So almost immediately after we got engaged and were still in Maui we obviously had plenty of time to talk. To my surprise Wesley actually sounded really excited every time I brought up a different wedding idea. I know we should have focused more on celebrating but I couldn't not think about the plan. If you know me, you should know that I like to live with a plan. Being in Maui was beyond exciting and just thinking about everything that this wedding is going to be was so exciting.
Then we got home.....
I immediately started to realize that planning this wedding was going to eat at my heartstrings because I had said that I wanted the wedding in California. By having it here there are a lot of people on my side of the family and some of my closest friends from back in NY aren't going to be able to come. I will be honest, before Wesley and I even got engaged this is something I thought about all the time, and even cried about on more than one occasion. By making the choice to have the wedding here was a really big deal. I think it was literally just one week after being engaged I had a proper meltdown about it. I started feeling like people were going to hate me for having it here, that even my siblings might not even be able to come because they weren't going to be able to afford it. It just all really killed me to be honest. I had just gotten off the phone with my mom while I was on the way to my Pilates class and I pretty much just lost it. Cried uncontrollably the whole way there. Probably walked in with extremely puffy and red eyes. (Thank goodness its kind of dark in the room).
Side tangent....Pilates (Studio 5 in Ladera Ranch - AHHHHMAZING). It literally has been my therapy. This night specifically, I'm so glad that I was on my way there.
So that upcoming weekend we had booked two appointments to go and check out a couple of venues. The Champions Club Retreat in Corona, CA and the Japanese Gardens at Cal State Long Beach. The Retreat just really didn't have that spark for me. It's more of a upscale Golf Club, very fancy feeling and to be honest way too stiff for me. And they wanted a STUPID amount of money and weren't even going to let us take a golf cart out to take pictures on. Thanks but no thanks! The next day we went to the gardens. I literally was blown away! I immediately felt butterflies and even got a little teary eyed when I imagined walking down what would be the isle to Wesley. I felt like after two venue stops I had already found "the place".
I immediately the next day looked up all of the preferred vendors and started making calls. I realized that one of the catering companies was just going to be far too expensive so I was relying on the other company. Luckily for me I had found out that Wesley's Aunt actually used them for all four of her daughter's weddings. After multiple phone calls, a form submission and a couple emails it was just really strange that no one was calling me back. So I called Wesley's Aunt to see what she could do. We both realized that it wasn't just me but the customer service rep at "said" catering company didn't get trained in customer service ever. The gal honestly shouldn't have even been talking to anyone on the phone. When we asked for her name her answer was I'm the receptionist. "Well thank you captain obvious". Needless to say it just really didn't start the experience off well. I'm just a stickler for first impressions. In general to get to the point I just feel like the rest of the service I got just wasn't what I wanted or expected and it really started making me doubt my choice in the venue which really started bumming me back out after I had felt so much excitement.
A few days later and finally getting a proposal with the costs I just had a lot of things running through my head about why it wasn't going to work...."ring ring" "ring ring", oh my phone was ringing and it was this other venue calling. I had submitted a request for information to them while I was in Maui actually because I really kind of loved what I saw on their website. It's almost like it was meant to be. The gal Kathy that called me apologized up and down for not getting back to me sooner. I told her not to stress that honestly her timing couldn't be better. She moved around her schedule for the upcoming Sunday (It was a Friday), and we made plans to go meet her.
So where was this place? Funny you should ask.... Here is a gander. This is the 1st Tee Box at the San Juan Hills Golf Club in San Juan Capistrano, Ca. We're allowed to get married at/on the tee box. Cha-Ching - Wesley will be stoked!!
So we walked through the Clubhouse and met with Kathy. From the beginning she was amazing. I immediately felt a great connection with her and how she handled our meeting. She knew I think right away that Wesley and I are totally sarcastic, easy going people. Exactly how she was! We were like two, well three peas in a pod. She shot straight with us. Told us she wasn't there to try and up sell us on those ugly chair covers and chair bows. (BIG PLUS) She took us outside and we interrupted someone right before they approached the tee box so that we could gander and how it would feel standing up there. It's beautiful. The tee box over looks the fairway obviously but also a really pretty "lake". She called it a lake I think I would call it a pond. But either way it's gorgeous. From there we walked back towards the Clubhouse and onto the patio areas. There are two. One would be used for the dining portion and the other for the dancing and party portion. The party portion is my favorite. Here gander at this picture and you'll understand why.
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How fun does that look??? That's what I thought. Everything here just feels right. It feels more like ME AND WESLEY. It's chill, laid back and the fact that Kathy said "You can take the golf cart out for pictures and do whatever the hell you want because it's your day" sold me. I'm certain that this place will allow us to have one of the most amazing days ever.....and we can't wait to share it with you.
Big thanks to Kathy. She really helped bring me back down to Calm-Ville after this first little emotional roller coaster that I've been on.
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