So, have you set a date yet?

A wedding proposal is probably the most exciting event in a young woman's life. Whether is it elaborate or simple, every girl will immediately contemplate who to call first. And as soon as that beautiful ring takes its place on her finger, the very first question people will ask is "Have you set a date?" And among all those decisions brides have to make, this decision is at the very top.

Picking a wedding date is very simple for some couples and more challenging for others. The thought process and reason behind wedding date selection is different for every couple. Here are some of the most frequent reasons we here at Ceresville Mansion:

1. The date has personal significance - Some couples choose to have their wedding date coincide with the anniversary of their first date, proposal or parent's wedding anniversary. This is a great reason to choose a date. Problems can come into play with the day of the week your anniversary falls on or with venue availability. All in all, though having your wedding date be same date as the anniversary of the first time you met your finance is romantic and celebrates your relationship.
2. The date is fun - In recent years, couples have been drawn to dates with repeating digits (July 7, 2007, August 8, 2008, etc.). How fun will it be to tell your kids that you were married on 10/10/10 and have it inscribed on your invitations and cake knife. Another bonus is that your fiance will easily recall your anniversary date if its the same three numbers. These dates are popular though, so act fast.
3. Your schedule is crazy - If you are in college and will be taking your finals the last few weeks of May, you probably don't want to have your wedding take place the weekend before. Or if your groom is in the military and currently deployed oversees, its best to pick a date that he will be in town for. Your schedule and availability should definitely be a factor when picking your wedding date.
4. Your venue has limited availability - If you have your heart set on getting married under Ceresville's pergola on a Saturday evening in 2009, you are at the mercy of our availability. (Though, we still have a few Saturday evenings available in 2009). A lot of times we see brides waiver on their "gotta have it" dates for dates we have available. This is important, if you fall in love with a venue, you will be more flexible with your preferred date.

As a wedding planner, I hear a lot brides say that they are not flexible with their dates and it is frustrating. Instead of being set on a specific date, choose a month or time of day that you prefer for your wedding. Are you willing to let a quality venue slip through your fingers because your Grandmother's birthday is not available? Be flexible, any date you choose will forever be important to you and your family.

So, have you set a date yet? Call us! We have the perfect wedding date for you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

While weddings at Ceresville Mansion are always special, Valentine's Day weddings are even more so! This year we were fortunate enough to have two couples celebrate Valentine's Day with us. While both weddings were beautiful, they each had their own special flare.

Lauryn & Corey were our first couple to wed on Saturday. Guests arrived at Ceresville after the ceremony at a local church. As they entered the mansion, they were welcomed into the cocktail hour. While hors d'oeuvres were being served, guests mingled and sipped on signature martinis. Lauryn's wedding theme was fire & ice, which was reflected in several elements throughout the reception. Amongh those elements was a beautiful ice carving created by our Executive Chef Thomas Heilman. The ice carving was highlighted in the ballroom and lit from below with a blue light. The most amazing aspect of the carving was the flame, emitting from the top of the heart. Gorgeous!

Lauryn's cake also incorporated her Fire & Ice theme. Created by the bakers at Cake's Plus (www.cakesplus.com), the tiered cake was frosted with blue icing and accented with orange flames. After the cake was cut and served, guests danced away the afternoon and sent Lauryn & Corey off in a beautiful stretch limousine.

Congratulations, Lauryn & Corey!

Kim & Adam arrived at Ceresville for their ceremony & reception in the afternoon. While they were getting ready and taking photos, the staff at Ceresville and her vendors were preparing for an elegant evening. Kim & Adam's ceremony took place in Ceresville's ballroom, which was decorated beautifully by her florist, Ory's Custom Florals (www.oryflorals.com). Kim's bridesmaids wore a beautiful deep red color that was also accented in her flowers.

After the ceremony, guests were invited to enjoy the cocktail hour in the front parlor rooms of the house, while Ceresville staff turned the ballroom over for dinner. After the transformation, guests were invited back into the ballroom for the rest of the reception. The evening continued with a delicious meal prepared by Ceresville's Chef, followed by a beautiful wedding cake created by Sweet & Savory (http://sweetsavory.net). The cake was cut and served, while the newlyweds took to the dance floor.

Congratulations, Kim & Adam!



Thank you to these two beautiful couples who choose Ceresville Mansion! We were honored to be a part of their special day! Best Wishes to Lauryn & Corey and Kim & Adam as they each begin a new life!

And Happy Valentine's Day to all!

What's In a Name?

It's one of the most commonly asked questions. How do you pronounce Ceresville? My typical response to this is, "Sears-ville", like the store. In reality, Ceresville has nothing to do with discount appliance sales. Here's a little history on our namesake:

In Roman Mythology, there is a goddess named Ceres. Ancient Romans worshipped Ceres as the goddess of growing plants. The word cereal is derived from Ceres because of her association with edible grains. There are statues of her on several state buildings across the U.S. Because Ceresville Mansion was originally home to the purveyor of the largest producing grist mill on the east coast at one time, it is fitting to be named after the Roman Goddess of Agriculture.

There is a also a dwarf planet named after the goddess Ceres. Ceres is the smallest dwarf planet in the Solar System and is the only one in the asteroid belt.

In addition to Ceresville Mansion, several businesses throughout the world have adopted Ceres as their business name. Among these are, Ceres Brewery in Denmark, Ceres Fruit Juices based in South Africa, and a software development company.

There you have it! Ceresville Mansion is steeped in history far older than the house itself. According to William Shakespeare, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" but a wedding at any other venue would definitely not be as sweet as Ceresville Mansion.

An Historic Mansion's Leap Into the 21st Century

There has been a lot of talk here at Ceresville about expanding our reach on the Internet. We realize that most of our brides (and grooms) are part of the "echo boomer" generation. These Internet savvy brides have grown up with computers and are constantly connected. Of course we have a website (www.ceresville.com) and communicate almost exclusively via email with our couples but we felt that we needed to reach out a little bit more. So, began the birth of Ceresville's facebook page, Ceresville on YouTube and now Ceresville's blog. Here we intend to post fun wedding ideas, pictures of events at Ceresville and talk about new trends in wedding and event planning. We're excited and hope you are too! Please keep checking back in with us!