Athenaeum, Westin and Hyatt Capitol Square

mandrietti

These are a few venues that are still on my list (I'm sure everyone will be happy when I just pick something and stop posting about it! lol).  What do you know about these venues - keep in mind I don't live in Columbus, so I've not been to events at any of them.

Athenaeum - for all of you hosting weddings there, how is the bar situation working out?  I know they have vendors who will just deliver it all, but what kind of pricing are we talking?  I feel like they price out each little detail on their menu, whereas other places give you wine glasses, folded napkins, etc, so does it end up being cheaper or more expensive?

Westin - LOVE LOVE LOVE - anyone having your reception here and how are things going with that?  The bar and hors d'oeuvres seem pricier than other places , so that's my main concern.

Hyatt - everything was just okay to me, but I have a hard time seeing the potential in things, so any info on this one is helpful.

I'm most interested in food, so if you've been to an event at any of these places, let me know what you thought as a guest.

Myroni03

I went to Barristers Ball at the Hyatt and approx 500 ppl attended and they only set up two bars... it was a cash bar kinda pricey, everything way watered down, but with that many ppl the bar line was always at least 20+ min long... if you decide to go with them talk to them about this.

On the upside with the Hyatt guests can park at the state house and its quite inexpensive compared to most places in downtown.

jodski

I used the Atheneaum just recently for our wedding (March 20!). One of the reasons we chose the Atheneaum was because we had the option to bring in our own alcohol which saved us a TON of money than the other places we looked at. They have a couple vendors they recommend so we purchased all our beer and wine through them and then we purchased our own alcohol and they delivered it for us. It was super easy and we were able to sell back everything that was unopened = even more savings. They do price certain things extra but you get a couple freebies based on the meal plan you purchased and you know it all up front so it's really not bad! We also got a ton of compliments on their food there. If you have any other questions feel free to ask, like I said I just got married there!

KateOSU1

The Athenaeum is great and there are lots of rooms to choose from. The only thing I don't like about that venue is that there are typically several weddings going on there in one night. But..the BYOB factor is great and saves a lot of $!! The Westin, in my opinion, is the most beautiful ballroom in the city - it's also the most expensive. The only way to cut costs there is to have it on a Friday.
I think the Hyatt is just ok...did you look at the Columbus Renaissance? It's awesome.
Good luck!!

darby22

jodski-
What vendor did you use to purchase the beer and wine?  And how did you go about returning it?  We are getting married at the athenaeum this summer and I was unaware that you could do that... sounds great!

lo99

Yes, I'd also like to hear about the beer/wine vendor that delivers.  We're not getting married at the Athenaeum, but our venue (St. Charles) is also BYOB!  TIA

jodski

So we were originally going to go with Gentile's (I listed contact info below) but the fiance forgot to actually turn in the contract and then they were booked. So we contacted Nighm Tran @ ABC Liquor last minute (we are talking like two weeks before - hello stress!). He ended up being incredible to work with - he returned all our calls right away, made recommendations, got everything in right away, delivery was flawless and we were able to sell back (which was awesome!). Anyway - the point is I don't know if Gentile's allows you to cell back but ABC liquor definitely does and they were great!

ABC Liquor
Nighm Tran
(614) 846-4788‎
1571 East Dublin Granville Road
Columbus, OH 43229

Gentiles - Roger Gentile
1565 King Avenue,  Columbus, OH  43212
614-486-3406        
gentiles@netwalk.com

KermitClin06

We were married at the Hyatt on Capitol Square two years ago and would do it again in a heartbeat if we had to do it over. The food was excellent, service was great, and everything went incredibly smooth. We had our room block and ceremony there also, so it made it very easy for all our guests since majority were from OOT. There's pictures in my married bio - we were in the Congressional Room and I think some other details you might be interested in, menu and such, are in my planning bio.
Oh, and the room the gave us for our wedding night was out of this world!!!

aml2137

we're having our reception at the Westin on July 31st and I couldn't be more excited.  Like you both of our families are coming from out of town and columbus was kind of our half way point for everyone to travel.  I'm new to the area and we looked at a TON of different places, including the antheneum and hyatt but when it came down to it when we walked into the Westin's ballroom we both said "this is it".  On top of that our wedding cordinator at the westin is a doll...Michael Berton.  He has gone so far out of his way for us already giving me recommendations, meeting with me when I show up unannounced to look at the rooms, etc haha.  They really are on top of their game there.  Also, although some of their horsderves may seem pricey they are really fliexible....they can basically make whatever you want even if its not on the menu.  They also include a lot more than those other locations do.  For example, after meeting with a cordinator at the Antheneum I learned that they can really nickle and dime you for little things, like placing a champagn glass at each seat.  The westin doesn't do that at all...its an all in one shop.  They also have an in house lighting company and get great deals from other vendors.  I've used all the vendors theyve recommended and have been amazed how easy the planning has been because of it.  Their room block rate is also pretty reasonable ($120/night) and they give the bride and groom complimentary suites the night before and a wedding suite on the wedding night. 

Overall, each of those places has its pros and cons but I didn't find anything that gave me the feeling that the Westin did when I walked in for the first time.