Where to get married?

Finding a place to get married sounds way more fun than it actually is. I am feeling really stressed out about it.

There's just so much that goes into this decision. We need to find a place that is affordable, in a good location, and is elegant. I do not want an overly fancy wedding but I would like one that is classy and memorable.

It's also hard because to keep it affordable we are going to be married in the Hagerstown/southern PA area. So, we can only look at places on the weekends. The last couple of weekends have been full of wedding location scouting. We've nixed a couple of places and are down to three. I hope that no other places cross our paths because I like being down to the final choices. I'm hoping to have a decision by the first weekend in May.

This weekend we are checking out the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV. I used to go here all the time for special dinner (i.e. graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, etc). It's also the place where Mike first met my parents - we met there for brunch. It's a picturesque Inn just over the Maryland border in West Virginia. It would be a fun place to have a wedding because people could easily stay at the Inn or in a nearby bed and breakfast or hotel. Plus, Shepherdstown is a quaint little town that would be fun for people coming from out of town.

One place that we've already checked out that is still on our list is the Waynesboro Country Club. This is right in my parents' town. It's a very pretty location and it gives us the most flexibility in terms of decorations, size, etc. It's also the least expensive. But, it has a few drawbacks - namely that it's in Waynesboro. Everyone would have to stay in either Hagerstown or Chambersburg and that would mean a lot of driving for people who are not familiar with the area. I'd provide directions of course but it's still a bit problematic.

A new venue that was just referred to us is the Links at Gettysburg. This is a golf course in Gettysburg, PA. It would be kind of cool to be married in Gettysburg because it is one of my favorite towns. The pictures are also really pretty. A big plus for this place is that a lot of things - including the cake - are included in the package price. Plus there are a ton of packages and all can be customized. That appeals to me. Another plus is that the ceremony could be outside and it's a very picturesque place. But, the downside to that is if it rains, we are screwed. Sure, it could be moved inside but it would not be as nice. However, we could decide to have the ceremony in a church and just have the reception here. There's a lot up in the air. We are going to visit this location soon. It's the last on our list and then it's decision time!

I cannot wait for this decision to be made. It's the one that has me stressed out the most because it will determine our date. I really want to have a date nailed down. Then, we can take our time with some of the other details and I can work out a schedule (I am a production person after all). But, until we have the date and the location we cannot do much else!

Wish me luck.