PEC

jennipea382

I'm indecisive if you can't tell from my posts about venues. Hehe. Anyways, I am touring the Profile Event Center on Saturday. I'm excited! I've heard a lot of great things about them and depending on when we decide to have the wedding, it may end up saving us a lot of money!

So what I'm looking for now is any reason to NOT use the PEC? Has anyone had any issues whatsoever with anything? The only negative review I've seen online so far has been about too many guests crammed into the room but I see that as something to avoid by not inviting the maximum amount of people and being careful about the room setup. So if you have anything negative to say about the PEC, let me know! Thanks!

SuperRNluvsChef

I have nothing but amazing things to say about the PEC.  Heather responds to emails within hours.  They have been great to work with and you can't beat their prices (which are higher than when we booked but still reasonable) and you bring in your own alcohol which is a huge money saver.  If you're looking for a fun, modern space the PEC is fantastic. 

drdifabio

I absolutely LOVED our experience with the PEC and Heather so I cant think of one bad experience we had with them. Heather went above and beyond to make our day great and worked with constantly over a year and half period just like my wedding was the next week.

The one thing I would look out for is choosing your date around the football schedule because of parking, traffic, and hotels in the area. But if you can get a non-football weekend non of those things are an issue.

jennipea382

For the minimum costs, what did you put toward that if you don't mind me asking? If we go with an off month the food basically covers it. But if we do it in May, I can't think of how I could get to that minimum of over $9000 and feel like I'm still getting a good deal. That's the biggest concern I'm having right now. Also, about how much was the alcohol?

FutureMrsS13

i dont like the fact that its 10k....

quincygirl77

My only caution for you would be the light rail construction that is going on in the area.   I go to the U campus everyday and it is pretty much a mess as you head down Washington and further up on University.  I'm not sure when construction is scheduled to start in front of the PEC, but it is just something to be aware of when making your decision.  That in combination with football or other big events at the U can make things pretty crowded in the area too as drd mentioned.

SuperRNluvsChef

The cost of the alcohol is going to depend on what you want to serve for your guests.  We're doing beer, wine and a signature cocktail.  Cost is also going to depend on how many people you are serving alcohol too, so we can't really answer this question for you. 

As for the lightrail construction...this has been the biggest wrench in our plans as when we booked there was no construction.  And for the price, I guess I can't really say...when we booked our minimum is only 5K.  I didn't realize their prices had gone up so much.  But IMO you're still getting a pretty good deal considering how beautiful the rooms are and you don't pay for linens, lighting or anything once the minimum is met. 

jennipea382

That's very true about not paying for certain extras. That's one reason I really started looking into the PEC because a lot of other places charge for linens, lighting, sound system (or the DJ brings it), decorations, security, etc.

I'm now looking into Fridays as well to save some money. I really wanted a Saturday but the minimum is so high in the months I would want!

FutureMrsS13

I agree! I think its very cool! Although i cant imagine spending 14 k..which i saw on their website..when others are better priced.
 But for me we have a friend for our DJ and he has the lighting ect so thats one thing i dont have to really worry about i guess..
 I do like that PEC includes the linenss  ect also
 Friday wouldnt be bad there ..
 How many guest?

Steph0871

They've done some pretty significant upgrades to the Casablanca room (used to hold like 300, now holds like 500 or something), so I think they raised the rates there.  We had a Sunday wedding in November, so our minimum was something like $3750? (We also got in on the 2009 rates.) Really low. We ended up spending right around $7000 for 150 guests (and our ceremony.)  It was worth every penny. It was a pain enough to deal with communication between photogs, flower, and dj.  I'm glad Heather was there to deal with EVERYTHING on site- she took the lead on DJ/cake/flowers/bartenders once we hired them too. We didnt' have to have anyone on site for us the day of the wedding.

I thought their rates seemed pretty high at first. We looked at a few other locations, too. Once we started adding up the rental cost for linens, dishware, silverware, glasses, tables, caterers, etc etc, PEC became a fantastic steal

Steph0871

So I just looked at their rates.  Looks like they've completely revamped their pricing structure. The only time you have to drop $14k is a Saturday in the summer, which makes sense.  If you're willing to do a Friday or Sunday wedding OR go off-season, the minimum is far more realistic.

jennipea382

We toured the PEC yesterday and my fiance and I both LOVE it! We're really leaning towards a Friday because of the lower rates. Possibly in April, because then the minimum is only $5500. We also decided we might do an hors dourves reception. I added up the cost of a bar setup, pop, 4 appetizer options, 1 late night food option, a candy bar, cupcakes, draping, hall candles and that is all still under the minimum! So now we just need to make a final decision and figure out how we're going to make the down payment.. haha.

ETA: For 200 people by the way :-)

Steph0871

Don't forget the 18% gratuity (which I think counts toward the minimum)!  

Just an FYI- I dind't feel like their appetizers were 'enough', so I'd definitely order more of those than you think you'll need. Especially if you're not serving a full meal.

If it's a Friday, make sure it's late enough that people can eat a full dinner before they get there, too.  If it's late enough (ceremony at 7pm or later), then you should be fine with only appetizers.  If it's earlier than that, people won't have enough time to eat after work, and will probably be expecting a full meal.

jennipea382

I asked Heather about the gratuity and tax being included and it is not, but that's what I was assuming anyways.

I was thinking about getting a couple of the "late night" options because those would probably feel more like a meal (mini sandwiches, chicken strips, etc). I was thinking of having the ceremony at 6, so I know people will probably be hungry and I want to feed them as much as possible!

leggwilliams

Just wanted to throw out their that I booked back when the minimum was only $5000 and we're easily going to be spending around $9k or $10k for 225 guests, three passed appetizers, three choices for a late night snack, room draping, and a steak and chicken entree (at reduced prices since they were lower when we booked). It's really not as hard to meet the minimum as you would think, depending on how many guests you have.

Also, I'm with everyone else on nothing but wonderful things to say about Heather and the PEC. The only downside is the construction over their right now.

joka0606

i just booked the PCE in May 2013. we are having 300 guests and i can't find a better deal for a wedding of my size. the only thing i am worried about is the construction. 

Steph0871

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_minnesota-minneapolis-st-paul_pec-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:81Discussion:8dc4a76c-b814-4c85-9495-eaa414966a57Post:eb2d0e08-10d9-4ae1-9b00-9ad2c414adbe">Re: PEC</a>:
[QUOTE]i just booked the PCE in May 2013. we are having 300 guests and i can't find a better deal for a wedding of my size. the only thing i am worried about is the construction. 
Posted by joka0606[/QUOTE]

<div>By May 2013, you should probably be ok :)  The actual construction is 'supposed' to be done for the lightrail by summer 2013.  Then it's just testing for a year.  So hopefully the roads won't be closed and stuff by then!</div>