Diary of a Mad MOH Part 4
100 YEARS YOUNG…
Written by : Kaila Horan of Afloral.com
There I was, standing in a barn. It wasn’t a smelly barn,
though I could still catch a hint of fresh hay smell on the breeze. It
wasn’t a messy barn, either. In fact, there was a gorgeous staircase and
some neat chandeliers that added to the beauty of the 100 year-old girl. I did
a slow turn and the voices of my bride, her mother, and the owner of the
grounds faded out as I started to consider the possibilities.
This place had character! I could do a lot with this
barn. Some lights, some flowers, and some country chic charm and we would
be all set.
I was inspired.
The loft area of the barn during a reception.
Photos courtesy of The Red House. http://the-red-house.org/index.php?page=barn
Hmmm…now to pepper my poor bride with questions again.
Me: “Round tables or rectangles?”
Bride: “Umm…” Looks around and sighs. “I dunno, what do
you think?”
Me: “Round will be great, but what kind of tables are provided?”
Owner: “Rectangle.”
Me & Bride: “Rectangle it is.”
Me: “Lighting?”
Bride: “Twinkle lights, no overhead besides chandelier.”
A definitive answer…I was impressed.
Of course, as we toured the lovely Victorian mansion on the
grounds and checked out all of the great features, more questions sprang to my
mind. There are a few things that make or break a reception site.
These are the questions that you need to ask before you make that deposit and
commitment.
The Red House manor view from the barn.
Photos
courtesy of the The Red House http://bit.ly/nu01m4
1.) Restrooms? Are there enough? Are they well
maintained? Will they meet your guests’ needs?
2.) Deposit? How much, and what is the overall
cost? What does that fee include? Any services? Any
decor? Cutlery? Waitstaff?
3.) Timing? How early can you get in to
decorate? Can you get in the night before? When do you have to be
out and cleaned up?
4.) Parking and seating? Enough room and convenient
for all? Is it handicapped accessible?
5.) Kitchen? Are there coolers and stoves if you need
them?
It turned out that the price was definitely right for the charm
and accessibility of the place, and there was plenty of parking. There
were a few restrooms, so that worked well, and they provided tables, chairs,
and many of the twinkle lights at no additional charge. Then they hit me
with the stunner…
We have to decorate the day of the wedding. At 7am we
would have possession of the keys, and we had to have the whole place
completely ready for the reception before we started getting ready
ourselves. Because I offered to oversee the decorating, I stuck myself in
an awkward spot. As the MOH, I’m supposed to be with my bride and help her
get ready for her big day. How am I going to find the time to do
both? Not only that, but we also have to have the entire place cleaned up
the night of the wedding. Umm…the best man better be planning on helping me
with that one.
So…let’s recap.
1.) My bride made a great choice with her reception site, and I
was wrong in my initial impressions.
2.) I may need a stunt double to pull this off.
Check us out next month for Part Five of a Diary of a Mad M.O.H!
Kaila Horan is a proud Mad MOH, as well as operations manager of Afloral.com, the budget bride’s choice for coordinating bridal dresses, premium artificial florals, and quality decorating supplies.
Read:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
