Venue Shopping!

alschmid

Just thought I would say hello and say that we have officially begun looking for a venue for our wedding next October/November time-frame. 

So far we've visited

The Waterfront:  pretty - but seemed kind of crowded outside and didn't like the chairs/carpeting at all - seems like kind of a silly complaint

Just got back from the Arizona Historical Society - really liking this option now since its about the least expensive option that I have really been looking at.  Would like to see it in the evening though - might see if I can work that out.

Also looking at Val Vista Lakes on Friday...

Anyone have any experiences with these places to share, or other places to look into?  We are trying to keep it in the East Valley area, and not too expensive...also like the outside options

Some other places I was thinking about checking out -
Inspirador
Hotel San Marcos
Desert Botanical Garden

Hooray, I'm excited to have the process started!

bhead81

If you are willing to travel a little while my venue was in Florence at The Windmill and I loved it.  Their website is www.thewindmillaz.com. They are fairly priced and you have the whole venue to yourself.  The only downside is that it is in Florence but it is worth the drive!

I have several friends who got married at Val Vista Lakes and they loved it.  Some others I looked at were Schnepf Farms, Superstition Golf Club and Red Mountain Golf Club.

FutureMrsL.R.Allen

I know another knottie on here is getting married at Val Vista Lakes and loves it, I am sure she will chime in!

The only other place I know anything about is the Desert Botanical Garden.  I worked there in college and it is beautiful!  Worth checking out!  You bring in all your own vendors, they have approved caterers that you work with and you have to rent everything.

fisktobe

I have heard some great things about a couple of those venues.  I was looking for a more inexpensive option as well, I found one at Dobson Ranch Golf Course, at Dobson Road and Guadalupe in Mesa.  There's a restaurant on site, Dobson's.  And they do weddings.  They have fountains and its outside.  Kind of like a patio setting.  And a gazebo to get married under.  The have a website http://www.dobsonsrestaurant.net

lcarp203

I would caution you on the Historical Society.  I just attended a wedding there last month of one of my best friends.  And, every 15 to 20 min planes were flying overhead.  They were so loud that during everyones (father of bride, best man and MOH) speeches, they had to stop and wait for the planes.  Many even made jokes about it.  However, it was very distracting during the ceremony.  It was also very distracting when trying to hold a conversation at dinner.  Just a thought.

I am getting married at Starfire at Scottsdale CC.  They only seat about 90, so if you are having a smaller wedding, it is very affordable.

NillaWafer10

Haha I am getting married at Val Vista Lakes!!! I cannot rave enough about it, and I'm always recommeding it!  Janet, the coordinator there is absolutely fabulous!  So kind, and so accomodating!  I really like their flexibility with vendors, and they have a full sized kitchen for your use.  I love that you don't have to rent anything but your serviceware.  The location is saving us lots of money!

P.S. I would recommend getting married on a Sunday.  It's less than half the price, and your alcohol bill will probably be less too!

alschmid

Thanks for all of the great feedback!

lcarp - thanks for the heads up on the plane traffic, blah.  I really liked that place but doesn't sound so great anymore!

Nillawafer - Have a feeling I will really like val vista lakes, but we will see.  Unfortunately Sunday is not an option for me as we will have a bunch of people from out of town.  Did you get rooms at a  hotel in the area?

Has anyone gotten pricing from Inspirador in downtown Chandler?  They apparently are "custom" priced, so they won't send me any information, which just makes me think it will be more than we want to spend!

mresendez

I used the ballroom in Trilogy at Power Ranch (Queen Creek and Power, in Gilbert). They don't do a ton of weddings there, but we wanted to DIY a lot and so that was good. They let us do what we wanted (within reason, of course). We got a really amazing deal on it, but that is because we know someone that lives there. I am not sure what the prices are otherwise, but it is definitely worth looking into, in my opinion.

alschmid

mresendez - do you have any contact information there?  I think I've looked at some web page but could not find wedding information.  Thanks for the suggestions - actually I have a friend that has a house in that area as well.

lcarp203

alschmid - I did get a quote for Inspirador.  The venue is very pretty.  However, it is basically an old warehouse that they have renovated to make a wedding venue.  It felt very industrial to me.  But, I did like the feel, just could not swallow the price!

It came to about $11,800 for a Saturday night wedding in November 2010.  That price was for 85 people.

This included:

-  Exclusive Seven Hour Use of Venue
- All Set-up & Clean Up
- Ice Chiavari Chairs
- Round Dining Tables
- Floor Length Linens (Choice of Black or White)
- Linen Napkins (Choice of Colors / Mix & Match)
- Accent Table Runners
- Stationed Appetizers
- Modern Buffet
- Traditional Tiered Wedding Cake
- BYOB, Professional TIPS Certified Bartending Service in Signature Uniforms for up to Five Hours provided
- Soft Bar: Sodas, Water, Ice, Garnish, Napkins, Stirrers, Juice Mixers
- On-Site Security

Did not include alcohol, DJ or Photographer.  Also, no flowers.  I have the quote, which I am more than happy to forward if you want to give me your email.  However, I did my best to summarize.  Of course, price differed depending on how many people, which room you used for ceremony, type of chair ect.  But, that should give you a general ieda. 

timark99

I'm getting married at the Wright House in Mesa in March next year. I work nights so planning to hunt and meet with vendors can be a bit of a hassle and the Wright House has been a godsend with having a lot of the vendors included so all I have to do is pick my choices.  The vendors they include have been great working with, just took the legwork away from finding them.  The price for the Wright House have several levels for their packages and their site has two gorgeous outdoor scenes depending on the "look" one wants for their wedding. My FI are using their victorian garden setting, but they also have one that's kind of tuscan style with a lot of outdoor fountains. Good luck!! and happy planning!

missromero1

You might look at Nardini Manor its on the west side but it's really pretty.

sms274

I checked out most of those places when I was looking.

Val Vista lakes is great if you want to use all of your own caterers. There are several waterscape out back which would be great for pictures - but I didn't like that they had to walk throught the reception area for cocktails andthe ceremony (I wanted a big reveal for this)

Inspirador is gorgeous and you can use your own caterers or they can create custom/all-inclusive packages of you don't want to go through selecting all of your vendors. they also have an art gallery where you can have cocktail hour.

San Marcos was pretty, just not really my style but the catering manager is SO helpful and there ere several options as far as locations of different events during the day - plus they offer EXCELLENT room rates for your guests (even the night of if someone decides they shouldn't drive).

Several of my friends have gotten married at the Wright house in Mesa as well as Stonebridge Manorin Mesa - both are outdoor and very pretty. I don't really know about the logisitics of vendors though.

Hope this helps a bit.

kimheartsscott

lcarp203 - If you could e-mail me the quotes, that would be fantastic!  kimisfoshiz@gmail.com  Breaks our budget a bit, but it seems like it includes a lot of stuff.

alschmid

kimheartsscott - I can send you our quote from Inspirador as well if you are interested.  We did a plated dinner for 120 including flowers, photographer, cake, and dj I think....came out to around 19K though.

nurseamalia

inspirador starts at about 10,000 for 75 ppl, just a heads up. its beautiful but not in my price range