Venue options

[greatmachinery]

So, South Florida has, like, SO many venue options. So many. I am having serious trouble narrowing them down! But I find that they sort of fall into two categories:

1. Venues that just provide the space. No tables, chairs, food, planner, what have you.
2. Venues that provide the space, plus the table and chair set-up, food, and, to varying degrees, other

Comments

[gracie_x]

We had a package kind of deal - so our venue included everything including food and drinks - it even had options to include our wedding cake and invites but we did those a cheaper way
I think it depends on how much time you have - for us we had 9 weeks until the wedding, we went with the package though as it was SUCH a good deal, worked out way cheaper plus being 9 weeks away it took care of things for us. That being said if I had a year or something I'd still be inclined to go with a package type thing, in some instances you can save a little doing things yourself through a bunch of separate vendors, but i did a lot of research on that in my area (yours will differ of course) and the savings, if any, we're only a couple hundred £ max in the end and a lot more stress because you need to consider people setting it up etc too which means hiring even more vendors (unless you are having a small affair and family can help - even so there will still be plenty for them to do and I personally wanted my friends and family to come along and

[greatmachinery]

i've got tons of time -- we're looking at november 2013. i think you're right, though -- there's really not a good reason not to go with the package-deal places. thanks!

[ipsafictura]

I got married at a hotel and it was very full service. They did all the linens/chairs/food/drinks and even the cake. They also provided things like speakers and some other things that I didn't need. I had eaten in their restaurant and I knew the catering was very good, and not having to worry about who was going to provide (not to mention set up) all of the "stuff" that goes into an event of this size was really nice

[greatmachinery]

interesting. i've only spoken with one traveling caterer so far -- i'll have to see what they offer. thanks!

[offbalance]

Here's the thing - how hands-on do you want to be? That was a question my mom asked me when I was trying to pick a venue. Raw spaces are a lot of fun in theory, and there were a few I was really crazy about. HOWEVER. They require double the work, and in some cases, a heavy amount of expense. If you rent tables/chairs, for example you're on two clocks - the one from the rental company AND the one from the venue (who may be renting to someone else before you can fully get everything packed up and out of there). It's something that requires a lot of tight coordination

[greatmachinery]

yeah, this... is really good advice. i mean, i do want to be hands-on, but i'm also planning this from 1500 miles away so there's a limit to how much i can do. interesting that you should mention taste level -- part of the reason i'm apprehensive about choosing an all-inclusive venue is that they tend to be either tacky banquet halls or mondo expensive. i have found a few in between, though. thank you :)

[offbalance]

I thought the same way about the all-inclusives. I've seen some completely awful ones (I'm very close to Long Island, land of the Wedding Factory), but I found some that weren't so terrible, and then upon closer inspection, one I'm so very excited about.

1500 Miles? Gah. I'm only 115 miles from my venue and that even feels like a long distance.

If I were you I'd be tempted to check out a few that were "in the middle" comprehensively - try the food, pay an on-site visit, talk to the staff, and see how you feel about the place. If you like the people you're working with, I think the stress of not having to do everything might be a big relief for you. If it's not outside your budget to make a trip to do just this, you could hit a few in a weekend and see how they stack up (kind of like college visits...)

[greatmachinery]

i'll definitely be paying a visit to each of the places that makes the short list. i'm planning to do just what you said: take a long weekend and visit all these places. plus my mom lives in boca so she can be my spy. but i could never book a place without tasting the food. i have been to too many weddings and eaten too many pieces of fish slathered in what i can only assume was aunt jemima syrup.

[dont_go_joe]

I'm going through this same thing right now too. We are between 2 venues we love, one is just the space and the other is all inclusive like you said. The issue we're having with the all inclusive is their total lack of flexibility -- and frankly -- their off-putting reactions to my possible tweaks. They act like I'm saying I want to change them personally. I guess for me and the fiancée we're leaning towards the venue-only blank canvas aspect. My MOH and I are super into DIY and I'm considering hiring a day-of coordinator to meet with the vendors, etc. So I guess if you're really attached to a vision and you think you're able to pull it off given time and money constraints I say blank canvas all the way.

[greatmachinery]

eek. that sounds awful. most of the folks i've talked to have been very nice. one seemed a bit put-off by my 2398503920583 questions, but when i finally got on the phone with her boss, the boss was quite friendly as well. don't let them bully you! i bet a day-of coordinator would make things much easier.

[tamaracat]

I looked at both kinds of venues. The bare space where you bring everything in ends up being SO MUCH MORE MONEY because you have to pay for everything you bring in. You may also be forced to use vendors on their list or pay a fee for non listed vendors. It also had the potential to be a planning nightmare with the amount of vendors you'll be dealing with. We ended up going with a place that included everything and let me tell you, I worried about NOTHING because they took care of everything. I told them what I wanted in terms of colors, food, layout, setup, etc. and they did it. Having one vendor for space, tables/chairs/linens, and food/cake was SO EASY. That way the only people I had to bring in were the photog, dj, and florist. Having to deal with only 4 vendors vs up to 8 was a lifesaver.

Good luck! Whatever you decide will be right for you.

[greatmachinery]

the more i think about it, the more i think you're right. thanks for chiming in :)

[tamaracat]

NP. Always willing to share my experience. I would always chose the less stressful options, even if it means having to compromise on certain things. Like I wanted rectangular tables but the place only had round. No big deal really. In the grand scheme of things, for me, the stress free factor was the most important.

[greatmachinery]

well said. i can't even imagine how stressful it'll be trying to plan this thing from 1500 miles away in the first place. i shouldn't try to control every detail, difficult as that might be ;)