What made you book your venue?

[Yimmers]

Our site had both a pretty enough outside location for the ceremony, but a pretty Plan B in case it rained...which in May in Northern Cal. is not always a given, but in my case, it happened! Funny enough, the weekend prior to the wedding was scorching hot, then it went to pouring down rain and cold. In the end, having it indoors made it seem more intimate.

But really, after price, it was the fact that we got to taste the food and the coordinators were really nice to work with. A number of places wouldn''t allow us to do a tasting prior to booking. Since we''re foodies, having a great meal was important to us. The caterer, Elaine Bell, made some awesome food, uses local, organic, or sustainable farms to source their food...and made these awesome sliders!!!! And price wise, was on par for what we would have received from other venues.

Here''s my rant: It''s really amazing what these places will charge. One venue wanted $11k to book for the reception and ceremony (and well, had a beautiful waterfall for pictures and the ceremony). But, every kids'' meal was 1/2 the price of the adult''s meal, and was the exact same dish. So, you could be ordering a $120 adult package ($60 kid''s meal), or a $80 adult package ($45 kid''s meal), and still get the same chicken fingers. Oh, and kids were considered 5 years or younger. So that six year old would get a steak. But, we were assured, if the kid still wanted a kid''s meal, they could get one, just at the adult''s price. WTH???!!

 

[MonkeyPants]

We looked at probably over 10 venues around the San Francisco Bay Area and Napa/Sonoma areas. When we saw Healdsburg Country Gardens we fell in love. It is outdoors, has a gorgeous rustic barn that is lit at night (don''t have to rent lighting), site came with tables and chairs, it is private (meaning secluded and also a private estate), a fantastic view of vineyards that went on forever, well manicured laws, and lush gardens...A long list. Thinking about it makes me excited!

 

[MonkeyPants]

Oh and I forgot to mention (i got a little excited with the space) that the owner was nice enough, but it wasn''t her personality that sealed the deal for us. It was also over our budget, so sadly price wasn''t what hooked us either. It was just the one of a kind, beautiful space!

 

[Deelight]

Date: 8/5/2009 6:35:30 AM
Author: Delster
The church was chosen on pure sentimental reasons - my parents were married there and it''s my local parish church from my childhood. Of the three churches in the parish we could have used it''s the one that''s least suited to our numbers, and it''s the ugliest (seriously), but that doesn''t matter a jot!


The reception venue was chosen for its blend of old and new. The pre-dinner drinks will be in interconnecting formal 18th century reception rooms that still have their original decor, and they have French doors leading to a colonnaded terrace that overlooks formal rose gardens, and beyond that, a golf course complete with folly! Dinner and dancing will be in a modern banqueting suite.


I''m in love with both of our venues even though they couldn''t be more different!!!


ETA - this might be helpful for you to know, but we had originally booked a different reception venue. We cancelled it after we found out that (a) they had concealed certain things from us about the venue; (b) as soon as they had the deposit cheque they became impossible to deal with, whereas before it was ''nothing''s a problem'' now it was ''like it or lump it''; and last but not least, (c) they sent me a flyer recommending that my bridesmaids and I participate in a bridal boot camp or I wouldn''t fit into my dress - and they stamped the envelope ''urgent'' in bright red ink!

WTF you are kidding me right????? Not sure what your BM''s look like but having seen the pics you posted of your itty bitty self how the heck did they come to that conclusion

- I would have told them to shove it.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR