Wal-mart is now selling the iPhone for $2 less than the price you pay at other retailers.  Hey, it’s still cheaper.  That’s one subway ride, at least at the moment.

Mint.com, the popular online finance management tool just released its first iPhone app.  I haven’t tried it nor will I test it at all.  I don’t really like having all my financial accounts in one place.  I think it makes for an easy target for theft.

The Chanler is located right by Easton’s beach so the view is just magnificent.  It is a quaint little mansion.  Wedding ceremonies are held in one of the two manicured lawns and receptions are held outside in the Terrace.  The Terrace is not that big so the venue allows only up to 80 guests.  If you have more than that, the reception can be extended into the dining room which means you will have to rent the whole place.  And that is way out of our budget.  We didn’t stay long as soon as we learned that we have to rent the whole place to accommodate our number of guests.

If you are having a party for 80 or less or you have a huge budget, I think the Chanler is a beautiful place for an intimate affair.  And it’s perfect for beach lovers as it is just a few steps away from the beach!

Info as of December 2008 for a 2010 event:

Ceremony site fee: $800
Reception site fee: none
Capacity: up to 80, more than 80 needs to rent the whole place
Minimum: $8,000 food and beverage
Catering: $135+/guest
Bar: $65/5hr/guest
Tax: 8%
Service charge: 20% added to the bill

*Accuracy of information above is not guaranteed. Contact the venue for a more accurate quote. For venue comparison, click here.

Other Venues:
Venue Saga #1: Wequassett Resort, Cape Cod
Venue Saga #2: Belle Mer, Newport
Venue Saga #3: Hyatt Harborside, Boston
Venue Saga #4: Palm House, Brooklyn

Venue Saga Sequel:
Venue Saga #5: Castle Hill Inn, Newport

Happy holidays everyone!  I’m sorry I wasn’t able to post daily since the 23rd.  I will be taking a vacation from blogging until the 28th as well.  I will go back to my regular blogging schedule on the 29th.  Enjoy your holidays!

Castle Hill Inn is a gorgeous venue situated on a 40-acre peninsula giving you a much-needed seclusion from the hustle and bustle of downtown Newport.  The ocean and small rivers surround almost the whole property.  It is a good four miles south of downtown Newport, but the scenic drive was just breathtaking.  We went down to tour Castle Hill Inn just at the tail end of the winter storm and we were in awe of what we saw on our way there.  The waves were crashing against the rocks and “steam” was coming from the water.  It was foggy and visibility out to the water is low, but it just added mystery to the beautiful seascape.  Castle Hill Inn boasts of 35 beautiful Victorian and classic seaside guestrooms.  Unfortunately, since they only have so little, accommodation discounts for wedding guests are not available.

   
   
   

Castle Hill Inn only holds one wedding per day from April to November.  They do not host weddings during the colder months.  The advantages of hosting one wedding a day is that they allow you to set the time and there is no chance you will see another bride at your wedding.

They only have one venue for weddings.  Receptions are held in a tent that can hold up to 250 guests for a seated dinner.  The tent is attached to the Chalet where the band/DJ is set up, an area where your guests can lounge around or vendors can eat.  The spacious 2-bedroom bridal suite is on the 2nd floor.

If Castle Hill Inn fits your budget, I HIGHLY recommend it.  Nell, the event sales manager was very sweet.  She responds very quickly even when she’s not in the office.  She remembered that I live in NY and John lives in Boston, and she followed-up with me during the winter storm.  She was very thoughtful and accommodating.

Info as of December 2008 for a 2010 event:

Ceremony site fee: $1,500
Reception site fee: included in Saturday packages; $3000 for other days
Capacity: up to 250
Minimum: 100+ guests
Catering: $175+/guest
Bar: $32+/4hr/guest; $8/guest addl hr
Kid menu: $35, ages 12 and under
Vendor menu: $35
Tax: 8%
Service charge: 20% added to the bill

*Accuracy of information above is not guaranteed. Contact the venue for a more accurate quote. For venue comparison, click here.

Other Venues:
Venue Saga #1: Wequassett Resort, Cape Cod
Venue Saga #2: Belle Mer, Newport
Venue Saga #3: Hyatt Harborside, Boston
Venue Saga #4: Palm House, Brooklyn

Venue Saga Sequel:
Venue Saga #6: The Chanler, Newport

I love Martha Stewart and of course especially now, I love her Weddings department.  Even though Martha Stewart Weddings is one of the very few magazines that are worth reading, I am so annoyed with the website.  Recently, they have done a few improvements.

First of all, MS Weddings finally has its own url: www.marthastewartweddings.com.  The navigation and organization annoyed me the most with the old website.  Even though they have improved with the new one, I still find the new website to be less user-friendly than other popular wedding websites.  But it will do.

I love how mysterious the rhythm of this music is.  It did play at the TV show, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.  It’s dark, yet romantic.

Snippet:
      What could I say to you, except, “I love you”
      and “I’d give my life for yours”.
      …
      My dear,
      It’s time to say I thank God for you.
      I thank God for you, in each and every single way.

Click here for the full playlist at my Wedding Resources page.

Feel free to contact me or leave a comment with your song suggestions.

Thank you Mandy for introducing me to this song

I don’t know why photographers still do this type of ring shot.  I don’t think it’s classy nor is it funny.  Even if it uses the ring finger, it can come across differently especially at first glance. There are a lot of other ways you can pose the bride’s hand to show her ring.  I’m actually contemplating on asking every photographer I will be interviewing what they think of this type of shot.  I blurred the bride’s face more and I chose not to mention the photographer who took the photo.

What do you think about this ring shot?

I missed WTF Wednesday, so I’m doing it today!

• There’s a winter storm warning all over the Northeast and I have a lot of things to do this weekend.  I’m set to go to Boston tomorrow after work.  Then the day after that, we’re going to Newport to do some wedding errands.

• My phone has been freezing more often than before.  Most of the time, I had to switch it on and off to work again.  AT&T Wifi no longer works with my phone for some reason.  It never directs me that AT&T Wifi sign in page anymore.  The browser couldn’t just open anything.

• I recently came across my dream venue - Rosecliff Mansion in Newport RI.  It’s gorgeous!

  
  

I inquired about it and here’s where the WTF comes in.  To rent the place for a May Saturday wedding will cost $12,000!  And that does not include anything.  Things that are usually included with venue rentals like tables and chairs, personnel, preparation and clean-up are not included in the $12,000 I mentioned.  If you want to get married on a Saturday in the Summer, it will set you back $15,000, again with nothing included except the use of the place.  That is why Rosecliff Mansion is gonna remain a dream venue for me.

Stoneblossom.com

Bridal Sample Sale
By appointment only

January 3-4, 2009
10am – 6pm

110 E 55th St, 8th floor
New York, NY
212.319.6778