Saltwater Grille, South Portland Review

Re: Saltwater Grille, South Portland Review

• Swtpearit member

  

  September 2012

  Hey there,
  I too am planning from out of state, though much closer than Baton Rouge! We visited Saltwater Grille when we were looking and the coordinator was super nice. I think it really depends on the size of your party. We estimating about 90 guests and felt it was too small. It was nice but the dance floor was way too small and the 2nd floor is somewhat separated into 2 different rooms. The view is gorgeous and as much as we wanted to be on the water, it wasn't feasible. I have heard good things about their food but haven't ever eaten there. Hope this is helpful. I can say it was super important for us to visit the venues we were really considering to get a sense of the actual space and to ensure it's the feel you are going for. Good luck!

  Report0 Reply
• rolinger

  

  September 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_maine_saltwater-grille-south-portland-review?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:98Discussion:b2b1f740-4e75-4749-8186-abd26bd0e85dPost:762aef1e-0327-4fe7-8da1-16fc1bec5123">Re: Saltwater Grille, South Portland Review</a>:
  [QUOTE]Hey there, I too am planning from out of state, though much closer than Baton Rouge! We visited Saltwater Grille when we were looking and the coordinator was super nice. I think it really depends on the size of your party. We estimating about 90 guests and felt it was too small. It was nice but the dance floor was way too small and the 2nd floor is somewhat separated into 2 different rooms. The view is gorgeous and as much as we wanted to be on the water, it wasn't feasible. I have heard good things about their food but haven't ever eaten there. Hope this is helpful. I can say it was super important for us to visit the venues we were really considering to get a sense of the actual space and to ensure it's the feel you are going for. Good luck!
  Posted by Swtpearit[/QUOTE]
  
  <div>Thanks for the tip! I was definitely hesitant about the fact that it's split into two rooms. Do the two rooms make it seem like people are excluded? That's what I'm most worried about. Their website says up to 135 people, so I was hopeful. We have about 120, total (tentatively), so you definitely think it would be much too small for us? </div><div>
  </div><div>My mom is going by this weekend to check it out, so I'll see what she says too, but if you thought it was way too small for 90, then that worries me! We're pretty limited on budget, so it's been really hard to find a place that we can afford. Do you know of any comparable places, by any chance?</div>

  Report0 Reply
• Swtpearit member

  

  September 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_maine_saltwater-grille-south-portland-review?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:98Discussion:b2b1f740-4e75-4749-8186-abd26bd0e85dPost:0725ede8-9f51-44e5-851d-33d6a8941e91">Re: Saltwater Grille, South Portland Review</a>:
  [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Saltwater Grille, South Portland Review : Thanks for the tip! I was definitely hesitant about the fact that it's split into two rooms. Do the two rooms make it seem like people are excluded? That's what I'm most worried about. Their website says up to 135 people, so I was hopeful. We have about 120, total (tentatively), so you definitely think it would be much too small for us?  My mom is going by this weekend to check it out, so I'll see what she says too, but if you thought it was way too small for 90, then that worries me! We're pretty limited on budget, so it's been really hard to find a place that we can afford. Do you know of any comparable places, by any chance?
  Posted by rolinger[/QUOTE]
  
  I don't know if it will make people feel excluded, but it is something to consider. It may sound silly, but for us dancing is really important and the size of the dance floor was definitely something that caught our attention. If you did more of a cocktail style dinner you could possibly get more room. I am assuming we are similar in budget, right now we are looking at about $7,000 for the entire reception (food, drink, rental fee, tax, grat, and our cake). If you want to stay in Portland, we really liked the Mariner's Church Banquet Center, considering their prices and location right in the Old Port it's a pretty good deal. I know some people on here have discussed the Italian Center and Season's, we didn't visit those though. We decided to go with The Coastal House in Wells, ME because of their space, location, and prices. Joseph's by The Sea in OOB was nice but they only do daytime weddings. The McKernan Center is really nice and their prices are affordable. We ran into a similar issue with a wall dividing some of the dining space, but worth taking a look. Jonathan's in Ogunquit may also fit your budget. These are just some ideas, we visited about 17 places before we decided. If you want to inbox me with more specifics like your budget I can fill you in some more.

  Report0 Reply