Every big production needs practice and our big day was no exception. We almost didn't have have a rehearsal dinner though. Read about our exhausting efforts to find a rehearsal venue here: Realities of Having a Wedding in the Boondocks.
We had chosen the lovely Grand Hotel right down the street from Victoria Belle. It's a beautiful historic bed and breakfast that was not only going to be the venue for our rehearsal dinner, but also the bridesmaids' tea. In the months leading up to the wedding, we had paid for the rehearsal dinner and put a deposit down for the tea. Three weeks before the wedding, I noticed the check I wrote for the tea hadn't been cashed. When I called to find out the details, the phone line had been disconnected and the Grand Hotel had closed. Yes, you read that right, closed.
Side note: I work for a wedding insurance company, the Wedding Protector Plan, and I had purchased a policy for my wedding way before the wedding. People insure their cars, homes, and lives but sadly many do not consider to protect the biggest {and most expensive} day of their lives. The policy helps protect against unavoidable and unpredictable situations like cancellation due to catastrophic weather or illness, vendor no shows, ruined attire and jewelry, venue closing, etc. ...VENUE CLOSING.
So, here we are stuck without a venue for both events and our money gone for the rehearsal dinner. Remember, the pickings were slim for options in dear Hogansville. I wasn't concerned about the money being I had insurance but where in the world would we find another venue three weeks before the wedding? Wendy's? Subway? And then of course the idea of me, using my own insurance policy. Work would sure love me!
Hogansville is a very small town. VERY! My planner and owner of Victoria Belle, Vickie, knows everyone and every thing in and about Hogansville. She became my hero and saved the day. She marched right down the street and like magic, she worked every thing out. Within a week, she had arranged our wedding caterer to cater the rehearsal dinner and our wedding bartender to bartend the rehearsal dinner. She brought in the decorator of Hogansville to decorate for the dinner and the tea. She arranged for a local musician to plan for the dinner, for free! If it wasn't for Vickie, I honestly don't think we would had either event.
Want to know what really happened at the Grand Hotel? Me too! I've heard from the grapevine that the lady we worked with for months on the dinner and tea had rubbed the Callaways (THE Callaways from Callaway Gardens) the wrong way. She took our file from the Grand Hotel and was fired. The ladies remaining at the Grand had no idea who Sean and I were and what events we had schedule and paid for. Bless their hearts, they were sweet as pie and worked so well with Vickie. Even though I had stressed out {majorly} for a week, they pulled it off and made both events fabulous! Now time for some pictures!
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