Audubon Clubhouse Brides? Or Guests?

LyannaStark · March 2013

I know there are a handful out there, right? *crickets*

Finalizing the guest list and I'm really really wanting to cut a lot, because it seems like the ideal number for that venue is around 75-80 if we want open seating with a seat for every butt. Is that about right? Like, not the fire marshall number, the number that would make everybody most comfortable. I have a F&B minimum of course, but I'd rather have 75 overfed premium-liquored guests than 120 crowded ones.

What was your headcount? Was it smooshed and awkward or were people able to move around easily and find seats when they wanted one? Have you been to a wedding there as a guest? Was it awesome?

NWR: We need to all make friends because this board has tumbleweeds whistling through it and crickets chirping and all that, and come on, New Orleans should be the most fun local board on here!

tlc35 · March 2013

I have never been to a wedding at Audubon clubhouse so I can't help you there but I am saying hi. This board has slowed down a bit from when I first started planning last year. Hopefully we can get it a bit more active.

LyannaStark · March 2013

At the very least we can start replying to each other back and forth until the number of replies gets high enough to draw some attention.

tlc35 · March 2013

In Response to Re:Audubon Clubhouse Brides? Or Guests?:[QUOTE]At the very least we can start replying to each other back and forth until the number of replies gets high enough to draw some attention. ; Posted by LyannaStark[/QUOTE]

Lol! I considered Audubon park/clubhouse but decided to go with rosy's jazz hall. Someone I think posed reviews of Audubon clubhouse a while ago. Maybe around the first of the year?

RAEVEN813 · March 2013

My work has had our Christmas party there for the past 2 years. I would say we have about 80-100 in attendance. It doesn't seem crowded to me..however that's with people sitting outside on the porch area. The food is very good.

LyannaStark · March 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_louisiana-new-orleans_audubon-clubhouse-brides-or-guests?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:84Discussion:0ad469c9-b827-4100-a8ab-1838a0c2fecaPost:0188316c-9f98-4938-8841-117955c97dce">Re: Audubon Clubhouse Brides? Or Guests?</a>:
[QUOTE]My work has had our Christmas party there for the past 2 years. I would say we have about 80-100 in attendance. It doesn't seem crowded to me..however that's with people sitting outside on the porch area. The food is very good.
Posted by RAEVEN813[/QUOTE]

<div>Oh cool, thank you! Yeah, I've heard nothing but good things about the food. And definitely most of the actual seating will be on the veranda. But we have a band and a dance floor taking up a lot of the inside, and I really really want a seat for every butt. I'm fighting for that pretty hard, because come on, these people already spent a billion dollars on plane tickets and hotel rooms, the least I can do is give them somewhere to put their freaking purse down.</div><div>
</div><div>If the weather is perfect, it will be fantastic, period, and we could have 125 or so easily. But! If it's raining, they can close the veranda thingy off so that's fine, but we lose all that courtyard room/people wandering around outside sitting on steps, etc. and that might make it tight. The fact that it hasn't rained on Sept 28 for like 15 years, I can't decide if that makes me more or less antsy about it.</div><div>
</div><div>I've seen photos of it at night, with the big oaks lit up and lanterns and candles and stuff everywhere, and it just looks amazing. </div>

MJ4205 · March 2013

I've been 2 weddings there, and it wasn't packed. We didn't sit down at all. There was cocktail tall tables there and people just hung out around them and danced.

Ashish75 · April 2013

Hi! I'll be married at the Clubhouse next year. Really looking forward to it. It was my #2 choice (Rosy's was booked over a year out on my date, March 22). I felt very fortunate to get it and I love the facility. My guest list will be about 120 and I think it will be a good fit considering all the outdoor space. Hoping the weather will cooperate!

rmahler1121 · May 2013

Hi! I'm getting married at Newman Bandstand with our reception at the Clubhouse November 9th! It was my first choice for my venue. I''ve been to a couple of weddings there and as long as every person does not want to sit and eat at the exact same time you should be fine. We are planning on 13 4-top tables on the veranda itself and a bunch of 4-top tables outside of the clubhouse. As a guest, I remember thinking that the space was beautiful and romantic and that the martini bar was pretty awesome.

LyannaStark · May 2013

Wow, thanks so much for following up so late! We really need to get this board rolling, ladies. I'm about to be a lot less lurky, coming up on the 4 month mark, yikes!

It was our first choice too. FI was ready to sign before we'd even toured it. The thing is, if we have the veranda AND the courtyard AND the grounds and all that, it'll be amazing and perfect with plenty of room. If it's raining, they can put the shades down on the veranda, but without the courtyard, grounds, steps, etc for people to wander around, we lose a lot of breathing room. So it's just more of a risk there than with other places, but I got Luminous Events booked to make it all pretty and candley and my rep Michelle is just awesome and hey, if it rains and we're all smooshed in there, well, open bar! That fixes everything.

GeauxTigerLily129 · May 2013

@LyannaStark Are you my kindered bride spirit? I can't believe how many looks I've gotten when I have suggested (the horror!) that we have a seat for everyone? This is NOLA and we don't do that! Actually, it was one of the reasons that I was turned off from Audubon Team Room. I still haven't decided the set up, but we're still a year out, but I at least want it as a possibility.

I've never been to the clubhouse but a knottie had posted a really good recap there from a year or two ago, but I can't remember her name..she was pretty active here and the other boards.

Also - your username rocks. Love it!

LyannaStark · May 2013

Right??? My mom keeps saying "I can't remember the last time I sat down at a wedding." Which may be true, but it's kind of beside the point! I dance a lot, but if I don't have a seat with my purse and my drink and my camera and possibly my shoes etc. I'm leaving early and/or grumpy. Plus, FI's friends are almost all from California, so 1) They're spending a zillion dollars to come here, they deserve a damn chair, and 2) seated dinners are the norm there, whereas I have been to exactly one seated dinner reception in my life, and that was in North Carolina. So if we have a buffet AND not enough seating, well, I'll be getting some NoCal side-eye for sure. But then again, see above re: open bar fixes everything, so I'm not sweating it too much. YET.

The Tea Room seats like 200 I think (like, actual seats, not just the capacity numbers they give the Fire Marshall) and it's freaking gorgeous in there. Unless you have a really huge guest list don't scratch it off yet. And I've heard nothing but raves about the food, which is the other most important part of a New Orleans wedding!

And thank you! The North Remembers! (Book nerd AND TV nerd here)

GeauxTigerLily129 · May 2013

Aah, well, I already scratched it off, this was back in January when we were looking at places. It was just too much $$ for us when other places had more included. They do a seated dinner at Audubon but it costs several times more, and they didn't really have a good answer for me when I was asking about having a buffet and more seats. I actually snapped at a coordinator at another place when she was trying to tell me that if you have seats then your party will be boring. I said "look, I go to parties and wear heels and I like to to sit down for 5 minutes sometimes!" That's fine if that's how you usually do it, but if I want something different for my day, shouldn't I be able to get it as long as I pay?

I see what you mean about people coming from OOT though, you don't want to make them too uncomfortable! They'll probably love Nola so much they won't care though!

And I figured you were a book nerd, TV nerds don't know much about Lyanna just yet! But even to book readers, she is still a mystery..

Good luck with your wedding planning, I support your efforts to make this board more active!!

LyannaStark · May 2013

And I figured you were a book nerd, TV nerds don't know much about Lyanna just yet! But even to book readers, she is still a mystery..

Ha, good point, and I have to tell you it makes me a little nervous considering my (and everyone else's) suspicions about what really happened in the Tower of Joy and how important she is. (Wow, I just nerd-threadjacked my own thread.)

The Clubhouse is actually a pretty good deal, compared to the other places I looked at, since their catering is already onsite and not too much decorating and it's all included and blah blah. We wanted something super New Orleansy, and the hotels were either too small or too expensive or too "really, no courtyard or ANYTHING???" Then there are places like Race & Religious that I hear are amazing but expensive, but I wouldn't know since they were booked a year and a half out, and took about 3 weeks to reply to me about it so I never even got a price list or anything, ha. But that place looks damn cool.

Nice to meet you! See you around the boards!

ETA: Waiting a whole 2 weeks for Episode 9, the one where That Thing happens? Not cool, HBO. Not cool.

laceypatricke · May 2013

Hi, I just started interacting on these boards and while I am in the WAY beginning stages of planning, I'm just starting to come to do some research on the boards. I'm super, super picky so keep that in mind when I tell you about my recent experience at the clubhouse.

I went to a wedding there not very long ago and it was very nice. The food was good - it was kind of in between a cocktail reception and a buffet. It more a lot of more appetizer foods which was great for me because I am a small eater, but my boyfriend left hungry. They had enough seating but they had like, just enough. We wound up having to sit with an older couple we didn't know because there wasn't anywhere else to sit. We sat on the porch and they did have one table on the patio that is off of the porch - they could have fit more on that patio and if it was me I would have put more tables out there. They had tables in at least half of the inside of the Clubhouse and it was kind of crowded inside because of that, especially when they started doing speeches, more people got on the dance floor, etc...

But all in all we had a good time. It is a really nice space, I would just be careful how much seating you actually put inside just because it was a little crowded - especially with all of the people trying to get to the bar in there. But I would say they probably had just about the max you could put in that space.

But that is just my two cents! Happy planning, y'all!

LyannaStark · May 2013

Thanks so much, this is exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about. I cut my friends list down to practically nothing but my dad has a large family and the total guest list is still way higher than I want it. AND my mom thinks I'm being ridiculous wanting everyone to have a seat, cause "no one sits at weddings around here" but I'm just completely baffled by her reasoning, and even more baffled that she doesn't understand mine.

However. If aunts and uncles are going to get butthurt if I invite them and not their (adult) kids (who I see once a year, if that), and probably take it out on my dad all passive-aggressive-like, I guess I'm just going to have to feel like a shitty host. Most family will leave early, we're not doing formal toasts or garter toss or anything, and hopefully I'll get more declines than I expect. Since people can sort of wander around the grounds as well, I'm thinking it'll be okay.

I love the space, LOVE it, for the 80-100 person wedding I was planning on. And still hoping I won't have to choose between which kind of asshole I feel like, a crappy hostess or a crappy daughter. This is only the first real Sophie's Choice I've had to make and if it's the worst one, I guess I'm doing pretty well overall.

I do plan on a buffet, but a full meal kind. And I plan on getting as much seating on the veranda and patio as I can, and leaving the inside as mostly bar/dance floor, so hopefully it won't feel as crowded in there as you guys did. It helps to know that. Maybe I'll show my mom!

Thanks again, you've all been super helpful!

laceypatricke · May 2013

Haha, I called my fiance my boyfriend in the last post - still having a hard time making the change! I didn't think I would since I was the girl who was planning her wedding since she was a kid!

I think 80-100 should be fine there. We did take a little walk around and people did get up and walk around. My only cautions would be to make sure they put more than one table on that patio (because it was definitely big enough) and the biggest concern would be not to put so many tables inside, which it seems like you have figured anyway! :-)

LyannaStark · May 2013

Ha, I think if I ever do get used to calling him my fiance, it'll be right around the time I have to turn around and get used to calling him husband anyway!

Yeah, with 80-100 I could have a Seat for Every Butt, with only a couple of tables inside. That was what I wanted and it would be perfect. But whatever, I'd rather stress about space for the next 4 months than spend that time feeling guilty and finding new ways to explain why Cousin Perfectly Nice Person But I Haven't Seen Him In Years And We're Talking A Hundred Bucks a Head For Chrissakes wasn't invited. Picking battles! You just started, but you probably already know that picking battles is a full-time job in wedding planning.

And I'm not holding out too much hope for a lot of declines, because hey, who doesn't want an excuse to go to New Orleans for a free meal and open bar!

Two questions: How did they handle the head table/sweetheart table situation there? And have you guys picked a place yet?

tlc35 · May 2013

I had to argue with my coordinator as well about seats. I wanted one extra row of seats for there ceremony and she really didn't want to to it for some reason. I don't get why. Turns out traffic from Baton Rouge was terrible and several people didn't make it in time for the ceremony so it didn't matter. For the record we had enough seats for everyone and people still danced and had fun!

laceypatricke · May 2013

I don't think they had a head table, to be honest with you. The bride, groom, wedding party and immediate family/close friends (there were a lot of them!) were seated inside with everybody else on the patio.

Still trying to iron out where we are doing our reception. My best friend just had a plantation wedding, another friend did the Board of Trade (which was magnificent) but we are more of a casual laid-back couple so I am still trying to find someplace that suits us! I have been slacking on the planning because we just pushed our wedding date back a little bit (which I prefer, my fiancee was the one that wanted to get married within a year of the engagement which I don't really see completely necessary!) but I'm getting back into the swing of things again!

LZELLW · June 2013

my daughter is getting married in March in the park there, where is the clubhouse? can they tell you how many it will hold comfortably?

LZELLW · June 2013

hey thats the same day my daughter is getting married! congrats

klen25 · June 2013

Hi Everyone - I'm planning an April 2014 wedding at the clubhouse, and your posts have been very helpful! I'm planning for around 120 and want to put some tables outside on the lawn/brick patio. Has anyone done that? If so, did you also reserve a tent in case of rain? If you did your ceremony in oak grove, was a tent an option for rain? Thanks!

LyannaStark · June 2013

My coordinator actually emailed me a possible seating chart for 100, and it included a few tables in that patio area. Which I'm counting on having, for sure. It's like that in most of the photos I can find online (google image search YAY). They can pull down those shutters on the veranda if it rains, but good lord, that removes a lot of elbow room and I don't even know how they'd have a ceremony in there, so right now I'm just pretending rain isn't an issue. April is rainier than Sept though, so I'd probably be more likely to fret!

As far as I know, also, they wait till like 5 days out before they even talk about getting a tent, so I don't think you'd have to worry about reserving one or anything. I also think they are CRAZY expensive, but see above re: denial, at least for now. Basically just talk to your rep/sales/coordinator person. Just sitting down and having a conversation for 5-10 minutes was a huge huge help. (It probably also helped that I showed up to said conversation with a typed up list of questions.)

Have fun planning! And hey, come Sept 29th I'll be a goddamn font of information about that place. I'll definitely do a big fat vendor review at some point, since everyone else's have been super helpful!

LyannaStark · June 2013

Also, @lzellw, the Clubhouse is on the other side of Magazine, at the end of the long skinny parking lot right across from the zoo entrance. The capacity for seat-for-every-butt is around 80-100, depending on how big your band/DJ setup is, how many tables you want to squeeze inside, etc. For the more New Orleansy cocktail type reception, 150 is probably about as big as I'd go. It's a great space though, you should go have brunch there and check it out! Or just wander around like we did, nobody minded us. They also have a few photo books lying around the entrance for you to look at previous weddings.

rmahler1121 · June 2013

Does anyone know when you get to meet your day of coordinator for the clubhouse? I have lots of questions about when I can drop off decorations, will the staff put them out or does someone in my party have to do that etc...

klen25 · June 2013

Thanks -- I'll probably be in denial about rain right up until the day, too! Looking forward to your review after the big day. Good luck!

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