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Philadelphia Wedding

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mrm

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Hi everyone! I hope you can help. I am trying to find a venue for my November ''09 wedding and it is a lot harder choosing a place than I thought!!! Has anyone had a wedding in Philadelphia or the surrounding areas? Would you recommend it? Where would you have it? Anyone like the Four Seasons in Philly? Any and all suggestions would be more than welcome!!!
 
If price were no object (which it can''t really be if you want to have more than 2 people eat at the 4 seasons), I would probably pick the Rittenhouse Hotel over the 4 seasons just because it''s unique to philly and seems a bit more exclusive. I can''t help much on hotels or banquet halls other than location or experiences from corporate events. We only looked at museums and other public spaces.
 
What is your budget. The Four Seasons is a lovely venue, but $$$$$$.
 
Hello! There are a couple Philly brides-to-be on here. Do you have any ideas about what you want from your venue? In the city or the suburbs? Hotel, historic house, golf course, etc? There are tons of beautiful venues around but it''ll be easier to start narrowing things down if you have a "vision" to start from.

The Rittenhouse Hotel is gorgeous, a girl I knew in college had her wedding there and the pictures I saw were fab. And two venues I might have considered if we wanted to be in the city and had a slightly bigger budget are the Penn Archaeology Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA).

I''m always up for discussing Philly wedding stuff, so let us know what you''re thinking of!
 
Ditto on PAFA. My parents have been to weddings there and loved it. They pushed for that, but they have some of the most expensive rental fees in the city and require additional insurance. If I was doing a smaller event I probably would have picked one of the historic homes in Fairmount Park. There are a ton of interesting places -- we definitely need to know a little more about your budget and what you envision to be able to offer more specific advice.
 
the Rittenhouse is nice, but often you do your cocktails in the lobby and there are many people coming and going. Some people do not mind but some do.

The Four Seasons is pricey and had a nice outdoor courtyard if the weather is nice, but otherwise I find the room itself to be pretty meehh. If you are November, you might be lucky and be able to tent the out side and use heaters, but it is risky. Also it is hard to fit a larger group in the space comfortably.

The Ritz has a neat lobby area but the event room is downstairs in the lower level, it is fine too but not great.

Some people really like the Bellevue, it is an old classic but not sure what the event spaces look like now, it has been awhile since I have seen them.

Some people like the Union League, it is on Broad, but the food was not great last time I was there and it is darker. Probably fine for a fall or winter event. There is some pretty paneling.

There are some pretty estate homes you can use for events, some out in the burbs, that are pretty. A good bridal magazine could be of use here. You can usually bring in your own food which can be a plus.

You can also find galleries etc, but just be careful of the acoustics. The Constitution Center is neat but can sound terrible in terms of the accoustics, and can ruin speeches and dancing. Not sure if the art museum would let you have an event in their great stair hall or not...I also know of spots but you have to do major decorating and it gets super costly.
 
Art Museum does not allow private events at all -- only corporate/nonprofit.

ETA: I agree w/ diamondfan on the 4 seasons. The restaruants are much prettier than the event space. I've been to a lot of corporate events there, and the room is nothing special. I like the ballrooms at the Marriott near the convention center much better and the food was good there as well. Personally, having a wedding at a hotel does nothing for me, maybe b/c I go to a lot of business-related stuff at the philly hotels.
 
There is also the Sofitel and Lowes... How many people do you plan on having? The Omni is nice for smaller affairs. There are also some nice Venues in the suburbs. I am considering a few places in the Bucks County area for a small second marriage and it seems like there is almost as much planning..
 
THanks so much for all the advice so far!!! I am lucky in that I really don''t have a budget. Although that makes it hard as well because there is so much to choose from! I never used to be a fan of hotel wedding either but I like the idea of being able to go right to your rooms. We are going to have A LOT of out of town guests. I wasn''t a fan of the Four Seasons ballroom which is what is holding me back but it fits in so many other ways...We are having the ceremony at The Basillica which is just across the street. And Embassy suites is right there too. Also, I really like the guy I would be working with and their personal attention and food seems to be top notch but...I always pictured a more elegant, stunnng venue. They did say we could tent the outside courtyard. Yet, I don''t know if it is worth the price (like several of you said :-) ).

I am looking at the Rittenhouse tomorrow. And the Ballroom at the Ben but they seemed quite snotty over the phone. The Hyatt Bellevue has more than one wedding going on at a time and I kind of want to be the only bride :-).

Guest list is expected to be about 200-250.

I am so confused! Dress shopping is just as bad! I need to meet the person who said "you would just know".
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Date: 3/27/2008 11:36:59 PM
Author: mrm
THanks so much for all the advice so far!!! I am lucky in that I really don''t have a budget. Although that makes it hard as well because there is so much to choose from! I never used to be a fan of hotel wedding either but I like the idea of being able to go right to your rooms. We are going to have A LOT of out of town guests. I wasn''t a fan of the Four Seasons ballroom which is what is holding me back but it fits in so many other ways...We are having the ceremony at The Basillica which is just across the street. And Embassy suites is right there too. Also, I really like the guy I would be working with and their personal attention and food seems to be top notch but...I always pictured a more elegant, stunnng venue. They did say we could tent the outside courtyard. Yet, I don''t know if it is worth the price (like several of you said :-) ).

I am looking at the Rittenhouse tomorrow. And the Ballroom at the Ben but they seemed quite snotty over the phone. The Hyatt Bellevue has more than one wedding going on at a time and I kind of want to be the only bride :-).

Guest list is expected to be about 200-250.

I am so confused! Dress shopping is just as bad! I need to meet the person who said ''you would just know''.
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Ballroom at the Ben and the Omni both seem a bit run-down to me... not sure why? I''ll be interested to hear what you think... it could have just been that the events I was there for weren''t as nice. B at the B looks lovely in pix, though.

I love the Rittenhouse, but that''s because I live in the building next door and love watching from my window as the wedding parties take pix outside, so I''m biased.
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Wish I could be of more help since I live here, but we got married in Hershey. And for some reason most of our friends'' weddings were out in the ''burbs. My BFF has been to at least 3-4 weddings downtown... I''ll have to see what she thinks. Keep us posted!
 
How was Hershey??? I was thinking about having it there but didn''t know if it would be worth it b/c of the time of year (no park, no outside ceremony,...). I remember watching weddings there when I was younger. Gorgeous!!!!
 
YAY PHILLY BRIDES!!!
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I''m planning an April ''09 wedding, but I have a limited budget. If I didn''t, I''d probably have it at one of the mansions: Glenn Ford (on the Delaware up State Rd), the Knowlton Mansion, or Pen Ryn mansion. They are all beautiful... I used to work at a florist and have decorated these places. I don''t think Glen Ford can hold 250, though, but I''m not sure.
They have a plus: beautiful landscaped grounds (great for pictures).
Good luck and keep us informed!!
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If my budget allowed it, I would have fireworks at my wedding... I think that would be so cool!
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The Westin is the old Ritz. You come in on a lower level and come up elevators, and car drop off is tight. The space is fine, you do cocktails in a long hall way type space outside of the room, and the room can be sectioned off to accomodate the size of your group. I have been to many events there, and the only issue is getting up to the room and then valet drop off and retrieval since there is limited space for cars. You can make any space anything you want, having done a bar mitzvah for my son and using the temple since we had a late service, I transformed the room and you would not have known you were in a temple space.
 
I went to many events at the Westin for my old job, and it''s very pretty but I wouldn''t do a wedding there (probably because it''s too tied in with work for me). And if I didn''t have a budget, I definitely would choose something fancier. IMO, if you''re not a fan of the Four Seasons, you probably won''t be bowled over by the Westin...but that might just be me.
 
Ditto Octavia. No windows in the room, from what I recall. I liked the Marriott because it has big french doors and a high ceiling. If you really want traditional ballroom, the Bellvue might be worth checking out. I don't know what it's like now, as I haven't been there for quite a while, but I remember it as being quite ornate and formal, with a wraparound balcony.
 
I thought the women I contacted at The Marriott were wonderful. I just thought it was a bit too grand for my smaller intimated wedding ( not to thread jack ).. but can anyone make recommendations for a smaller venue?
Preferrably in the Bucks/Mongtomery areas... We are in the Doylestown and Langhorne areas..
The Marriott would probably be something to consider... or how about the Crystal Tea Room ? I am not sure if that is too dated?
 
Depending on when you get married, there are some pretty garden type settings out in the suburbs. Many of them are available for weddings, but I am not sure if the food is good or the rooms are great. Maybe something in Chadds Ford ?
 
We are not near the Chadds Ford area,, we are closer to the Eastern Burbs.. I am considering Earls in Peddlers Village and Maybe the Hilton on the Main Line...that is not too far.. Has anyone been to the Joseph Amber Inn for a wedding ?

I would also want to look into a nice restaurant that has a private room for about 50 . Maybe Roy''s or Brassier Perrier.

How would we take care of our guest''s parking in CC ?
 
The Marriott is quite fancy, and definitely more appropriate for a large crowd. A smaller venue in CC that I think is fascinating is the Fleischer Memorial Art Center in Queen Village. It is a free art school owned and run by the Art Museum. They have a really cool chapel building that looks like a really intimate and unique space. I have heard that the Colonial Dames of America house on Ludlow street near 17th is also a cool venue for smaller parties.

In CC, I think how you deal with transportation depends on how many out-of-town guests you plan to have. We have a lot, and we''re having them stay in hotels downtown, so we are paying for a trolley to schlep people around town, but not for parking. If you were having a lot of out of town guests I would suggest going this route and just having transport from hotel to venue. Personally, my thought is that those folks who are local can deal with paying for parking given that they haven''t traveled to get here. In our case, the museum has its own parking and their rate for events is $7, which is an absolute steal for CC. If your venue doesn''t have its own lot, it undoubtedly has a relationship with one or more lots or valet services and can arrange for you to have spaces available (and maybe even a discounted rate). The event coordinator at any of the venues in town should be able to set up something for parking. It should not be a big deal -- I''m sure they do it all the time, or they''d never get anyone to have events!
 
I almost got married in Philadelphia and looked at most of the places you are considering. Here are my thoughts:

Four Seasons - We had a terrible experience here and it is the reason we did not end up getting married in Philly. We had reserved our wedding date at both the Basilica and at the Four Seasons. I was not bowled over by the ballroom, but was sold on the level of service and we planned to tent the courtyard for the cocktail hour. When we initially went to the Four Seasons, I went with a list of questions, including, will I be the only wedding that day, what time can we get in the ballroom to set up, etc. Because we were getting married across the street at the Cathedral and the latest wedding they allowed was 3:00, we wanted our cocktail hour at 5 so guests wouldn''t have too much of a lull. We were told, "5 for the cocktail hour is no problem, of course you are the only wedding that day, this is the Four Seasons, etc." When I received the contract, it stated that we would have 1 hour for set-up and that our cocktail hour would start at 7. I immediately called them up, thinking that it was just an innocent mistake since I had just been told a week before that 5 was fine and we''d have the room all day (we were planning lots of draping and large florals that need a lot of time to set up.) Instead I am told that there is another wedding in the ballroom that day ending at 5, but it''s no problem, they can set up quickly. Needless to say, I was very upset and felt duped. I also did not want the stress of wondering if they would have time to set up or if there would be lingering guests from the last event that would push set up back even furhter (can''t really imagine the Four Seasons pushing people out the door!) If I had not read the contract carefully (which luckily I always do since I am an attorney), I would have been stuck with the later wedding and with minimal time for my florist to set up. My DH was so upset with the whole thing (mostly with how upset I was) that he now boycotts the Four Seasons. If you do decide to go there, make sure you get everything in writing and double check it before you sign!

Rittenhouse Hotel - By far my fevorite venue in Philly, beautiful ballroom, but unfortunately too small for the wedding we were considering. If you think you''ll have over 200 guests it will be a very tight squeeze. I agree with DF re; the cocktail space in the lobby, it''s not ideal. Otherwise, perfect. Food is amazing.

Ballroom at the Ben - pretty space, but in my opinion the food is average at best and the space could use a little sprucing up.

Bellevue - I have been to several events here, my take is that once it was a very pretty space, but could use to be refurbished. Looked a little run down to me. Also coudn''t stand the very pushy wedding coordinator.

Ritz - Didn''t like it at all. Ballroom is in the basement and I thought it had a bit of a musty smell.

Good luck!
 
I looked into the Fleischer Art Memorial, but they don''t allow dancing
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If that''s not important to you, the space is really great. Have you looked at http://www.partyspace.com? They have a good number of venues listed for Philly and the surrounding areas, with info about each.
 
How big is your guest list?

I went to a wedding at the Art Alliance. It was an amazing venue, but likely can't hold more than 100 people, and it is split up into a number of rooms (which I liked), but may not suit your wedding.

Oops, I just noticed that you said that you are having 200+ people. If you had the whole building at the Art Alliance, that might work, but again, you might not like the spread out nature of it. The wedding I went to used only the first floor, and was a semi buffet style, with casual mingling and cocktails, not a seated dinner.
 
The Fleisher Art Memorial Looks interesting, Do they have their own in house Caterers.. I saw the chapel, can this be used for Jewish Services as well ?

I am going to look into it. We were not planning on dancing. Just a nice dinner Party.
 
The Fleischer used to be a church, but isn''t anymore. So I think that as long as your officiant is willing to perform the ceremony, there won''t be any restrictions on denomination/faith/whatever. On the website, it says that it''s administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art...which may mean that you have to use Restaurant Associates, which is the museum''s caterer (and several other cultural venues in the city). I personally wouldn''t go with any venue where I''d have to use RA, but I''ve had many experiences with them and found them to be really spotty on service and food quality. But it doesn''t actually say, so you''d have to call the person in charge to find out. The contact info is here. Hope that helps!
 
Date: 3/28/2008 7:57:21 AM
Author: mrm
How was Hershey??? I was thinking about having it there but didn''t know if it would be worth it b/c of the time of year (no park, no outside ceremony,...). I remember watching weddings there when I was younger. Gorgeous!!!!
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It was really wonderful... and hard to believe it was almost a year ago already!
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I grew up in Hershey so I watched a lot of weddings there too, and always dreamed of getting married at the Hotel. We had it on May 5th, which was opening weekend for the Park... so everything was nicely manicured and our guests got to see fireworks outside on the veranda! Spring was a good time because it wasn''t super-hot and overflowing with tourists yet, but we still got the "perks" of summer season. (A link to my pix thread if you''re interested!) Did you grow up in the area?

I loooove fall weddings though... and one nice thing about November in Philly, if you''re considering the Rittenhouse (or anywhere else nearby), is they may have the lights up in the square by then! They usually put them out near the end of November... so beautiful. Do you live in downtown Philly now?
 
Date: 3/27/2008 11:36:59 PM
Author: mrm
THanks so much for all the advice so far!!! I am lucky in that I really don''t have a budget. Although that makes it hard as well because there is so much to choose from! I never used to be a fan of hotel wedding either but I like the idea of being able to go right to your rooms. We are going to have A LOT of out of town guests. I wasn''t a fan of the Four Seasons ballroom which is what is holding me back but it fits in so many other ways...We are having the ceremony at The Basillica which is just across the street. And Embassy suites is right there too. Also, I really like the guy I would be working with and their personal attention and food seems to be top notch but...I always pictured a more elegant, stunnng venue. They did say we could tent the outside courtyard. Yet, I don''t know if it is worth the price (like several of you said :-) ).

I am looking at the Rittenhouse tomorrow. And the Ballroom at the Ben but they seemed quite snotty over the phone. The Hyatt Bellevue has more than one wedding going on at a time and I kind of want to be the only bride :-).

Guest list is expected to be about 200-250.

I am so confused! Dress shopping is just as bad! I need to meet the person who said ''you would just know''.
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Click to expand...
Couldn''t agree more... I would like to meet that person too! I went to every dress shop in the tri-state area I think... some more than once. Some more than twice! I was thrilled with my final decision but it still wasn''t a "I just knew" situation... I eventually narrowed it down to 3 favorites (all at Priscilla of Boston, randomly!) and had to have my mom and BFF cast their votes before I finally settled on one.
 
Ephemery - SO sorry to thread jack... Your wedding picture were gorgeous.. They looked so elegant and classy.
I loved your centerpieces..

I was thinking of doing Calla Lillys with either roses or tulips with candles around the base...just the same as yours.
I am too far from Hershey to ask about your florist
 
I have to say I am not a fan of the Hilton. I have been to bar mitzvahs there and I just think it is not a special venue. The service is so so, and again, their parking situation is bad. I have waited 30 to 45 minutes for my car to come out. It is right near the suburbs, but it is not really in the Main Line.

There are a couple spots that you can come in and bring your own food etc, but I might try to find something really special and different for it, if you can. You need to fit a large number so that limits you to certain places and not other places. I know that people have used the Botanic Garden and Memorial Hall for events, they could be worth looking into.
 
DiamondFan - Thanks for the feed back regarding the Hilton .. I went to a HS Reunion there , which was nice but I had a feeling it could go either way.

I just thought it would be fine for my small wedding. The food was had wasn''t bad at all. They had stations set up... I did notice that the service was a bit laid back. Although, my fiance asked for something special and they brought it to him right away... but he aways gets good service.. It must be his cleft chin..

I kid him - he looks like Clarke Kent
 
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