The Search is on...

Hello! If it seems like I haven't talked much about wedding planning here, well, it's because not much has been going on in that realm. 

Sure, I've been reading a few books and magazines and oohing and awing over all of the great/fun/unique ideas out there. 

But overall, the books I've read on planning a wedding on a budget say AGAIN and AGAIN, set your priorities and stick to them. Don't let all the minutia get you off track (trust me, it seems easy to get caught up in the possibilities). 

So yesterday, I took the day off work and my mom and I headed to central Oregon for a little sight searching. Why Central Oregon? It's about a 2.5 drive from Eugene, but when you step outside in Bend/Sisters, OR, you instantly smell the fresh pine and sage and see the beautiful landscape. 

Pete and I aren't sure this is where our wedding will be, but central Oregon definitely feels like "us."

And how can you not love seeing views of the Three Sisters mountains around any corner?

We looked at a few venues with lots of exposed wood like I'm looking for...

And even some water...

After seeing a few locations, it was time for grub! I requested lunch at Deschutes Brewery - I love their Black Butte Porter (and the awesome food).  

I ordered the Black Butte burger (locally grown beef) with mushrooms and cheese on top with sweet potato fries on the side! Mom had version of the cobb salad. 

My beverage of choice was "the cyclist" AKA the radler in Germany - a mix of hefeweizen and lemonade. Definitely refreshing without getting me tipsy. 

After a filling lunch, we took a nice 20 min walk around the gorgeous neighborhood lining the water near downtown Bend. Much needed after so much driving and sitting!

And then it was back in the car to check out two more venues before heading home. 

While a few of the locations are pretty and definitely possibilities, I wasn't sold on any of them. 

Honestly, I know it takes a little bit of looking, but I was really hoping to walk away from this trip with a clear decision. The good thing is, I took a lot of photos for the manfriend to see and looking back on them is actually helping me see the spaces in a different light.

It's definitely possible that we'll come back to one of these locations and pull the trigger. But for now, I think we have a little more research and venue visiting to do. Gah...

Anywho, that's where things are at. I really want to nail down the location before I start doing fun stuff like dress shopping, decorations, flowers, etc.

Is everyone else excited for the Olympic opening ceremonies tonight? We were just about to cancel cable after the Tour de France when we realized we needed it for the Olympics!