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I think we both knew, even before our engagement, that we'd say our vows in our church. As much as I adore an outdoor ceremony, I've always wanted a church wedding. Once the ring came, the hunt for a reception venue was on.
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I had originally thought up plans of a Paca House garden reception, but when the official planning began, my fiancé and I decided we'd prefer something on the water. We checked out Port Annapolis and The Point at Back Creek, (both totally hidden gems,) and although the Point has a decidedly better view, Port Annapolis features a pavilion that's on a small, but beautifully-landscaped lawn overlooking Back Creek. My fiancé and I decided the space was a perfect combination of our two visions—his waterfront and mine a garden view.
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Both the perk and the difficulty of Port Annapolis is its flexibility. With small limitations, the space is yours to do with what you please, and the site fee is reasonable to accommodate the fact that you have to/get to ing in your own caterer, your own linens, your own everything. They simply provide the space and the tables.
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Initially, that was something that drew me to the venue, however, ide beware: if you struggle with decision making you should either hire a planner with this venue (I'm working on this...) or pick more of a one-stop shop.
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So we chose Port Annapolis sometime last August, and since November I have been mulling around the idea of switching directions completely and moving this shin dig over to the Annapolis Maritime Museum in Eastport. (Seriously, thank goodness I'm surrounded by patient people.) Although Port Annapolis's pavilion includes optional side panels for enclosure, should it rain on our wedding day, the Museum would be a much better choice.
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Other pros:
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The view from the deck/dock is gorgeous
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It is unique in its décor and overall feel
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Cons:
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It is mostly indoors (with the exception of deck/dock area)
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It will accommodate roughly 30 fewer guests
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Both venues are probably considered medium-sized, but once you add space for a band and a buffet, you have to limit the guest list accordingly. Fortunately, my fiancé and I were on board with having a more intimate affair; however, we are afraid that the Museum would be too much of a tight squeeze. Both venues allow you to ing in your own caterer, which was something we were looking for. (Although, ironically, we haven't chosen one… I guess we just wanted the options.)
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In the end we decided to err on the side of caution (you can guess, but should never assume that 20 percent will RSVP no!), and go with Port Annapolis. If the weather is nice, we will be glad we did. And while both are beautiful, in the end, Port Annapolis lends itself much more to our original vision.
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