So as I left it, my parents had said it was time to start looking at higher end locations and so we know everything that is out there.
My heart skipped a beat at the thought of the Mandarin Oriental. I had never been in the hotel but there were sweeping views of central park and it is known for it's modern minimalist look. I called and they told me that they were willing to negotiate the price...if they were telling me on the phone that they were willing to negotiate they must be desperate...I should say that when I was looking at venue last year there market was dying and the top end NYC locations were very much in the lets make a deal mentality. Anyway I called my mom and told her what the price was and that it was still negotiable and could we look? I think she heard that song in my voice that said this is my dream location. She immediately said lets go, and called my dad and he said he would meet us. Mr. True did not join us but he said that he thought the location was really cool. I felt like once I saw this it was going to be done.
Here is a picture of the Mandarin Ballroom
This place just screamed NYC and you could look out the huge window and know you were right in the center of it. So we get there and I can barely breath with my excitement. My mom and dad are also excited when we go to the entry floor to the hotel everything is gorgeous. The views can't be beat and everything from the check in desk to the bar are perfect, I'm in love. Then the event coordinator meets us and walks us up the winding steps to the ballroom and my heart doesn't jump, it just does nothing. The ballroom is just not right and everything about it just doesn't seem right. The way they want to set up the ceremony at an angle with a movable wall just was not right. The cocktail hour location in the entry hall I hate. And the carpet, you can see it a little in the picture, it is awful. Now this location is known for over the top so the event coordinator says "don't worry other people have replaced the carpet for their event." I didn't know how to respond to that. People actually replace carpeting for an event...doesn't that tell them something?? I feel like maybe I built this place up too much, it has the amazing views and it is gorgeous and I know their staff will do everything perfectly. My parents appeared to be in love. This could be a problem. There was no roof and my head I love the idea of outdoors. I kept going back in my head to the Tribeca rooftop where I could design the space because it is so empty. I thought about the room glowing how I wanted it to with candles, I could not imagine this at the Mandarin.
Image of Tribeca Rooftop
We left and went downstairs and my dad keeps going on and on about how amazing this place is. He was right the Mandarine is amazing and I was suddenly very perplexed. They both told me we have to cut down our lists and maybe we won't spend as much on the flowers. Huh?? I am not over the moon and I have to sacrifice for this place. I am kind of in shock my dream location is not what I thought and now I might be stuck because it appeared to be my parent's dream.
I left my parents to run for groceries to cook my brother a birthday meal, I was already running late. Got the groceries in a total daze thinking about what my wedding vision really was and if the Mandarin worked. I wanted my parents to be happy they loved the Mandarin, I wanted to be happy but I didn't love it and I thought I knew that Mr. True would be happy at the Mandarin. I got home just in time for my guests to arrive. One of my guests says he tried to call me and why didn't I pick up? I then started to look for my phone and it was no where to be found. I called it and no ring. I realize I have lost my phone.
This is where the panic attack starts setting in. Oh my god I don't have my phone and my dream wedding is not going to happen. I am being forced into a location I don't like and it is all my fault because I thought it was my dream....cut to total breakdown. Thoughts no longer make sense, just I am totally overwhelmed. Turns out that by my parents not setting a budget I was trying to squeeze everything into this number that I didn't know and it caused more stress. By Mr. True not speaking up I got more stressed. And by my parents who were paying loving a location I felt overwhelmed. It just all felt too stressful. I didn't want to cut my list and I didn't want to cut my flowers before I even had them. It was too much and I was hyperventilating.
This was not good, Mr. True calmed me down and my sister and other guest jumped into action and tracked down my phone. Turns out I left it on the cheese counter at Whole Foods, one less concern.
I really just needed a good night sleep I thought. When everyone left after dinner, I thought I would just sleep and be ok. Well it turns out when you're this stressed sleep does not happen. I tossed and turned all night and then called my mom first thing. It turns out she couldn't sleep either. She didn't love the location as much as I thought she just thought that I loved it. She had the same dislikes as me and she could not sleep too. We decided it was just not right and to keep looking. Then I talked to Mr. True and he still wanted to see it. I was so afraid it I brought him there he would love it and that would be it but it turned out he didn't. We went there and he hated it...what a total relief. Back to searching with Tribeca Rooftop still on my brain...
To be cont.
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