Ajoyd

MissOwl · June 2011

I was totally freaked about picking a venue too. If you want to give me (or the board) your top few venues, we can tell you the pros and cons as we know them. I feel like I looked at every venue in columbus by the time I made a decision (except hotels and country clubs, can't tell you much about those).

Regarding Via Vecchia, I am feeling very confident about my experience there. Michael, one of the owners, is an absolute gem and I've been working with Charlie (girl) from Catering by Scott. All of the interactions I have had with both VV and CBS have been incredible. Sure, now that I've been warned, I'm going to be very careful and be sure to get every little thing in writing. There is no way that I would let the bad review of CBS sway me away from VV. I love the space and the owners way too much. Just my two cents.

BMDunlap01 · June 2011

I totally second Miss Owl. Working with Michael at VV has been the most wonderful experience. I absolutely love the space and FI and I love that we have a place we can go to all the time to remember our special day. We feel like we're becoming part of a community there, not just renting a room.
I've only worked with Scott at CBS. So far, I have no complaints. I have everything in writing, but that's just good business practices when you're planning an event like a wedding. He's been willing to work within our budget and he has given me some great advice.
Good luck picking a venue. It's probably one of the most stressful things about the whole process. And definitely ask the boards. We'll all give you our honest opinions.

Ajoyd · June 2011

Thank you, MissOwl and BMDunlap for the reassurances regarding Via Vecchia! I talked to Michael on the phone last week and the next day my parents went in for a tasting and really liked the venue. I got the sense that Michael would be a alot of fun to work with.

Planning a wedding from out of town is completely stressful as I can't just drop everything to drive over and visit a venue.

Ideally I would like the ceremony and reception to be in one place or at least in locations that are very near one another.

Here are some of the ones I am considering:

Via Vecchia

MissOwl, I think I read on another thread that you are doing your ceremony elsewhere, but BMDunlap, did I read that you are doing your ceremony at VV? That is a big hangup for me because I'm having trouble visualizing it.

OSU Faculty Club (so far the wild card here is the bar based on consumption, I have some friends who can drink! Plus their beer choices are awful and we are beer people, so that is a concern--I am hoping if we go with them they might consider additional selections.)

The Loft at Smith Brothers (the Venue is already completely booked for Saturdays in August)

Station 67 (It is beautiful but seems like the cost would really add up quickly. They charge an extra $6 a person to do a plated meal!)

Clearly my first choice would be to do something in the city

Those are my top choices right now but here are some others I'm considering:

-Ceremony in the Park of Roses with reception nearby at the Clintonville Woman's Club

-Creekside in Gahanna

-The Athenaeum

-Audubon Center

-The Capital Club (I like it because it is a relatively inexpensive venue in the city that actually has windows and outside access, but Mr. Ajoyd is not a fan.)

I have considered some of the country clubs but the only one I really like so far is The Golf Club of Dublin.

I seem to change my mind every day about what I want, but what I do know is that I would like to have at least some of my photos that day taken in an outdoor setting--one of the downtown parks would be just fine!)

Thank you in advance for any and all feedback!

MissOwl · June 2011

ok so i'm only going to respond to the ones where i have actually been on a tour at. you are interested in some of my fave venues in columbus!

OSU Faculty Club - pros: separate spaces for cocktails, dinner and dancing; close to hotel; lovely location; food choices good - cons: consumption bar

*if you want to do a ceremony here you could do it on the main level or outside at nearby browning amphitheater

The Loft at Smith Brothers - pros: this was probably mr.owl's fave until we found vv; fairly affordable; great separate spaces; free parking; damn cool space; bring your own alcohol - cons: i've heard that the coordinator is hard to get ahold of and that the food is sort of mediocre unless you upgrade to cameron mitchell (very expensive)

The Athenaeum - pros: loved that they had so many different spaces; well-oiled machine--you know you're going to be taken care of; beautiful -- cons: felt like they charged too much in my opinion when you got a whole quote (my original estimate didn't include everything that they charged for - to be honest though i didn't know a lot about service charges and stuff then); i personally didn't like that they have several events in one day

Audubon Center -- pros: loved this space; hidden gem; lots of catering choices; cool outdoor space -- cons: weird candle restrictions; you must pay for all hours that you're there, not just event time (have to pay for set up and tear down hours)

places you might not have considered (you might hate them--just suggestions)

the vault

cosi

lincoln theater

southern theater

good luck lady!

Combs132 · June 2011

I'm doing my reception at the Athenaeum so I can speak so far about what I have experienced... I can't tell you anything about the ceremony aspect because I'm getting married in a church.

Pro's: A variety of GORGEOUS spaces in downtown (which is what I wanted) and I love all the history of the old building; BYOB so you can get whole-sale prices (for about a 350 person wedding we are doing full service bar for less than 2000 from our supplier), They know their stuff - they are extremely organized, In house catering so you don't have to deal with a caterer

Con's: If you really want to make the wedding unique and your own, this MAY not be the best option - they have pretty strict rules about certain things (I can give you more details if needed), Other weddings go on there in other rooms, They own rights to linens so covering tables/chairs is outrageously expensive

I will say, I worked with them to get more "free upgrades" than what I was supposed to get, which has been awesome since weddings are expensive!

Maggie

tiffanydaniels · June 2011

I liked Via Vecchia when I went to look at it, it was one of my top choices. It was just missing something for me and I was really uncomfortable with there not being weddings there and I just could not invision it. I have heard concerns about the caterer but it should be ok, I felt that his prices I could get into my budget, also I know this is bad, I did not like any of their wine (I am white wine kind of girl!)

Never saw OSU Faculty club, so no help there.

The loft at Smith brothers, I thought this was going to be perfect for me, until I saw it. It was not for me at all and h was not very friendly.

Station 67, I had a friend get married there and she loved it, but she also had heavy appetizers because their food prices are really high.

-The Athenaeum: I am getting married here also, I fell in love with the place when I walked in, they have rooms of all different sizes and It felt very wedding to me. When I went to look at it, I was worried because there was many many rules, but honestly they put them right out in the open for you and they are not that bad. When I came home and talked to my FI he said at the end of the day would you regret not going there, just for a few stupid rules and I decided yes. It was also the cheapest place I had looked at and you get to bring your own alcohol.

-Audubon Center: i have heard people use this, it is very nice area, the only thing I would be concerned about is the homeless. i live down by here and we have been on many walks in the area and there have been naked homeless people in the grass.

-The Capital Club: I have never seen this place.

Another down town suggestion I looked at was Riverclub, it was around the same price as Via Vecchia, Maybe a little less and it has a beautiful view of the city.

Good luck to you.

green795 · June 2011

We had our reception at Creekside and everything turned out wonderfully. I had a great experience working with Katherine the coordinator. She was very helpful and organized through the whole experience. They had several different options and price ranges for food and the food was delicious. (The only con is that they're alcohol is consumption-based, but we put a cap at certain dollar amount so we wouldn't go way over budget and they great at letting us know when we hit the cap.) The space itself is really pretty and unique - a blend of modern and traditional, and it has a great layout. They also set up all the decor without charging extra and paid attention to the details. Overall I had a great experience and loved having our reception there. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I'd say the venue is probably one of the hardest parts to planning a wedding, but once you have that checked off list things just kind of fall into place and you can visualize everything else!

Ajoyd · June 2011

Ladies, thank you SO much for all of this thoughtful feedback, I am so grateful!

I was looking at The Vault online, but their bar minimum is huge! WIth their basic bar package (call brand liquor, wine, beer) you would have to have 194 guests to meet it. I am in the 100-125 range so I really need a place with a lower minimum.

Regarding responsiveness of venues, I am already experiencing some of that. So far the only ones that get an A+ in that department are Via Vecchia and the Faculty Club (although I have not called the Athenaeum yet so nothing against them!)

I will probably have follow up questions for each of you--thanks again!

KellyRVT · June 2011

I am having my reception at the Faculty Club. They will order any type of beer or liquor you want, so don't let the general selection deter you. Laynie, the coordinator, is AMAZING and is so enthusiastic about what she does. Whatever you want, you get.

The Browning Amphitheater is FREE to use if you want an outdoor space. You book through OSU. Our weather plan is the main ballroom, which I actually LOVE. You have a very long aisle to walk down and they will set up and flip the space during cocktail and dinner. It is a $500 charge to do this, but in my opinion it was well worth the piece of mind. You only pay for it if you use it though.

As for the consumption bar- yes it is expensive. However, you have complete discretion over what you want to offer. You can have them serve anything you want. Well, Call, Top Shelf, just beer and wine, etc. We are still deciding on what we want to do about the bar. We are leaning towards domestic beer only, wine and selecting a few types of liquor- rum, vodka, whiskey. Most people drink these. And, they well make up for it in the price of their entrees. They will serve anything you want, they have an in-house executive chef. We are actually able to have a sit down dinner there as opposed to a buffet, which I love.

I visited the Swim and Racquet Club, Taylor Mansion, North Bank Pavilion, Franklin Park Conservatory, Clintonville Women's Club, Via Vecchia, OSU Main Library, The Ohio Union and Kelton House. This does not include talking to Smith Brothers, The Vault, Cosi, The Athletic Club, Bryn Dunn, Capital Club, Westin and Smith Brothers. We originally booked Clintonville Women's Club but because we wanted an outdoor wedding at the amphitheater. However, trying to find a weather back up plan was a nightmare. I had originally contacted the Faculty Club when I first started looking and they told me the rental was $2000. I ended up calling them again, telling them when I realized the potential weather disaster and they brought the rental price down to $800!!!! They are completely negotiable on that, but they can't advertise it. After hours and hours of research I felt they had the best deal for what we were looking for.

After my fiance and I finally looked at it we made an immediate decision to book, even if we would lose the $1000 deposit on the Women's Club (we didn't btw).You can get ready at the venue, they are opening 3 hours early so we can come and get ready there for no charge.

Now, I realize I am totally biased, but I could NOT BE HAPPIER THAT WE CHOSE THEM. I have had 2 separate tastings with no charge (some places charge for this) . We are having a 1930s inspired formal, elegant, classic venue and it could not be more perfect. Having a room for each event that takes place to me is very high class (dinner in one room, cocktail in another, reception in another etc.) and it's something totally different than most weddings I have been to. And, you get a full service wedding consultant that LOVES what she does through the whole thing, Total bonus!

One of the best things too is that you have the venue as long as you want. We can go to midnight if we want. Many places only give you a set number of hours. They really will cater to you.

If you want more information feel free to email me at Kallay7@aol.com

casims3 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_ohio-columbus_ajoyd?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:112Discussion:5fcc46f4-395d-4c73-8274-7942f6f4d16dPost:8a743d6a-3e8a-4fc4-9d65-f90014cf4ac1">Re: **Ajoyd**</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm doing my reception at the Athenaeum so I can speak so far about what I have experienced... I can't tell you anything about the ceremony aspect because I'm getting married in a church. Pro's: A variety of GORGEOUS spaces in downtown (which is what I wanted) and I love all the history of the old building; BYOB so you can get whole-sale prices (for about a 350 person wedding we are doing full service bar for less than 2000 from our supplier), They know their stuff - they are extremely organized, In house catering so you don't have to deal with a caterer Con's: If you really want to make the wedding unique and your own, this MAY not be the best option - they have pretty strict rules about certain things (I can give you more details if needed), Other weddings go on there in other rooms, They own rights to linens so covering tables/chairs is outrageously expensive I will say, I worked with them to get more "free upgrades" than what I was supposed to get, which has been awesome since weddings are expensive! Maggie
Posted by Combs132[/QUOTE]

I am having my ceremony and reception here as well, and second everything Combs said. We are working with Gina, who has been amazing!

BMDunlap01 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_ohio-columbus_ajoyd?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:112Discussion:5fcc46f4-395d-4c73-8274-7942f6f4d16dPost:115619c2-b7c6-4aa9-9bbe-97faef9fd15d">Re: **Ajoyd**</a>:
[QUOTE]MissOwl, I think I read on another thread that you are doing your ceremony elsewhere, but BMDunlap, did I read that you are doing your ceremony at VV? That is a big hangup for me because I'm having trouble visualizing it. [/QUOTE]

I am doing the ceremony and reception on site. I really wanted it to be all in one place and I love how I have it pictured in my head.
We're going to have the ceremony outside in the alley. It would be between the two brick buildings with the white lights hanging above and all the brick on the ground. I'm doing it longways so it over looks the downtown skyline. I'm going to have a burlap aisle runner and use two wine barrels to create the alter. If you look at the web site for the photographers, Picture the Love, you can see photos from the very first wedding. She had their ceremony inside. That's my rain plan.

I can't imagine planning from a distance - so stressful! Definitely ask us knotties any questions you have. We love to give feedback and hear about everyone's reviews.

My biggest advice for finding the venue is much like finding your dress. When you're there, you'll know. I looked at so many places online and emailed for quotes. Ultimately when I walked in Via Vecchia and talked with the guys I knew that was the place for Dusty and I. I was looking for that rustic/historic feel and someplace we could continue to visit and be a part of our lives. I knew I didn't want a hotel or a country club becuase that is not our personalities.

One place to consider I didn't see mentioned was the Rennisance Hotel. It's downtown and they have a rooftop location that looks beautiful. Don't know anything about their prices though.

Good luck!

Ajoyd

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