trying to decide between plymouth creek center and PEC..thoughts?

sclo0801

I can't decide which would be better to hold my reception at.  Could you tell me which made you choose one of these locations? 

shameless_ad

We chose PEC for a couple of reasons -

First was the vibe of the room.  We fell in love with the look and style of the Diamond Hall (the one with multiple levels).  It fit our personalities, and what we invisioned for the reception.

Second was the cost - no room rental fee, no corkage or cake cutting fee (they have since added a cake cutting fee), and low catering minimums - which they have raised since we booked.

Third was that we could provide our own alcohol.  We're planning on having only wine and beer, and this is a huge cost saver for us.

We honestly didn't look at many other places, simply because they were too expensive or too boring for our tastes.  PEC was perfect for us, and I'm so excited to have our reception there.

drdifabio

We also picked the PEC for many of the same reasons in the PP. The biggest one for us was prolly being able to bring in our own liquor and the low minimums. I also really really like their food - it is delicious - so I had no problem using the required caterer. Since we booked, it has continued to be one of my fav vendors to work with - their coordinator Heather is just fantastic - she gets back to you quickly and is a pleasure to work with.

leggwilliams

Ditto PP! I haven't seen Plymouth Creek so I can't give an opinion on that, but I would recommend the PEC to anyone! It was the first venue we looked at. FI and I lovved it but decided to go see a couple more places just to make sure. After seeing some more places we started to second guess ourselves, so we swung by to take a look at the Diamond Hall again and instantly remembered why we had loved it so much to begin with and booked on the spot. It's a great venue with a great staff and great deals!

drdifabio

I hadn't heard of plymouth creek before so I went and looked at their website. From the looks of it the large windows would be beautiful but I would personally be concerned about all the different charges. I dont think it looks like the have hidden fees per say but the room rental is not really the only cost. It looks like the break out other costs like lights or a piano, etc. Also the caterers they require you to use look like they are about the same price as the PEC food but you also would need to pay a room rate charge and those other fees on top of that - so cost alone it looks like PEC is better. But again they have totally different feels so if you like the big windows and the outdoor space I could see spending more and going with plymouth creek but in my opinion comparing the two I would go with the PEC.

sclo0801

drdifabio- That is what I am trying to avoid..hidden fees and paying for every little thing.  I'm not super happy with the catering choices there either (Plymouth).  Does PEC set up everything for you?

drdifabio

Yep everything is included - set up, taken down, etc. They also have intelligent lighting already set up so you have so many lighting options that are included in the room rental. They have a lot of great info on their website including a Wedding tab and a FAQ doc. Here is what they say is included:
Professional sound system, intelligent lighting system, professional DJ system (with iPod compatibility), dance floor, video projector with screen, fog machine, tables, chairs, china, flatware, glassware, tablecloth and napkin linens (white or cream), wedding arch with lights, red carpet, lanterns and white ceiling drapes in the Diamond Hall.

It also says "Our philosophy at the PEC is to have our fees be as transparent as possible. There are no setup, teardown, cleanup, security, insurance, or other miscellaneous fees. We offer complimentary event planning services, ensuring that your reception is as unique as you are."

Feel free to post any other questions you might have!

Steph0871

We went with the PEC for a few reasons:

   *We really wanted something near the U of M campus (we met there and think it's gorgeous).  However, the University-owned/managed venues were outrageous (I even tried to pull an alumni/staff discount with no luck. ha)  PEC is about as close to campus as you can get!  

   *Parking is free (a huge plus for us, especially since we were looking mostly in Minneapolis.)

   *HEATHER.  She's amazing, so far.  Answers all questions we've had (random as they are) and is just so friendly all the time!

   *Lack of hidden costs.  It really seems like our overall cost will be food!  There's also no extra fee for using the site as a ceremony and reception venue.  awesome.

Sara191431

Plymouth Creek - One thing that was maybe going to be an issue for us when we looked there is they don't allow smoking on the grounds at all, even in the parking lot.  Myself and  my FI don't smoke, but I'm sure there will be some people that do so that could be a problem. I believe there has to be a cop present at the reception and the lady I talked to said some of them enforce the rule some don't.  I  thought it'd be a little embarassing if the few guests that smoke were getting busted  in the parking lot:)  The rule is given by the city I think she said.

Just something to think about.  I think the gardens are beautiful for a ceremony though and their prices aren't bad for rental of the space.  Good luck!