I went to see the Richfield Regency this weekend so I figured I'd share my personal review here.
Outside - This place is pretty much a Banquet Hall. There is not much outside as far as grounds and stuff. There is a pretty gazebo and water fountain outside for taking pictures. If you are looking for sprawling grounds and gardens, this is not the place for you. Verona Park is right across the street however, which is perfect for picture taking if that's what you want.
First walking in - I was impressed by the lobby. Everything is very shiny and bright with white floors. Alot more updated looking than other places that I've seen.
When we came in, we were directed to the room on the right to wait to speak with someone. This room is used for the cocktail hour if you use the smaller ballroom across the hall. I thought the room was very pretty. There were lots of candles everything. It just seemed very clean and had a lounge feel to it.
The ballroom across the hall was too small for us so we did not really look at it.
We went downstairs and looked at the second/larger cocktail hour space. There are two sides to this area, with lots of tables and leather banquet seats. There was a very loungy feel to this area. I really liked this because it is more our style, but my boyfriend did mention it felt a little "basement - like" because of the lower ceilings. That didn't bother me at all though, becuase I was very impressed with the ambience and feel of the area. There is a bar on each end of the room and the food would be spread out between the two areas. There are also bathrooms right there for easy access and no steps. They provide drink clips for your glass, to clip it on to your plate during the cocktail hour. I liked this little touch -something I've never seen anywhere else.
Next we were shown the Chapel which is at the back of the larger ballroom. We were very impressed with the Chapel - like nothing I've seen anywhere else. There were tons of seats in there and it was a very decent size. They have white silk flowers in there, which are included if you decide to use the chapel. They charge $750 for the use of the Chapel, regardless of how many guests you are having. Since guests would have to walk through the ballroom to get to the chapel and back to the cocktail hour, they put up pipe and drape across the room to create a tunnel effect - this way guests do not see the ballroom until the reception begins.
The ballroom itself I was very impressed with. Again, candles everywhere, and an overall clean and crisp look. They have tons of color choices for linens so it did not bother me at all that the room is very neutral in color. They also provide centerpieces for the ballroom if you wish - it is $300 to use them. they are very tall clear vases with white silk roses. I thought they were very pretty, but if you want to add some color, you may want to use your own centerpieces instead.
they also offer an LED lighting package for the ballroom in a variety of colors. They had it set for blue and it was very pretty. Again, something to think about if you are looking for even more color. It is $400 to use the LED package.
As for the menu, it is more than sufficient - tons of food, but not over doing it in areas that don't matter. I was quoted $85 for a Friday night in Sept 2011. Plus tax and gratuity. That does not include a Venetian hour. I was given a certificate - if I book within 10 days I will get a free chocolate fountain, normally a $500 upgrade. If that's something you'd want - then that's something to consider! Personally, I don't care about the chocolate fountain.
The menu is very customizable if there is something you don't like or want to substitute. You can do a signature drink if you like. You can do sangria - which we really like the idea of - very "us". You can basically tell them specific beers or liquors you want and they will make sure they have it. Shots are allowed, but monitored. they work with a couple hotels nearby that offer free shuttle service if a certain number of rooms are booked.
We were told we could come back for a private food tasting if we wished, and we probably will.
Overall, I really liked it and it is currently our number one choice.
This weekend we are going to see a few more and then we'll be making our decision.
If there is something I left out that you had a question about, let me know and I may be able to answer it for you!
September 2011 Brides Siggy Challenge: Reception Venue
