Texas-Dallas and Ft. Worth

Venue searching-mind meltdown

13»

Re: Venue searching-mind meltdown

  • I haven't seen any reviews about the Milestone, but one thing I think to consider with all-inclusive is whether the people who are doing the flowers, the cake, the DJ, etc. are up to par with an individual vendor.  For example, I'd rather have a cake bakery do our cake because they are experts in wedding cakes and it will be the most the delicious cake ever.  With floral, I know the people we hired to do the flowers love fowers, specialize in knowing what's cheapest, etc. 

    I totally get the convenience factor of all-inclusive, but there is something to be said for having freedom to pick your favorite vendors. 

    Also, adding all that time with alcohol sounds really, really expensive. The distance factor I would think would be just as difficult there as at the Orchard, and the Orchard is much more charming, imo. 

    Maybe look into the pricing for the DOC and see if you could do that at Noahs. 

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • What about Piazza? Is it more like The Milestone as far as a more all inclusive venue? This is fairly close to where we live as well. 
  • aeliza06aeliza06 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited July 2013
    melissadavis0226 said: I remember reading somewhere that even when getting ready there was not to be a drop of alcohol consumed by anyone without being charged extra hours. Which I'm going to have to add anyways. There's no doubt that FI, my dad, and his friends would not drink at some point during the day of.
    This is absolutely true. They are very strict on this- there are even signs in the dressing rooms reminding you of this and their coordinator pops in quite regularly. I could imagine that extra cost adding on a lot, but maybe I am wrong... Maybe the guys can do
    most of their getting ready at a nearby hotel that way they are free to do whatever and you don't have to pay the extra hours? Then they can come to the milestone like an hour or two beforehand and finish their getting ready there for photo reasons. 
  • Piazza is expensive, however, they do have a smaller ballroom which is cheaper.  The last Knottie review there that I can remember was less than glowing (she also used the smaller ballroom).  Also it is not BYOB nor does it allow outside catering.

    Here is Kel's review of the Milestone as well as the alcohol provider you must use.

    The Milestone (venue/catering) A+

    The venue is a gorgeous old style mansion built specifically for weddings.  The best part was having a coordinator included in the whole planning process.  They are definitely there to make your day special and run absolutely smooth!  We were the only wedding that day so my BP got there around noon and got to enjoy the very large Bridal Suite and the guys got to enjoy the man cave equipped with a pool table and an NBA Arcade games!  The food was delicious!  Another plus is that the venue includes the DJ and the Cake along with table clothes and centerpieces if you wish to use them.  Only negatives were you had to use their Alcohol Provider which was very expensive and its out in the middle of nowhere so people leave early :(

    Hannah’s off the Square (Alcohol) B+

    The service was outstanding and they even included specialty drinks that we didn’t include cause it wasn’t in our budget.  The downside is they are the only company our venue allows to serve alcohol and because of that they are EXPENSIVE!  We spent several thousands for beer and wine service and once our allotted amount was met it went to a cash bar. The cash bar started about 1 hour before ceremony was over.  No one seemed to mind it though.  Another negative is we had to hire them by the hour before the wedding to serve us a pre-wedding beverage.  Well it was $150 an hour so we of course only did 1 hour.  The manager I worked with in the planning was very helpful and everyone complimented the bar service!

     

  • After going to the bridal expo this past weekend I feel as though I have a few more I want to check before possibly deciding. One I am truly considering is Aldredge House. It seems like the most of mine I really like are all of a mansion/home with a large backyard/outdoor option. I have contacted them already to sort of start on information for that. I know that it would be closer than The Milestone and The Orchard, so that's a plus. And from the sounds of it their pricing they quote is for food AND beverages (including alcohol) which helps in terms of contracts and talking with various people. She also stated they are flexible on how to work within people's budgets and flexible on a menu to set up to cater to our needs. Thus far I feel this could work out. I do, however, still need to make it there to see it in person. Any knotties want to chime in on this particular venue?
  • It's pretty. Definitely not modern. A lot of the weddings I've seen on blogs tent the outside space.
  • Aldredge sent me an estimate, and it felt a bit steep, primarily in the food aspect. Our budget for food if we are able to pick our own vendor was half the cost of what Aldredge was asking for. 

    Any knotties gotten married at Gather at Downtown McKinney?
  • Never heard of it.  It looks pretty but kind of small.  There is an open house this Thursday.

     

    http://eachandeverydetail.com/blog/category/mckinney-wedding-venue/

  • There is a pretty wedding at the Orchard on a local photographer's blog if you want to give it another look.

    http://www.mcgowanimages.com/blog/

  • There is a pretty wedding at the Orchard on a local photographer's blog if you want to give it another look.

    http://www.mcgowanimages.com/blog/


    This does look amazing. Gather is too far and not big. Aldredge i ruled out. So I'm still stuck between The Orchard, Noah's of i go DIY. Type, or the milestone if i do inclusive.

  • fallbride1109fallbride1109 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited August 2013

    Did you go to the Gather open house?

    Here is another local photographer with a reception at Noah's (although the ceremony is at a church).  It's a very different feel for sure.  You really need to decide if you want modern or rustic as that will help your decision tremendously.

    http://stephaniebrazzleblog.com/?p=1518

    Milestone wedding indoor ceremony.

    http://www.allisondavisphotography.com/blog/2012/10/15/leslie-john-wedding-at-the-milestone-in-denton-dallas-wedding-photographer/

    Milestone outdoor ceremony (I like this much better personally).

    http://kandsphotography.net/2013/06/12/james-and-kacis-wedding-at-the-milestone-in-denton/

     

  • I like rustic to be honest. FI likes modern. :( That's where we are at a crossroads...
  • I personally am not CRAZY about Noah's. It's like, if I have to pick that place since it's closer and more convenient then I will. But ideally it is not my first choice. I feel like the ceremony space is mainly what's keeping me from loving it. The reception space is okay I feel depending on the right elements. I ideally wanted an outdoor ceremony space which is why I liked the idea of The Orchard in the first place and The Milestone, HOWEVER, I LOVED The Milestone's indoor space with it's large windows. I literally loved everything about The Milestone, except the distance, which actually wasn't that bad, the food costs were sort of a down point for me as well, and the alcohol rule for beforehand. I really want to see if I can make it out to The Orchard sometime soon so maybe I can decide. I may decide without FI, since he states it's up to me in the first place. The Milestone I feel he would like because, like Noah's, there's something for him to do while getting ready: pool and NBA Jam
  • edited August 2013
    I guess it also boils down to budget too.
  • I went to The Orchard yesterday. It seemed like a further drive on the way there than it did on the way back for some reason. I liked the outdoor elements of the venue, but I wasn't really all that impressed on the building. I also went to The Windsor at Hebron Park. I liked the majority of this venue. I wasn't all that crazy about the ceremony and reception space, probably mainly because I don't care for the whole chapel type ceremony, although this is what would make my mother happy. The reception space is probably really nice, it's just hard for me to imagine without things being there. It is a nice venue and I do like that they allow us to purchase our own alcohol and just have to have a TABC certified bartender serve it. So at this point I somewhat think I'm stuck. The Milestone REALLY sticks out in my head, but I can't quite get over the expense of everything and the whole alcohol by the hour thing. 
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards