Ok here is my ordeal: I am absolutely in love with the Stateroom on LBI for my reception and getting married at one of the churches on the island. My dilema is that it is very important to me to have my getting ready pics taken at my grandmothers house, but we live up northern NJ, East Rutherford to be exact. So it takes about 2 hours to get to LBI. Unless my mom is driving then its an hour and a half. It has always been a dream of mine; it is the one thing I knew I absolutely needed to have. Now tell me if I sound out of my mind for doing this, but should I decide to book the stateroom, would it be absolutely insane to get ready the morning of my wedding up north early in the morning (im an early bird anyway) and be read by 1 at the latest to get down there for mass at 3? I love the stateroom but I wont have my dream wedding pictures if I take my before pitures at a hotel or rented house. What do you guys think? Please be brutally honest!!!!! Or suggest somewhere else to look down the shore but closer to home. I already looked at Clarks Landing (out of my price range), The SUnset Ballroom (I wasnt wowed), The Crystal Point (hated it), and now the stateroom(fell in love with the cocktail space). Any other shore reception locations could help.
Re: do this sound crazy?
How many people are in your BP? That will also need to be considered into your getting ready time. You may also have to pay your photographer extra for the longer traveling distance. Is there a compromise that could be reached? Maybe have your e-pics taken at your grandmother's house? And, in what month are you getting married? Shore traffic would have to be considered into the timing of arriving to your ceremony on time from East Rutherford.
Only you and FI (and parents if paying) can make this decision. You should make a list of all the pros and cons and find out the right solution for you.