Ventosa girls

ChelseaB425

I have been stressing out lately, worrying about silly things like what kind of chairs to use (could they have uglier banquet chairs?) and whether or not my FI's snotty extended (not immediate) family will enjoy the wedding.

But now I feel so much better...

I almost screamed at my desk when I saw this link posted on Wedding Gawker  today (besides Style Me Pretty, it's my go-to wedding inspiration blog). When I looked at the pictures, I nearly teared up. It's (like so much of the Finger Lakes and Central New York) beautiful!  Lesson learned: I'm not going to sweat the small stuff anymore.

For your enjoyment and inspiration:
http://www.clarkwalkerstudio.com/blog/wedding-photos/ventosa-vineyards-wedding

kks4471

Love love love love!  I saved the website to my favorites.  Chelsea, I'm going to meet RJ on Sept 4th.  Chair covers, tent location, and table positions are some questions I have.  Anything in particular you were wondering about?  Let me know

raes19

I'm not getting married at Ventosa, but as a life-long Geneva resident, I really have faith that it will be everything you girls have planned for your weddings and more! It really is one of the most beautiful venues in the area, and everything will look great when it's all done up.

ChelseaB425

Kim, I can't think of anything for RJ right now, but thanks for asking! Your ceremony is at Ventosa, right? Have you found an officiant? We were hoping my uncle, a newly ordained deacon, could perform the ceremony, but the Catholic Church doesn't allow it.

Rachael, your hometown has so much to offer! It's a great location for us because so many of our guests are coming from out of town, and many are planning to make a long weekend out of it.

sbolger17

I've never seen pictures of Ventosa before -- it's so gorgeous!  You ladies will all have beautiful weddings!

kks4471

Yup my ceremony is there (FI's grandmother isn't too happy lol).  We're renting a white tent with no walls for the ceremony.  Need to ask RJ where the tent will go.  I was thinking to the left, in front of the white house.  We booked with Pastor Jack Porcello in Rochester, because he seems very easy going and personable.  I've looked at that website 3 times already, and hope we have gorgeous sunlight too!

ChelseaB425

Because I'm a creep who stalks weddings at Ventosa, I have these pictures from one that used a tent. Hopefully, they will give you an idea of what the setup looks like.

http://www.lauriedirkx.com/PortraitsReunions/Carla/18445703_zvvqHQ#1422791592_cFmzTqf

smclardy

Hey Im getting married Sept 4th at Ventosa. KKS4471 What time are you meeting with RJ?
Chelesa thanks for the links.  I love seeing pictures of the venue.  I have 17 days and Im starting to worry about all the little details. But I keep remembering how beautiful the venue is and how I dont need all the little details.

Is anyone else getting married on the Terrace?

kks4471

He asked me to meet him at noon.... what time is your wedding?!?  I don't plan on being long, but I don't want to be in your way!  Thanks for more pictures Chelsea, I love to look too.

smclardy

Our wedding isnt till 6. So there is plenty of time.  I was just wondering if you would be able to see my set up.  You reminded me I need to start working on the day of timeline. And finish my centerpieces. and seating chart. and oooooo so much to do.

ChelseaB425

Susan, what officiant did you go with?

I just started looking into and, holy crap, they are so much more expensive than I anticipated.

Ksobien1

Hey other Ventosa brides! I introduced myself on here a while ago and then this thing called life took over and I haven't been able to do much planning since then!  :-( Yesterday was the one year mark so that made me realize that I needed to get back on here and get my butt movin!!!! So I hope to keep on track now that the busy summer is coming to an end and I will probably have a lot of questions for you guys :-)

To re-introduce myself - My name is Kara and my fiance's name is Jay. We are getting married August 18th, 2012 at Ventosa. We currently live in Ithaca. :-) So far we have booked the DJ, photographer, Hair & make up artist, and looked into some string quartets for the ceremony.

Chelsea, those pictures are beautiful that you found and I'm glad to know that I am not the only one that goes online and tries to stalk ventosa weddings! My fiance will constantly ask me what I'm doing when he sees me browsing photographers websites since we already have one booked and I'm just like Oh yea seeing who got married at ventosa over the weekend! haha

It seems like you all are having your ceremony at Ventosa too, which is great since we are as well! Kim - are you definitely getting a tent? My mom is trying to convince me that we need to get one, but I am just not sure that it's worth it. I don't plan on having a very long ceremony so I don't feel like we'll be using it long enough. Are you planning on doing anything else under the tent or just using it for your ceremony? Chelsea- are you getting a tent? Smclardy - you mentioned you're getting married on the terrace. How many people are you expecting to have? I know I talked about this with RJ, but couldn't remember how many he said could fit seated on the terrace.

Chelsea- are you looking for a religious officiant? We're meeting with an officiant from the Ithaca area next week, but she is a humanist celebrant. My family is Jewish and my fiance's family is Catholic. His family is not very religious, where my family does practice our religion, but not very strictly. Although, my fiance's family isn't relgiious, I felt bad just having a rabbi because I felt like than my religion was dominating his. Long story short - if you are looking for someone that is religion neutral let me know and I'll send you her info! :-)

My big question is lodging! My family is from Buffalo and his is from Long Island, therefore all of our guests will be coming in from out of town! I have wedding blocks set up a couple of the Geneva hotels, but I am getting worried that it will not be enough. Do you guys have any other places set up for guests to stay in the area - B&Bs, houses, etc?

Also - when is everyone getting married? smclardy - I noticed yours is coming up soon! You must be so excited! I'm sure everything is going to be beautiful :-)

Thanks for your help girls! I can't wait to really buckle down and do some serious planning and to hear about all of your wedding plans! :-)

ChelseaB425

Welcome back, Kara! What DJ, photographer and hair/makeup artist did you go with?

If you're looking for other string quartets, check out the Angelicus String Quartet. They're based out of Rochester but do many Finger Lakes weddings.

I'm not getting a tent. While having a ceremony on the lawn is ideal, I'm completely fine with doing it on the terrace. I can't remember exactly how many RJ said the terrace could fit, but we're expecting 150ish and that wasn't a problem.

Please send me the officiant's info! We're looking for anyone that is a good fit for us, religious or not.

Like you the majority of our guests are coming from out of town. We have blocks at the Hampton and Ramada. We're going to send Save the Dates in October (for our September wedding) and encourage people to book as soon as they can. Both hotels said we could monitor it and add rooms when those fill. We're also going to let people know about B&Bs, etc. The only thing is that we're hoping to provide transportation for everyone between the Hampton/Ramada and Ventosa, so those people would be out of luck.

Ksobien1

Thank you! I'm glad to be back :-)

For a DJ - we're going with Finger Lakes Entertainment;
For a photographer - we booked Modern Photographies. She is an art teacher in Buffalo and does the photorgraphy as her hobby. My mom had a friend that used her for her daughter's wedding and they loved her! http://www.modernphotographie.com/Site/home.html
For hair & makeup - I booked glam on location. http://glamonlocation.com/

That is actually one of the string quartets that I contacted! I listened to their music on their website and LOVED it! We haven't decided whether or not to do it yet. When we originally met with the DJ we had decided just to have him do all the cermeony stuff, but once I started listening to music online, they all sounded so beautiful and I thought it would look really nice for the ceremony... so we'll see!

I would love to have the ceremony on the lawn, but my mom's whole issue that she is using to fight me on getting a tenet is the weather. I told her that I would plan for the lawn and then if the weather didn't cooperate, we could move to the terrace. But she doesn't think that the terrace will provide enough shelter if it were to rain. I really don't want to plan for rain because I don't want that to happen!! Good to know that at least 150 can fit. I'm not sure how many we will end up with since it is out of town, but it should be around that.

The officiant that we're meeting with is Barbara Behrmann. She works at a event planning company so if anyone needs any assistance with that, they may also be able to help you! http://www.ceremoniesandevents.com/about.html

Same deal with us. We have the rooms booked at the Ramada and Hampton. I was hoping to send the Save the Dates out by the end of this month/ begninng of September, but unfortunately the weekend that I had saved for engagement pictures something came up with the photographer and so I've been trying to coordinate with her to do another weekend, but unfortunately that means they are now behind. I was hoping to use one of the pictures on the STD. So I will probably end up just calling family and having them pass the word around until the STDs can go out. We would also really like to have a shuttle for guests staying at those hotels. Have you looked into any places yet. I am worried to see what the price of that will be! Ideally, I would just want the shuttle for before the ceremony to bring guests there and then after to bring them back starting at a reasonable time. I'm worried they will charge for the whole time in between and I don't want to pay their driver to sit in the parking lot. A friend suggested that if they try and do that, just book two different companies. One for before the ceremony and one for at the end of the night! haha

When is your wedding? :-)

ChelseaB425

We're using Finger Lakes Entertainment too. Nathan DJ'ed one of my best friend's weddings and he was great!

I haven't really dug into shuttles yet, but from what I've seen they do charge for the whole time, which in our case would be 7+ hours. It's something we really have to think about over the next couple months. Not going to lie, I like your friend's idea!

Our wedding is 9/8/12.

ChelseaB425

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_central-new-york_ventosa-girls?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:621Discussion:e3ced143-4e21-43f3-bbd1-7bd43ce81c9bPost:f4ba982b-7e00-4d86-b71c-a77d6c07371f">Re: Ventosa girls</a>:
[QUOTE]T But she doesn't think that the terrace will provide enough shelter if it were to rain.
Posted by Ksobien1[/QUOTE]

I had thought about that as well, but a tent becomes an issue then too. It will most likely be set up on the lawn in front of the house which is a little bit of a walk from the parking lot through grass which could be soggy.

Either way, rain isn't good, so I'm hoping for beautiful weather for all of us!

Ksobien1

Awesome, that's so good to hear that you've seen Nathan in action! RJ had mentioned that he does a majority of the weddings at Ventosa and that made me feel comfortable that he has a good working relationship with them so he can do his thing and it's one less thing for me to worry about! He was so nice when we met with him - seemed very easy going and a lot of fun!

Yea, that's what I was worried about with the shuttles! If we can find two companies that are close enough to do it, I think that may be the way to go! It's sneaky, but really we shouldn't have to pay for what we don't need or won't be using! I'll let you know what I find when I start researching places to call.

I hadn't even thought about that issue with the tent and rain! That would be quite the soggy walk :-( Agreed - rain is NO good! I hope we all luck out with the weather as well. Yesterday was a beautiful day out so I hope next year is just as great! Another question about the ceremony - did anyone ele get sticker shock over the fact that chairs for the ceremony are $4 a chair? That adds up quickly! I was wondering if anyone had thought about or looked into renting chairs from an outside company to see how the prices compare?

September 8th should be beautiful! Maybe you'll even get some of the leaves changing by then! I was hoping to set the date for the weekend after that (9/15), but unfortunately there is a Jewish holiday that falls on that Sunday and my mom was worried that would affect people from wanting to travel.

Have you chosen anyone for your cake? I had been doing some research on cakes, but then last month I found out that I have celiacs diseas so now I am contemplating what to do.... I want to be able to eat my own wedding cake!! So I was thinking as alternate of maybe having a regular baker do cupcakes for the guests and finding a gluten free baker to make a small tiered cake for us to use for pictures and to eat because I can imagine that making anything gluten free will be a lot more expensive! :-(

kks4471

Welcome back Kara!  I'm at work, so this is a P&R, but I wanted to answer some questions.  I'm renting a tent for the lawn in front of the white house.  It's mostly for shade and comfort, and we're thinking about having a tub of water bottles at the entrance.  We rented a shuttle from 9pm to midnight for only about $200.  I think the company is Finger Lakes Limo, and I can look up the exact price when I get home.  Our rooms are blocked at the Ramada, but I'm debating if we should do the Hampton too.  I finished writing out my STD envelopes, and will mail them out next week.  My wedding date is June 16, 2012.  Will let you know more when I'm home!

Susan, whew!   I wonder if people will be setting up for you while we're there.  I'll stay out of their way!  Good luck with making a time line.

raes19

If any of you girls are interested, check out the Geneva Chamber website, www.genevany.com <- we have limo services, salons, etc. and I would be happy to share any first hand opinions on any of the companies. Also, under the Visit Geneva heading, there is a link that has cottage listings which might be another option for some of your guests.

ChelseaB425

I HAVE GREAT NEWS.

FI talked to the owner of Big D's Limos out of Auburn and they're willing to provide shuttle transportation (a 14-seat bus or a 22, I think) for an hour before the ceremony and an hour after the reception for $540, which includes the tip!

smclardy

Welcome Kara! Im getting super nervous about the wedding.  Only 16 more days.  We are getting married on the terrace.  We only have 66 guests.  I dont remember how many he said could fit on the terrace but its a pretty big terrace so I imagine alot. I was told if it rains we should be fine on the terrace as well.  As long as its not a sidewise downpour. 
My FI's mother is marrying us.  She is a pastor.  If anyone wants her information just PM me. She is based out of Rome NY and travels.

I did the room blocks at the hampton inn geneva, holiday inn seneca falls and microtell seneca falls.  My family is staying at the lake house the owner of Ventosa (Meg) rents.  We also rented out thewilliamsmithinn for the bridal party and the groom and I will be staying there the night of the wedding.  The inn keeper, Theresa, is amazing. Super helpful and extremely friendly.  
Has anyone found any usual transportation methods? Im really interested in a unique car to take us home at the end of the night.  Right now we dont have any transportation booked.

raes19

Fitzgeralds has trolleys?

Ksobien1

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Kim - are you hiring the shuttle for prior to the ceremony too or what arrangements are you making for guests that leave their car at Ventosa and take the shuttle back?

Chelea - that is awesome news about the shuttle! I will have to give them a call. I'll let you know if I find anything that beats that price, but it's good to know that the cost is not as high as I was thinking it would be. 

Rachel - thanks for the tip! I will keep the website in mind since I am not that familiar with Geneva. I have a random question for you - is there anywhere in Geneva that offers a great indoor atmosphere for people to go to for pictures if the weather is not that great? 

Thanks Susan. It's been awhile since I've been on the terrace so I couldn't remember if it would provide enough shelter from the rain or not. That's great news about the lakehouse. How did you find out about it? I will have to check out the William Smith Inn... that sounds like a great idea! Good luck with the rest of your planning! We're here if you need help! :-)

Ksobien1

Also - Chelsea I saw your post about the airbrush makeup on the other thread. Did you try contacting Glam on Location? They are from Buffalo, but they are willing to travel to Geneva! :-)

kks4471

We only hired the shuttle for rides from Ventosa to Ramada.  A lot of our guests are friends, so we thought they could carpool there saturday, take shuttle home, then pickup left over car with a different car sunday morning.  I know we can't count fully on that, but besides me taking people back sunday, I need to come up with ideas this winter.  I could really use some tips!

smclardy

RJ is awesome.  That is all. : )

ChelseaB425

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_central-new-york_ventosa-girls?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:621Discussion:e3ced143-4e21-43f3-bbd1-7bd43ce81c9bPost:2246b75d-2be1-4707-8c8d-0baa90ba2350">Re: Ventosa girls</a>:
[QUOTE]RJ is awesome.  That is all. : )
Posted by smclardy[/QUOTE]

Any reason in particular? Or just in general? :)

Good luck with your final week of planning and all the last-minute details! I'm so looking forward to hearing about your wedding and seeing pictures!

smclardy

It just seems like he never says No.  Everything I have asked for he has allowed.  Even stuff I really didnt think he would. Like reducing my minimum headcount after the deadline.

Thanks.  Im getting really nervous about the wedding.  Only 6 days to go.

Ksobien1

Wow it's been awhile since I've been able to get on here! How is everyone? I hope everything went amazing for you Susan!!!! I would love to hear all about it and send us some pictures of the big day! :-)