The Venue That Wasn't: Episode 1 The Birch Gallery

There are so many nice venues in South West Michigan, and I am really a sucker for "what-if-ing" So I thought I'd start my own little mini series for a number of reasons. 1) It may be helpful to other brides who are still in the midst of their venue hunt. 2) These little walks down "what-if lane" will help me re-affirm my venue choice. (not that I need much re-affirming I am very happy with both venues, I just thought it would be fun!)

So for this the first Episode, I would like to introduce you to The Birch Gallery.

This beautiful place would FOR SURE be where I got married if, we could have a Catholic wedding outside, we were getting married in the fall, when the weather is a bit more predictable than April, and if the majority of ours guests were not from out of state (read need hotels), we weren't having 200 guests (give or take 50). Alas, all of those things are part of our wedding reality, for that reason, we will not be getting married here.

This picture is lovely but doesn't quite do it justice. This local happens to be my mom's back yard. That's right. She lives in the beautiful space. Its a little hard to see here, but there are two  lines of birch trees with two smaller non-birch trees at the end.  So perfect for a wedding! (As a side note the man she purchased the house from was an arborist. and he is the one who referred to this space as the "Birch Gallery". I do not think either my mother or I are fancy enough to have come up with that name...) Would you like some more pictures to get a better idea of how cool this is?? OK!

This photo is standing on the far side of the Gallery looking towards the house. On the far left  left are the two trees that would make the altar area.

Here it is in the fall! So pretty! Still having a hard time seeing this a a potential wedding venue? (cue magical twinkley music)

TADA!

Maybe those benches would be hay bales? Maybe there would be twinkle lights over top? Maybe we would have a blue grass band play! and BBQ and a bon fire and ponies and dancing and.... and I think that would be more than enough.....But alas... it will not be so. Maybe for a vow renewal?

Do you like to play the wedding what-if game? are you already making plans for a vow renewal ceremony?