Venue issues...

muffin90

Hi everyone, so I got engaged recently and we are still looking for a venue. I am from Austria,living in Vienna. Yesterday we visited a place that we both actually really liked. It is in a famous beautiful wine area in Austria, where we want to get married. The place itself is Austrias oldest wine estate with a history dating back to Roman times 2000 years ago...it has an inner courtyard with a hundred year old lime tree in the center. It is pretty but  I have a few concerns which I thought maybe someone can help me to clear First of all the reception would be held in a room that is a bit small, they can fit 100 people in there and we will be probably around 80-90, but the room is like an elongated rectangle. The tables would have to be arranged in a few long banquet tables, which might not be as bad as I first thought...The dancing area would be in a seperate room right next to it, they are both connected, during dinner the buffet would also be displayed there and then moved later (sounds like a bit of trouble to me). I like vintage/rustic weddings, but I am not sure if the venue is too oldschool, I think the curtains, carpet and especially the paintings on the wall are pretty ugly, but maybe I could make them work for me. Or should I ask them to take them down? I was thinking of hanging girlands and pompoms in the main room (the one with the chandeliers), but so it can look nice with room, an not completely out of style...There are also two balconies, which are my least concern, already have some ideas for that, one is even covered, so rain would be no concern, I am thinking of putting a sweet/candy bar there. I am attaching some pics so maybe you can get some ideas and tell me what you think, do you think one can transform this room? Is it ok not to have a huge ball room? 

AddieCake

I think having the dancing in a separate room is a bit of a party killer. 

Maggie0829

AddieCake said:

I think having the dancing in a separate room is a bit of a party killer. 

This.  I went to a wedding in a old historic mansion.  The open room concept was certainly not around back in the 1800s when this mansion was built.  So the buffet was in one room, seating for dinner was in another, dancing in another and dessert in another.  With everything so spread out and separated the party never really got started because everyone was going from one room to another.

You certainly don't need a ballroom, but you also have to consider what kind of wedding you want.  If dancing and a party atmosphere is high on your priority list, then this venue may not be your best bet.  If you are going for something where you want an elegant dinner party and dancing is kind of a take it or leave it thing, then this venue would work.  But don't try to take a venue and make it into something that it is not.

Jen4948

I think that this venue might work if you're looking for a nice dinner reception venue, but if dancing is important to you, then I would find another venue.  Having them in separate rooms will mean guests have to go back and forth, and that will lower the fun quotient for them because they can't just get up and dance.

lyndausvi

I do not have a problem with this setup.   But, then again that was similar to how mine was setup.   The 2 rooms were connected (well, more like the tent was connected to the room), but the dancing was in the "other room".   One of the bars was in the tent where the dance floor was, the other in the "dining room".    Our dance floor was packed all night.  It wasn't a buzz kill at all.      

The bar area had high tops so people could put down their drinks.  Most people in the dining room area could see the dance floor from their seat.  

MandyMost

lyndausvi said:

I do not have a problem with this setup.   But, then again that was similar to how mine was setup.   The 2 rooms were connected (well, more like the tent was connected to the room), but the dancing was in the "other room".   One of the bars was in the tent where the dance floor was, the other in the "dining room".    Our dance floor was packed all night.  It wasn't a buzz kill at all.      

The bar area had high tops so people could put down their drinks.  Most people in the dining room area could see the dance floor from their seat.  

The bolded is likely what kept the 2-room set-up from being a buzz kill. If you have 2 separate rooms and people can't see the dancing from their seat, that's when there's an issue. Some people love to dance and they MIGHT go into a separate room to dance, some people hate to dance and they won't dance no matter what, and the majority are probably somewhere in between and would dance if it's right there and looks like fun, but they're not going to go seek it out. 

Great advice above to not try to make a venue something it's not. The best weddings, in my opinion, are the ones that embrace the venue/location. That means the set-up and the decor. 

[Deleted User]

Before making plans for decorating, I would talk to your venue about what they would or wouldn't allow. With it being as old of a venue as it is, they may not allow you to do anything with nails, staples or possibly even with tape. Check out other options in the area just to compare venues. if nothing else, if you look at other venues and still end up going with this one, you'll do it with confidence and no regrets.