I know, it's been a while. Things have been really busy, and when I have free time during the day, I either am sleeping or in too much pain to update. Expect several updates today (though I don't know why, but I hate doing two posts in one day...weird, I know. But I will do several to keep everyone updated :)).
So, let me finish the story of saving some moolah. Let me first explain a key point here:
1. Brian and I had decided that we wanted a beer/wine reception. While money did play a teensy role in this decision, it more so came from the fact that we both have, ahem, certain people in both our families that like to imbibe quite a bit. We figured that with a beer/wine reception, it would be easier to police these family members- plus most of them have an affinity for hard liquor, anyway.
2. We wanted an all inclusive venue. We didn't want to have to get a hall, then get the tables, chairs, china, silverware, glassware, linens, and well, you get the point. I am not saying it's a bad idea, and you could definitely save some money on things if you are willing to haggle, but for us, with everything that is going on, meeting with extraneous vendors was not that appealing. So, to save time and hassle (which is just as important as money!), we decided we wanted a venue that had everything: Linens and catering, glassware and chairs.
After booking the ceremony site, next came the reception site. Where do you start looking for one when you have never done this, and live in Delaware? The Hotel du Pont and du Pont Country Club, of course. Brian's dad is a member still at DCC, so we thought, okay, definitely maybe. So I called. And when both venues told me that their minimum was $18k (that's $3k more than the entire budget, let alone the amount for the reception), I nearly had a heart attack/fainted/screamed until I was blue in the face. I mean, come on, we are in the middle of a recession, and they expect people to have that kind of money- just for the food?? Ummm, no. And someone needs to inform them of that. But that's not the kicker. Nooooo. The kicker was when they told me that I had to have an open bar. Remember that little tidbit at the top? First off, we don't want open bar. Second, don't tell me what I have to have at my wedding. It's my wedding! So needless to say, they got nixed- along with Deerfield, Hartefeld, and the Christiana Hilton, all of whom had minimums as well.
At this point, we decided to attend a couple of bridal shows- get a feel for a couple venues, and see where things go from there. We nixed the Embassy Suites in Newark, the Waterfall Banquet Center in Claymont, and all of the country clubs around here. We had some good leads, so I started making the calls. The Farmhouse, The Stone Barn, The Crystal Ballroom, Mendenhall Inn. And one by one, all got crossed off. The Farmhouse, while so lovely and the perfect setting, could not accommodate our guest list, and they couldn't give me pricing for 2010- I realize we are a bit away, but if I am going to book with you, I at least need an educated guess. The Stone Barn would have been absolutely perfect (it's actually recommended by friends from high school, who are getting married 1 year to the day before us!) if we didn't have to bring in our own bartender and alcohol (remember, all inclusive here!). The Crystal Ballroom was just a little too pricey, as was Mendenhall Inn.
Sigh. We are getting no where, as you can see. Then my mother (God bless her) has a brainstorm. What about the place I had my senior prom at, The Red Clay Room in Kennett Square? Wow, Mom, you are on the ball! So I looked into it...hey, wait a minute. What's this link down near the bottom- they have a place in DE? Where is this place? Executive Banquet and Conference Center. Okay, add it to the list.
So I gave them a call, and they emailed me the package and pricing. Wow, this place is looking better and better! Centerpieces are included- okay, most places do that. Wedding Cake (from Cakes by Kim) included as well- getting better. Hey, colored linens! Boy oh boy- most places only do white or ivory! And it's a 5 hour reception with a 5 hour bar, versus a 4 hour reception with a 3 hour bar...this place is looking better and better! Hmm, their pricing is not bad- about the same as the Chrystal Center. Is it worth it, and where the devil is this place??? Oh, okay, down in Newark! Not bad...
So we (my mom, Brian, and I) decide to tour the place- why not? We head on down towards Newark, and I finally get to see where this place is actually situated. It's on Route 896. At the stoplight before Route 40 (across from Siemens), turn right into the Industrial Park. Take the first left, then the first left into the parking lot. Okay, not the most ideal location- no gardens around, but it's not like it's in the back of the industrial park. It's right in the front on the corner. We park- the parking lot is nice and big, which is a plus (Hotel du Pont is in the city, with no parking!). We walk inside, and the entrance (which has a covered turnaround leading up to the doors) is nice and bright. This place isn't bad! The carpet isn't hideous, there's no gaudy wallpaper, and the decorations and lighting are simple with clean lines- right up our alley. Definitely doesn't overstimulate the senses. We meet Brad, the manager, and start the tour. The lobby is where we will have the cocktail hour, and it's nice and big and airy. The bar is in the corner, with a window to the lobby and one to the ballroom. We walk around more, and this place is really looking nice. There's a galley between the ballroom and the kitchen, so we don't hear any clanging. The bridal suite is nice, with it's own bathroom. Oh, and did I mention that the bar has 8 beers on tap, with 6-8 wines offered? I can't believe this, it's awesome! So we asked for a contract, and talk it over as we leave. The consensus was clear- this place was the best so far.
I get home, and can think of more questions to ask Brad. And it gets better and better. $8 off for a beer and wine reception. $10 kids meal of chicken fingers and fries (versus the $45 chicken fingers at Deerfield!). State of the art sound and AV equipment, with the definite ability to do PowerPoint slide shows and all that jazz- they even have their own speaker system, so the DJ doesn't have to drag theirs in. Oh, and they are having cameras installed, so that not only will guests be able to watch on the big screen when we arrive, they won't have to jostle for a view of cutting the cake, and it's all recorded on a DVD for us to go home with. Wow. This place is it. No doubt about it. We ask him for a contract for October 9, 2010.
Wait. The wedding is October 2, 2010, right? Correct. This is where they sold us. They made a mistake- they double booked the 9th, and the other couple got their deposit in first. Within the hour of realizing this mistake, we had 2 emails and a phone call, apologizing and offering to fix it anyway we wanted. Ice sculpture with dessert bar, etc etc. We decided to take the 10% discount offered for Fridays and Sundays, and apply that to our Saturday wedding, which we moved up a week- we weren't real picky on the date to begin with. But the discount wasn't what did it for us- it was the apologies, and the sincere effort to fix their mistake. We had a venue!
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