New DE bride!

desireea0217

Hi everyone, I'm new to the boards and I just got engaged in October, though we were planning it for some time. I don't actually live in DE (I'm from south jersey) but my fiance's parents live outside of Dover and we think it would be a great place to get married. I'm currently in nursing school, with 2 years left, so we plan on having a long engagement and getting married right after I graduate. We are looking at a tentative date of Jan. 28th 2012, for both the convenience and because i looooove winter weddings. Both my fiance and his parents are really excited that I decided to have the wedding in DE, but obviously not being from the state I have no idea where to start. I want to have a venue picked by February so I can put down a deposit and start slowly planning. I know it's a little early, but I'm worried that my school schedule will be too hectic towards the end. My fiance's parents are members of the Wild Quail Country Club around Dover and they want us to look there. Has anyone else been to a wedding there? I would appreciate any advice anyone has!

Mrs.LuraT

Congrats and welcome!  It's never too early to start planning.  My engagement was 17 months, but I know a few others, (Donnalynn, tonysgurl, and Jax) had over two years.  Donnalynn just finished nursing school right before her wedding...I'm sure she can give you a few pointers.  The firls on here are super nice and friendly. 

I've never been to Wild Quail Country Club, but it sounds nice.  Most of the girls on this board are from Northern DE, in NCC, but then again, DE is so small, I'm sure someone has been there. 

Mattsbride10

Hey I just wanted to say Welcome to the DE board and Congrats on your engagement.

Donnalynn

Hi there, and congratulations on your official engagement :-)

I got married in July 2009 after a 2-year engagement, and my reasoning for the long engagement was very similar to yours.  I was just about to start my clinicals in nursing school, so I didn't want to get married until after I graduated.  Nursing school is definitely a hectic schedule and a lot of work, so I definitely made the right choice with the way I did things.  I got married 2 months after I graduated, and everything worked out perfectly! 

Some people looked at me like I was crazy booking vendors 2 years in advance, but it definitely has its advantages.  First, you basically get your pick of whatever vendors you want, because chances are they won't be booked yet on your date.  Second, a lot of times you can book vendors with their current pricing, which is great because the prices will usually be a lot higher 2 years down the line.  And third, there is a lot less stress involved when you do things a little bit at a time.  That way you don't get overwhelmed.  So you're definitely doing the right thing!  I would say the 2 most important things to book early are the venue and the photographer.  For me, it was the DJ also (who I booked 18 months in advance) because the partcular one I wanted tends to book fast. 

Anyway, congrats again and welcome to the board!  If you have any questions about nursing school or want to chat about balancing that with wedding planning, feel free to contact me (donnalynn279 at comcast dot net).  Good luck with your planning!

Santorini2011

Welcome!  I am a 2 year engagement too!  I love being able to take my time.  Seems to help ward off Bridezilla

desireea0217

thanks  everyone. my goal is to stay as stress free as possible when it comes to wedding planning and enjoy it as much as I can.

monicalyn00

Desiree:

I am from Dover and live In Seaford, DE currently. Wild Quail is a beautiful venue. I was there in the summer for a wedding. the food was really good and it was gorgeous.

If I was getting married in Delaware I would have chosen that venue myself but since my future groom is from MD we are getting in Kent Island, MD (which is in the middle between all of us). I got enagaged on November 6, 2009 and we are not getting married until 7-9-11. My groom is working on his Masters and will not be done until December 2010.

Ms.BriarRose

Welcome to the awesome DE board- the girls here are some of the nicest girls on these boards, hands down.  And if you are looking for an honest opinion and helpful advice, you have come to the right place!

I have never been to your venue, but if it is what you are looking for, and in your price range, I say go for it!  I ditto everything Donna said, she hit it all right on the money.

I am almost a two year bride- I got engaged December 24, 2008 and we are getting married October 2, 2010.  We waited because of money and medical reasons, and because my FI wanted an October wedding!

Hope to see you postimg more- if you have any questions about the board, feel free to email me at msbriarrose@gmail.com (note no period in the email after the ms!).

Rplant

I have used Golden Apple Caterers for my oldest daughter's wedding and my son's wedding. My third child has just got engaged and I plan on using them again. They have many different locations with very affordable pricing (they include everything - linens, china, silverware, they also threw in a wedding cake!!). I believe at their locations they even give you the room for free! I used one of their locations for my oldest and at my son's wedding they came to the church hall. If anyone would like to email me regarding them, please feel free! Theresa (the owner's wife) is great! Very patient and understanding! She even emails me late at night or returns my phonecalls after 7:00PM. Their food is very good and they can decorate, which is a big plus in my book! My email address is dancin357@aol.com! Thought this would help, looking for a great DJ. The ones I used in the past are now retired!