So many options!

When we were still considering a wedding up north, we were trying to find just one location that would be large enough to house our reception.  Now that we are having it in Des Moines, suddenly there are so many places to choose from.  I'm beginning to wonder if we won't have just as much trouble finding the right place here in Des Moines.

My mom was here this past weekend and we were able to check out a few possible reception sites on Monday.  We both fell in love with the Temple for Performing Arts which I mentioned in my previous post.  Nick got off work and we went back to show him & get his input.  He too loved the space.  He had one concern and one other possible issue.  He was concerned about whether the space could hold the number of people we believe will come to the wedding.  The other issue was that this place lacked an outdoor space, like a balcony or patio.  There is a fairly wide stairwell, however, it wouldn't be conducive to holding very many people.  The location is still on the top of our list at the moment but we need to explore more options.  These include:

Glen Oaks Country Club located in West Des Moines with beautiful grounds, club house and a large patio!

Hilton Garden Inn located in Johnston but right off the freeway.  This location has a typical hotel ballroom available with from what I can tell, a separate entrance from the main hotel area and has access to a large patio.

Renaissance Savery Des Moines which I mentioned in my last post, a great downtown location which of course could be a one stop shop for our out of town guests and has other activities to offer.

I hope that it won't be too difficult to decide.

The other issue that I see us facing is simply whether the location is available.  We're not even a year out and of the places we visited on Monday, they all had bookings in October 2011 and beyond!  We may very well end up finding the perfect location, but we may have issues with availability.  But as with everything else in life, I know it will all work out for the best.

One other side note, I feel so lucky to have my fiance who is genuinely interested in helping plan this wedding.  I've heard so many stories about the groom being a total bump on a log.  Thank goodness I don't have to worry about this! But I know the limits....he could probably care less about flowers...but for the major components, he's there and he's interested.  Just another reason why I love him!  Could not ask for a better hubby to be.

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