The one where we eat. A lot.

One of the millions of things we love about our venue is that catering is included. Everything is cooked and prepared by Susan, one half of the Vandiver Inn's husband-wife ownership team (another reason we love it - it's family own and run!). Since they don't technically have a "full service kitchen" and thus need to prepare food über-fresh the day of and is specific to each event, they don't do formal, traditional tastings.

What they do have are these super fun Monday Night Supper Clubs almost every week. The theme of each dinner varies, but Susan typically makes a multi-course family style meal for whoever decides to attend that week (usually locals). When we signed our contract with the venue, we were told that we were more than welcome to attend one (or several!) of these dinners free of charge to count as our "tasting" of sorts. The idea is that you get a feel for the food as a whole, even if you aren't getting those exact menu items for your wedding. Think of it as when you go to restaurant; you only try one or two dishes, but you can definitely tell whether a place makes fantastic food or not based off of that meal. Same deal at the Vandiver!

Image via Vandiver Inn

So back in June, Foxy and I decided to visit the venue again for two reasons. The first was to see it and the surrounding area at the same time of year that our wedding will be. The second.. well this should be obvious.. we went for a Monday Night Supper Club, aka our first official tasting!

The night's "theme" of sorts was locally grown produce and local meats. Foxy and I are big fans of buying and eating local and fresh, so this was a perfect meal for us.

We started out with some crispy goat cheese apps with corn relish and hot pepper jelly.

As a testament to how freaking delicious these little balls of heavenly cheese were.. Foxy had about 5. And he usually hates goat cheese. I'd say it was winner. Even better was the fact that we were able to mingle and enjoy said goat cheese and some wine on the porch before dinner started, which was so very lovely.

Side note: ideally, our cocktail hour will be split between the inside of the house and the porch/front area of the Vandiver. Some pictures!

I die over those umbrellas! I want one NOW.

The drinks at cocktail hour would be set up on the left side of the deck,

where the big Cocktails sign is. (Green pomanders left over from previous wedding!)

After enjoying the weather and scenery for a bit, we were called into dinner by John, aka number 2 of the husband-wife ownership team. Some inside pictures!

Aren't the copper tables to die for?? We so want one when we get a house!

As for the food itself.. well.. I kind of only have one picture of that.

Can you blame me? Everything was SO amazingly delicious!! If you couldn't read the menu up above, menu items included a garden salad with a homemade spring onion dressing (fabulous), grilled asparagus (meh I hate asparagus), stir fried portabellos, bok choy and snow peas (salivating), crispy potatoes with creamery garlic, chives and cheese (oh. my. god.), sourdough stuffed chicken with gravy (delicious), and strip steak (Foxy says it was mouth-watering - I passed since I don't eat red meat). For dessert there was an incredible blueberry ciafouti - think a mix between a blueberry muffin and coffee cake. Yum!

So our overall opinion? We done did goooood picking out a venue, and hence, a caterer. We definitely plan on going back many times before our wedding next year, both to enjoy more food and fall in love with the place a little more. Although I'm not sure that's even possible.

Gratuitous lovey photo by the water two blocks from the venue!

Don't you just love wedding related things that involve food?!

Venue revealed!

I don't really need a big lead in to this because you can just look at my hover cloud/bio thingy and see that we're getting married at the Vandiver. Kind of ruins the surprise, doesn't it?

Anyhoot, I had been looking at the Vandiver Inn for a while. A few things let me know right away that this place could very well be our wedding venue:

1. Fantastic reviews on Weddingbee & Wedding Wire. Check.

2. Their website has a whole section dedicated to weddings.. with basic price points listed. Chhhheck! This hardly EVER happens, at least with most of the venues I was researching. There's usually a fun game where you email or call and wait for a response back that can take days or weeks, and I'm an antsy pants. One place I looked at didn't respond for 5 months.. what?!

4. Those price points listed? Are totally in our budget. BIG CHECK.

3. The day of coordinator (hereto referred to as DOC) answered my email and called within 48 hours. Check check check.

4. It's located in Maryland, on an inlet that leads to the bay. This means water. Lots of water.. and having grown up 10 minutes from the beach, I'm a total sucker for that. :))) Check x10.

Since I was already falling in love without even laying eyes on the place, I made an appointment for Foxy and I to meet the the DOC (who's really more of a quasi-wedding coordinator.. she's seriously amazing) and take a tour of the place. After an hour and a glass of wine, we were sold. Two weeks later we faxed over the signed contract. BAM. Venue: donesky! This totally goes against my usual indecisive nature, but when I just love something that much? I get impulsive and hope it works out.

Some background for you: the Vandiver Inn is an old mansion that is now run as a family owned bed and breakfast and has really seemed to have found a niche in the wedding market. The town it's in is so cute and quaint, like it was taken from some old, historic New England town and dropped in northeast Maryland. The water is two blocks away, and 'downtown' is about four blocks away and full of cute little shops and restaurants. It's almost as if we're getting the upstate New York feel, while still staying in Maryland. Score!

Also? If you sort of recognize the place.. it's because Mrs. Lox just got married there!!

There are two other smaller houses affiliated with the Vandiver Inn, located right next to it. The Vandiver has 8 guest rooms (where Foxy and I + family will be staying), and the two other houses have another 9 rooms total (for more family and wedding party). I LOVE this, because we can all stay together and it will make getting together for the rehearsal (dinner) so so so much easier.

Images via Vandiver Inn

The mansion itself has a very rustic and old town feel, like the town itself. There's a porch that leads into the first floor of the mansion, where the cocktail hour will be. If the weather permits, they can open the doors and windows (that act as doors) so people can mingle both inside and out on the porch. There is also a grassy area with a few tables for people to sit at out front.

Images via Vandiver Inn

The outdoor ceremony location is to the right of the mansion, between the Kent house and Murphy house.

Images via Vandiver Inn

Is it lame that I can already imagine walking down the aisle to that pretty gazebo? (Which makes me think.. how am I going to decorate?!)

And last but most certainly not least, the reception will be in the pavilion just behind the mansion!!

Images via Vandiver Inn

How great is that? It can be open air on nice days (picture on the right) or closed off on crappy days (left), so you don't need to worry about rain. The string lights on the ceiling are already in place, and you can add extra decorations pretty much however you want. To us, it's perfect.

One of the greatest things is that the wife of the family who owns the place (Susan) is also the head chef.  They get all their ingredients from local farmers and produce stands and cook it on site in a kitchen no bigger than a closet, so you know it's fresh. They even have their own herb garden and borrow herbs from neighbors if they need other kinds! How freaking adorable is that?! I just may move here after the wedding.

Oh.. and, lets be honest.. the deciding factor?

There's a street named Red Head Way two blocks away. Um, hello.. meant to be?!