Smith Bros. vs. Confluence Park... Help!!!

xjulie2188x

HELP! I've got my venues narrowed down to 2 choices and can't seem to make a final decision. It's The Smith Brothers Loft  VS. The River Club at Confluence Park.

I've met with Steve from Smith Bros. & loved him. He was so accomodating and helpful. I really like how different the space is also.
I met with Edward from the River Club and he really seems to have a vision of the event and be very well planned out. It also has a great view.

I can't decide if I like the fancier River Club or the more unique Loft. I also have to sit down and try to do some number crunching since I didn't get a great sense of the cost from either (& the lower the better! lol)

Any experience you can share (good or bad) and advice on either would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!

Brandi143

I have had no experience with The Smith Bros, but I did have my reception at Confluence.  We absolutely loved it.  We got tons of compliments on everything from the food to the staff to the decorations.  We were in the Buckeye Room.  We worked with Karen, who I believe is no longer there.  Also, when we had our wedding the price per meal included more than just the meal.  It included the cake, chair covers, center pieces, hors dourves, a champaigne toast, two hours of open bar, and more.  Because of this, we found the pricing to be reasonable.  I don't believe this is the way they do it anymore, so I can't say if the prices they are charging now are still reasonable and worth it.  We had no bad experiences with the place and would choose it again.  One thing to think about (and I'm not sure how the loft is with this) is that at Confluence there will be other receptions going on a the same time in different rooms and depending on when your reception is in the day there will be a reception in your room before and/or after yours.  This didn't bother us at all, but it is something to think about.

AutumnEnchantment

My brother and his wife had their wedding reception at Smith Bros. this past summer.  I will say that multiple events are held there at one time and there's no good way of marking what door to go in.  Many of the guests, myself included, went into the wrong door to the wrong reception.  The staff was nice enough though to escort us to the right place.  My brother and his wife also had lots of guests, far too many to accomodate the downstairs/dancefloor/meal stations.  The look and feel of the place though was nice and it needed minimal decorating.

ehighley

We are having our reception at The Loft at Smith Brothers in April. A few things:

-Steve IS very nice. BUT...since booking, I haven't had any interaction with him. We've worked with LaGina, our event coordinator. She has been excellent. I love working with her and feel very comfortable to have her taking the lead in planning our reception.

-Cost is a big issue for us, since FI and I are paying for the bulk of the wedding ourselves. Smith Brothers has been very good about working with us on getting the food costs within our budget. 

-Smith Brothers lets you bring in your own alcohol. This was important to us because it is a bit more cost effective and because FI brews his own beer and is brewing beer for our wedding

-For me, Smith Brothers seemed more unique and did not have that banquet-hall feel that I've experienced at many weddings. I like that its different. The two floor set-up makes it interesting. The exposed brick and beams give it a very urban vibe. Love it!

I don't think you can go wrong with either venue! If you want more info on my experience with Smith Brothers, feel free to PM me. Good luck with your planning!

cat2821

We're looking at both of those places, too, and are definitely leaning towards the Loft. Steve does seem super accomodating, and promised that we could get the price for food and rentals "well under $10,000" (we're doing a Friday night ceremony/cocktail reception). Not only do I feel totally comfortable with him and Zuppa, and have read only great reviews about LaGina, but the feel of the place feels absolutely perfect.

Edward at Confluence, on the other hand, forgot to put our appointment in his planner and seemed to have two other people scheduled at our time!! Not only that, but he asked us the date of our wedding three times in 25 minutes....he didn't exactly inspire confidence in his organization skills. He left us feeling like we would be pressured into spending more than we planned, whereas Steve left us feeling like they would truly take care of us to help us have the wedding that WE want--NOT what the venue wants. 

xjulie2188x

Thank you all tons! this definitely helps!

Cat, you hit the nail on the head! I love the view from Confluence park so much i wasn't sure i could give it up... But I definitely felt some sort of pressure from Edward about money & just the way we should do things in general!

kellyjean2786

Although I love how confluence park looks. I have had horrible experiences there as a planner of a work event and as a bridesmaid. Smith Bros all the Way

ehighley

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_ohio-columbus_smith-bros-vs-confluence-park?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:112Discussion:539dd63d-dd99-4435-be58-fb6cdab95caePost:f8b4402c-16c6-44eb-b43a-d29045b27d1f">Re: Smith Bros. vs. Confluence Park... Help!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]We're looking at both of those places, too, and are definitely leaning towards the Loft. Steve does seem super accomodating, and promised that we could get the price for food and rentals "well under $10,000" (we're doing a Friday night ceremony/cocktail reception). Not only do I feel totally comfortable with him and Zuppa, and have read only great reviews about LaGina, but the feel of the place feels absolutely perfect. Edward at Confluence, on the other hand, forgot to put our appointment in his planner and seemed to have two other people scheduled at our time!! Not only that, but he asked us the date of our wedding three times in 25 minutes....he didn't exactly inspire confidence in his organization skills. He left us feeling like we would be pressured into spending more than we planned, whereas Steve left us feeling like they would truly take care of us to help us have the wedding that WE want--NOT what the venue wants. 
Posted by cat2821[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Hi Cat - Steve is telling the truth about keeping the cost under $10,000. We are estimating 180 guests and our reception is on a Saturday night. We're doing a full bar set-up and a pasta buffet. Our total estimated cost is well under $10,000. Some tips, though:</div><div>
</div><div>-Going with plastic instead of glass for the barware will save you a lot of $!</div><div>-If you're open to doing a simple dinner buffet or a pasta buffet, you can keep the cost of food per person under $20/head.</div><div>-Consider cutting items you don't really need (colored linens, champagne glasses, tons of apps, etc).</div><div>
</div><div>Good luck!</div><div>
</div>

pam22pamela

How soon do you need to make a decision?  We are getting married at the Loft in March, and are recently engaged (doing this all w/in 4 months).  We met w/Steve in mid-December and have been in constant contact w LaGina (Zuppa).  We fell in love w/the uniqueness of the Loft and the not-so-typical banquet hall setting.  We have our tasting in 2 weeks and this week are meeting to go over events.  Everyone there has been SOO helpful and accommodating, getting quick responses to emails/phone calls.  Bringing in your own alcohol is DEF a plus, and their pricing and help w/getting costs w/in a certain budget is great!  I can't say enough about them, and we are looking forward to having our ceremony and reception there!

beckilee37

ehighly - how are you getting food under $20 a head? I talked to LaGina today and she sent me the catering info from Zuppa and it looked like the cheapest buffet entree was 19.99. Also, I didn't know you could use plastic. Did you go with Cameron Mitchell? I guess all the info I got was from Zuppa.