And what a roller coaster it has been just since December 30th! I think there have been many moments where I have felt like this little girl...
There have been many moments of being terrified out of my mind of what may come next or what might not get done in time. Between discussing budget, finding a venue, frantically dress shopping, and preparing our guest list, I think Josh could easily resemble the woman in the picture: bracing himself and waiting if I was going to self-destruct or grow horns.
But even though it hasn't all been peaches and roses, everything has fallen into place as it should; maybe not on OUR desired timeline, but the worst is out of the way, and the best is yet ahead!!!
We are currently relieved and thrilled. We have a venue, and we are MORE than excited about the chosen place. It took us FOREVER to find it, exactly a month if you want me to be technical. But during that chaotic month we battled catering minimums of $10,000 (ha! ya right! can we say UNNECESSARY OVERKILL), debating having the ceremony and reception in the same place, places not large enough to accommodate our Texas-sized guest list, etc. And yet, we have been blessed with a unique and grandeur venue that fits our needs, theme and personality perfectly!
Drumroll please...I now introduce to you, the selected ceremony and reception venue for the Alltop-Zaiger wedding:
 |
| Front Entrance |
 |
| Stage where we are to be wed! |
The Majestic is a beautiful performing arts theatre, located in the City Center District of Downtown Dallas. It is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark, built in 1920 and opening its doors in April of 1921 with a seating capacity of 2,800. It now holds a total of 1700 people, with 400 on the first level - PLENTY of room for our guest list, but not so big it will feel empty. Plus, it just makes sense for my rock-star of a finance to be getting married on a stage :) It took a little bit of persuading the folks, since the venue is a little non-traditional in nature (but what about Josh and me says traditional?). But after some coaxing and comforting words, and assurance that it will be a wonderfully elegant affair, they approved.
When we went to go look at it, we were both worn out on venue-hunting. We were excited about the Majestic, but we were also a bit wary about the theatre for a couple of reasons:
1. We weren't sure it was going to be in our budget
2. We weren't sure the layout of the place was going to be ideal for traffic flow
3. We weren't sure that the "look" of the place was actually going to be what we thought it was
However, I walked in to the Mezzanine and my stomach got butterflies and my heart fluttered. It was gorgeous. I had to suppress my feelings of longing and attachment for the potential disappointment that may come if it were too pricey. We moved along to the upper level of the Mezzanine, even MORE gorgeous. You could walk along this oval balcony admiring the chandelier that hung only feet from you. Magical. The reception room holds plenty and with doors open will be a wonderful flow into the upper Mezzanine. And then, the crescendo - the theatre itself. With lights on it is breathtaking. The big red velvet curtain, red velvet seats, 23K gold gilding and decor. I fell in love. It was by God's hand that it was within our budget. We settled for half of the original price stated. It all just seemed to work out. We finally exhaled a sign of relief, and inhaled a sigh of anticipation for our wedding day!
I love the location, the 1920's Hollywood feel, the specialness (is that a word?) that goes along with the ambiance of a theatre, it truly is perfect! We cannot wait to celebrate with our friends and family on this wondrous "red-carpet" occasion.
