Picking The Best Venue For You

One of the first items couples need to check off their list is picking a venue. All other vendors will want to know what day your wedding is and that’s based off the venue you’ve booked. The venue can be the most expensive or the cheapest items for your wedding and can make or break your budget. Some questions to consider when booking a venue:

- How many guests will you be inviting? You don’t need an exact amount at this point, but most every venue will have a maximum amount you’ll need to stay under. Some venues you even pay per guest so having a rough estimate is key.

-Are there bridal suites on site that the bridal party can get ready in? It’s typically easier if everyone is in the same general area. It’ll help the photographer as well so they can go back and forth between both parties to take photos.

- Do you want a venue that’s all inclusive? Some venues have in house catering and tables with linens that you can use. Some even have day of planners! Is it an additional cost to have someone cut your cake? Some places it could be an additional $125 just to have someone cut your cake.

- Indoors versus outdoors: Do you want your ceremony outside and reception inside? Do they have a backup plan if it rains? What time of year do you want to get married? Is there air conditioning if it's too hot? Are there bathrooms for guests to use or do you need to rent a few portables?

- Can you have alcohol? Quite a few venues in Indiana will let you have beer and wine, but not all will let you have liquor. Can you hire your own bartenders or do they have some that work at the venue? Is an open bar or a cash bar an option?

- What hours are you able to use the venue? Can you come in the day before to decorate or do you have to decorate the morning of your wedding? Does the venue close at a specific time the day of your wedding or is there a noise ordinance in place that will cause the party to stop at a certain time? Can guests leave cars overnight and pick them up the next day?

-Is clean up included or do you have to clean up the night of your wedding?

Depending on what you decide, some parks are free to use. Locations that are specifically for weddings tend to run into the thousands. If you’re trying to cut a good chunk of change, look for some nontraditional locations such as restaurants with private areas or businesses that you can rent after their normal hours. Golf courses, museums, industrial buildings, gardens. Think outside of the box!

Long Engagement session at Coxhall Gardens

Brave.

#GirlBeBrave has been the slogan for 2018 as Marcy looked the Devil in the face and said, "not this time."

I wouldn't have believed this story myself unless I was personally there to see it all unfold. In March of 2018, after coughing for weeks, Marcy finally decided to visit a clinic. The nurse at the clinic thought she had a flu that's contracted by inhaling bird poo in the air. [weird, right!?] She said something looked odd though and told her to go to the ER.

Marcy went to the ER and by the end of the week she was diagnosed with lung cancer.

This is the point when most people would loose hope. Throw in the towel. Give up. If you know Marcy, you know that's just not her. She surrounded herself with positive phrases- notepads, car stickers, coloring books....all reminding her to #girlbebrave.

Her doctor said it was best to take out the whole lung due to where the infected lymph node was situated. Yes, you read that correctly --remove the entire lung.

A little backstory:: Marcy was born with scoliosis so her spine was curved. Due to this one of her lungs never fully developed and was smaller than the other. Her other healthy fully developed lung had been doing the majority of the work most of her life. Guess which lung needed to be removed? The cancerous lung was the smaller, underdeveloped one that her body really didn't need anyway. Her body has been preparing for this literally her entire life!

Originally chemotherapy and radiation were off the table; however, during surgery they found more infected lymph nodes outside of the lung. Chemo took months and at times was draining, but I never once caught Marcy without a smile. I'm happy to report Marcy is cancer free now. I'm not sure what God has planned for her, but I'm going to stick around to watch because it must be something big if He's been perfectly planning it for this long.

Celeste's Yellow Brick Road

She's being called the Tin Woman as she's simply asking for a heart.

The Anderson family: Celeste, Chris and their daughter Avonlea.

Boxes upon boxes line the wall full of dialysis solution. An IV stand waits in the corner for the next round of dialysis. Like clockwork, Celeste hangs a bag every four hours.

Celeste is no stranger to obstacles. When she was nine she was diagnosed with diabetes. Something as simple as an ingrown toenail would send her to the hospital. At the age of 29 she suffered her first heart attack and stints were put in to help with blockages.

She's been visiting a MAYO clinic for over a year to monitor her heart. It's been decided that her heart is too small to add more stints. Her kidneys are failing as well. At a stage five renal failure and with her most recent heart attack a month ago, Celeste is praying for a donor.

While Celeste has been added to the national transplant list, it's all a waiting game now. Bags are packed and sitting in the car. Once she gets the call that there's a donor she has twenty-five minutes to get to the hospital. Until then she'll stay close to the phone, change out another bag of dialysis, and wait.

Ways you can help:

1. Celeste's family is raising money to help with medical bills. You can visit her Go Fund Me page here: https://www.gofundme.com/CelestesYellowBrickRoad

2. Become an organ donor! You can register online at https://www.organdonor.gov/register.html.

3. Yellow bracelets are also being sold for $3 a piece. If you'd like to purchase one in support of Celeste please let me know and I'll send you to the correct contact.

Friends and family wear yellow bracelets to help raise awareness and funds for Celeste's medical expenses.