Ok so the big first step for me and the Big Guy is to find a wedding venue. The venue incorporates a lot of different things, its not only where you will be for nearly your whole wedding day but it also (often) decides the food since most places have an in-house caterer and it will influence your decision regarding flowers, dresses, and a bunch of other details that I have no intention on worrying about until after the venue is booked.
Now, since I am a Bridechka, I am trying to find a venue that will allow me to incorporate some Russian traditions into the day. This includes having vodka bottles on every table (it seems cliche but trust me the Ruskies expect this at every wedding because heavens forbid you might actually have to ask a waiter to pour you a shot every ten minutes, they just want to do it themselves.) Another aspect of Russian weddings is that they are long (as in party all night long) and there are a lot of (generally drunken but very heartfelt) toasts, which may be one of the reasons Russian weddings are so long!
The easy alternative here would be to just have my wedding at a Russian Restaurant/Catering Hall in Brooklyn but I have never been one to go for the obvious answers to life's problems. Big guy is completely American and comes from a family which is half American Jews and half American Protestants who go back all the way to the Mayflower! He is an incredible warm and understanding man who has frequently told me that he would be fine with having the wedding at a Russian place BUT still I refuse. Here is why:
1. My family has had every single big birthday at a Russian Restaurant in
Brooklyn (my 25th at Tatiana on Brighton Beach, my Dad's 50th at Rasputin,
my grandma's 65th at Atlantic Grill, my sister's Bat Mitzvah at Passage
Palace...not to mention all of the weddings we have been to at Baku,
National, etc....)
I know that it sounds childish but I want something different! I don't
want to revisit my wedding venue every single time I have cousin that
turns 20, or 30, or 40, etc... and let me tell you, Russians, we have
got A LOT of cousins... seriously a lot.
2. I love a crazy Russian Resto birthday party just as much as the
next girl but for my wedding I want something that reflects me and the Big
Guy and our relationship... and tacky carpets, half naked dancing girls,
long winding staircases, and ridiculous chandeliers AIN'T IT.
I am a city kid and Big Guy is country boy we either want to get
married in huge loft or a beautiful farm but definately not in faux
palace - trust me there is nothing "princess" about me!
So I basically want the impossible: a cool urban or rural chic setting with a Russian vibe that will let me put vodka bottles on each table and party all night long...oh and have I mentioned I want this impossible dream for a bargain basement price? Oh yeh, I am a beggar but I am choosy!
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2 comments:
Have you looked at the prospect park venues? They are not super cheap because the money goes to support the park (which is great), but you bring in your own catering, and they give you some flexability. If we'd gotten married in Brooklyn and it wasn't at our shul it would have been at the Picnic House or the Boathouse (errr... or whatever it's called). Anyway, I know they have a catering list that includes a Kosher caterer or or two, and if they can't do Russian Food, they are worthless ;)
Also, with a venue like this, I wouldn't ask about the vodka, I'd just do. It's always easier to ask forgivness... etc. And, if you want affordable, email me to ask about our shul. It's one of the reform ones in the slope, and it has quite the big ballroom, which I bet they rent out.
did you check into the Queens county farm house? i hear lots of nice things. We are not feeling the barn-idea, but if i were i would definately move this up my list. Thanks for posting your venue reviews too. We are just starting our search and we are too slow.... thanks!
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