Save the date! November 1st, 2008 at Hakone Gardens
Yep, we finally picked a date, along with the ceremony venue. We signed the papers last Friday to reserve the date at Hakone Gardens. I know it’s pretty early, but please keep the day free!
Booking the date and location takes a significant weight off my shoulders. I originally told people we were planning for August or September, but planning things the last couple months, all the things I had to think about were pretty overwhelming. I really liked Hakone; it’s very close and easy to get to, and it’s a pretty nice outdoor setting for this area. I’m not the only one who likes this place, as it has a bunch of raves on Yelp and it’s extremely popular during wedding season. As a result, I wouldn’t be able to book ceremony-only on a Saturday afternoon during August or September, since the folks at Hakone save those for people who will pay for ceremony and reception. Sunday afternoon wasn’t an option either, leaving Friday afternoon being the only viable option (no way I was going have a morning ceremony). While I’m sure most of my friends and relatives are fine with blowing off work to get to Hakone on time, it’s sure to inconvenience people. Even with a Friday date, Hakone isn’t exactly the cheapest place to get married.
I asked my mother her opinion of our original visit to the place. She said it was pretty, but really green. At first I freaked out a little bit, because she was doubting my first choice for wedding venue. But after thinking about it, she was right. One of the reasons I originally wanted to have it in September is because autumn is my favorite season. I love the changes in color in the foliage and the moderate climate. However, September is generally pretty warm here, so the gardens would just look… green. The foliage doesn’t really show more color variety until late October.
Taking these things into consideration, I decided to push back the date to November. Because it’s off-season, it’s cheaper, AND I can have it on a Saturday. Also, it should be easier to get the vendors I want since it’s a less popular time to have weddings. I get two more months to think about stuff, and I get to have a Halloween dress rehearsal! (Bridal party people, plan your costumes :) ) All these benefits have taken some of the stress off (most of it is still there tho).
The only reason I didn’t want to have it this late originally was the greater potential for bad weather, mainly rain and cold. After thinking about that, I felt okay about those risks. If it rains, I was told by Hakone I can use their indoor facility at no extra charge. Besides, I like rain! And apparently it can make for some romantic photos. Cold, I’m not too worried about since I’m the only one who can’t really wear a jacket. I think I can deal, and if not, there’s always the option to rent heater lamps. The reception will be at a restaurant, so we won’t have to endure the outdoors stuff too long anyway. Even though it’s the Saturday before Daylight Savings (hey, extra hour for the weekend!), a 5PM ceremony might still be on the darker side with a 6:10PM sunset. That’s okay, since I’ll probably take pictures before the ceremony anyway.
What’s even better is that Hakone gives you a free pass to the gardens that expires one month after your event. It’s good for me, Kelvin, plus 3 guests until December 1, 2008. So if anyone wants to check out the gardens and don’t want to pay their exorbitant $5-a-head fees, please let me know! I’d be happy to take you for a visit! Now I get to check out Hakone every month of the year so I can truly see which optimal month I missed out on. I’m sure springtime is quite nice.
I took a few pictures while I was there to sign papers. Even though it was cloudy, I still liked how the gardens looked. A few of the trees had already lost their leaves, so I hope November 1st means more intact trees with leaves. It’ll probably depend on the climate. Regardless, I’ve gotten a lot more excited about my wedding!
New thing I learned today: Along with being a public park that holds cultural events, Hakone Gardens also offers up a variety of classes inspired by the park and/or has some Japanese cultural influence, including watercoloring, floral arrangement, and yoga.
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