a day where I don't have to Google the spelling of that).

Holly showed us the reception area, which was really roomy and had big floor to ceiling windows looking out over the golf course. What was really awesome was that they were in the middle of renovating the whole venue -- putting in brand new rugs, updating the bars, re-painting every room, adding new lighting -- so by the time the wedding came around, it would be like a whole new place! She took us over to the bridal suite -- a private suite and bathroom for the bride and bridesmaids to get ready, keep all our stuff, etc. (one thing I was really happy about, that Raffael's actually didn't offer).

Scott and I went outside with Holly to check out the grounds and see where we could potentially do an outdoor ceremony. There was a downstairs patio beneath the deck next to the grassy area on the top of the hill where they've had outdoor receptions in the past. Holly was great about explaining each and every step they would take to spruce up the place before the wedding, like manicuring the laws, planting new flowers in the flowerbeds next to the ceremony area, re-painting the deck (since the wood can get worn down in the winter).

One feature of Ipswich that I didn't even expect but really appreciated learning about was their "built-in Plan B" -- Holly assured us that if we scheduled an outdoor ceremony, they could break down the outdoor setup in an hour and a half's notice, and move all of the chairs and decorations into the spacious room they hold open on the third floor. The "backup" room even had it's own balcony and a bar on each end of the room (so guests don't have to wait in line for a drink!) --hey, I think I like this place!

We sat down to look at the menus and run estimates on the numbers. Holly told us that if we had a favorite dish or family recipe that we really wanted on the menu, the staff would be happy to accomodate! Once we saw the raw bar station, a couple steak and fish options on the menu, and the pricing estimates for the whole shebang, we were pretty much sold. Definitely a $$ out of $$$. I actually told Holly that it was one of the most reasonably priced places we'd seen, considering how much they offer -- she said "they just really wanted to give people prices that were fair!" Hearing that was music to my ears!

We did find out that someone had put a tentative hold on "our date" -- October 8, 2011 -- but that nothing was set in stone. All in all, this place is without a doubt my favorite venue so far. Now to just see a couple more places to have a good basis of comparison... without waiting too long and losing our date!!

My rating of Ipswich Country Club: 4.5 out of 5

Visiting Our First Potential Wedding Venue

The weekend before last (during the torrential downpour, naturally) Scott and I visited our first potential wedding venue in Hull, MA -- Raffael's Oceanfront (a part of the Clarion Nantasket Beach Hotel Resort & Spa). 

The event planner took us on a tour around the different ballrooms to show which spaces we could use for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. As we'll be inviting between 175 and 200 guests (I just heard the sound of a cash register chiming somewhere off in the distance...) the event planner told us that the Surf Ballroom (right pic) would be the best fit, since it could hold up to 200 people.

They were in the middle of setting up for a wedding that night (I felt so bad for the bride as I looked outside at the whipping wind and rain) with 70 guests. Scott and I walked around the ballroom for a minute or so, and found that between the long head table, dance floor and 9 or so 8-top tables, there really wasn't a heck of a lot of space left over. I'm a girl that get's a bit antsy in hot, crowded places (I try to start my Christmas shopping in October for that reason) so when I thought of the 175+ people dancing and drinking in that one space, I couldn't help but start to feel a little claustrophobic. And plus, a girl's gotta have some room to dance... especially after a couple cocktails!

Don't get me wrong though, the place was beautiful and seemed really accommodating. The Surf Ballroom had big windows lining every wall, all looking out over the Atlantic Ocean (left pic). Scott and I both agreed that it would really be an awesome place for a smaller summer wedding, where guests could relax on the beach the day before or following the wedding, and enjoy a cool little beach-side town.

The menu seemed really great -- they offered a little bit of everything and had a few different packages (prices) to choose from. The event coordinator talked about the complimentary tasting day they set up for their brides and grooms, where they invite several area vendors so you can get to check out their recommended florists, photographers, bakeries, etc. and potentially get special deals on their services. Free cake and filet? Now, you're talking my language, lady!

We sat down with the coordinator to run some numbers and see what it was going to set us back (read: how many more days we would be making peanut butter sandwiches for lunch). The number was as expected -- I'd say maybe a $$ out of $$$ if we're working with a Frommer's-type guide here. On the ride home I think for a few minutes about going back to waitressing or bartending on the weekends to make a little extra cash. Aaaand then I shake that silly little idea right back out of my mind a second later.

We chat about the pluses and minuses and realize one important fact. We want to get married in October -- one of the prettiest times of year if you live in New England because of the incredible foliage. And there wasn't a single tree around. We realized that if we got married on/by the beach in Hull, the pictures might be pretty, but you wouldn't even be able to tell it was Fall!

My Rating of Raffael's: 3 out of 5

Knee-Deep in Water and My New Best Friend

After Massachusetts was hit with three days of torrential downpour, Scott and I were surprised and relieved to find that our basement stayed dry as a bone. Until Tuesday night that is... when we came home to find five inches of water maneuvering its way into our new home.

OK... so maybe it wasn't "knee-deep"... but "shin-deep" just doesn't have the same effect!

I'm in the kitchen and Scott goes down to the basement to grab a paintbrush. A second later he yells up the stairs "oh man -- there is SO much water down here!" Not thinking twice about it (as Scott quite enjoys freaking me out), I yell back "yeah, OK Scott. Good one!" and continue cleaning. Five seconds later come the gentle sounds of Scott splashing around in our swamp of a basement. A wave of panic washes over me as Scott starts loudly laughing to himself out of sheer nervousness and disbelief. I suddenly wish my parents lived next door.

Scott throws on some (dry) sneakers and high-tails it to the nearest Lowe's to buy a Shop Vac. I grab my somewhat waterproof winter boots and begrudgingly trudge down to the basement to find a mirrored pool at the bottom of the stairs.

Me being the super smart and resourceful first-time homebuyer I am, I grab the nearest bucket and begin dumping water bit-by-bit into a big trash barrel. Thank God Scott is the super strong and agreeable first-time homebuyer he is, because he's the poor bastard that had to carry each barrel up the bulkhead steps and empty it out into the driveway (therein somewhat flooding our neighbor's lawn... but we'll just pretend that was from the rain, too...).

After about two hours of bucketing out water, I finally got my hands on my new best friend: The Shop Vac. Man does that thing suck. I cheer for my new friend as I watched it slurp up up the puddles scattered around the basement and actually start to dry out certain areas.

With the basement 95% dry, we run upstairs to grab a couple fans out of the attic to try and circulate the air. When we come back down, we see that somehow, several of the puddles have begun to fill up all over again!! Bugger!

We put on our detective caps and try to solve the mystery of the wet basement... where is this water coming from and why won't it go away?

Did you know that water can come up through the ground and begin bubbling up through the floor of the foundation? Yeah... we didn't either.  Little dips and cracks in the floor became the entry point for the water, which had no where else to go but up! Every time we vacuumed the floor, more water came up in it's place! Needless to say, it was a long night... although highly entertaining.

We ended up having to cut up a rug in the partially-finished section of the basement (which was OK by me as it smelled like wet dog anyway) but besides that we lucked out -- there was no real damage. The boiler stayed dry since it was thankfully on a slightly higher area of the basement and avoided the path of the water.

All of the kitchen stuff, tools and sporting equipment (including our golf bags) got a little wet, but nothing to cry about. The next day I went to Home Depot and bought a new adjustable shelving unit that allowed me to make the bottom shelf high enough to keep our things from getting damaged by water in the future.

Here are my tips for other first-time homebuyers and those looking to buy a home, based on what I learned this week:

• If you are still searching for a home, check each listing or with your real estate agent to see if the homes have a sump pump. We don't have one as of right now, and it really would've saved us a lot of time and energy.
• If a home you put an offer in on is: A)on the bottom of a hill B)near a river/pond/lake/ocean C)sitting on a fieldstone foundation and is an older home (ours was built in 1900), have your Inspector pay particularly close attention to any potential water damage, so you know what you're getting in to.
• If you just bought your home, don't just throw everything down into the basement that you don't want to put away! If you have any valuables that you would be upset about losing, don't put them in the path of a potential "damage zone" -- get some nice shelves and give yourself piece of mind that they will be out of harms way!

Next on our list will be to check for any potential mold damage in the partially finished room in the basement... crossing my fingers everything will be OK!