So pretty early on (day 2) of the engagement, Rami and I decided we’d like to get married in Iowa. There were four reasons for this
- Everyone can get married in Iowa. Straight people. Gay people. Hooray!
- My uncle is a judge in Iowa and he agreed to officiate the wedding. This resolved (or at least quieted) any weird-religious-hooha issues that anyone may have had.
- My parents own some farm land & a few houses in Iowa. Free lodging, venue, etc.!*
- Things are pretty cheap in Iowa compared to Dallas, Austin, or San Diego.
When I called my dad to ask him if we could marry in Iowa, he was psyched. He had offered up the farm as a venue half-jokingly before Rami and I could even tell him about our idea to get married there. Once we settled on Iowa as the state of choice, it was time to consider our options for an actual venue.
I knew I wanted to stay close to the farm houses in Melrose, Iowa, so venue rental options were limited. Churches were out. So were the local community centers, for aesthetic and logistical reasons. That left the farm houses and nearby Honey Creek Resort as viable options. I immediately started doing some internet research on Honey Creek. It was recently-built and offered lots of wedding amenities. Here are some pictures of the venue from their Facebook Weddings page:
Although Honey Creek is a beautiful venue, I wasn’t sold. The neutral and hunter green tones inside the building were not for us, and neither was the cookie-cutter feel of the reception packages. Standard centerpieces: pillar candles, hurricanes and 14″ mirrors. $20 for each bottle of Iowa wine. Rubber chicken buffet. $159 per night for each guest room. Um, no thanks, Honey Creek.
So I started planning a DIY tented farm wedding. More details next week!