Today, Bride Blogger Kimberly tells us how she found her perfect venue…great advice on how to find the right “spot”…
Location. Location. Location. My mission – find a reception location close to St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Since two-thirds of the invited guests are from out of town, it was important that the ceremony and reception be close to one another. One of the last things I need to worry about are out of town guests trying navigate around a city that is already confusing in broad daylight!
You never consider how many places there are to have a wedding until you start planning one! Historical sites, restaurants, museums and hotels are just a few of the many options you have. Looking for special amenities? That is also something to consider when choosing a venue. On my wish list – someplace close to the church, a place that gives me undivided attention, and last but not least, options for me so my guests can have an experience they will never forget.
For lack of a better word, I wanted someplace with “wow factor” potential. It was also hard to ignore that ever since I was little, I imagined having a reception at some fabulous hotel…I guess that settles that. Let the hotel search begin.
After hours of internet research, and calls to almost all of the Washington hotels to gage availability, I finally decided to visit my top 5 choices – The Four Seasons, The Hay-Adams, The St. Regis, The Willard, and The Ritz-Carlton.
All of the hotels were no more than a 10 minute car ride (with traffic) from St. Matthews; passing the proximity test. Check. The venues could hold anywhere from 150 to 1200 people. (Good to know in case I want to charge a cover charge.) They all had very different styles – boutique, classic “Washingtonian” and classic yet contemporary. Wow – this is going to be much harder than I thought!
In the end, I choose a venue that best represented the day that I had envisioned since childhood. The Four Seasons is where Will and I will begin the next chapter of our lives.
The Season’s Julie Barrow was absolutely wonderful! After showing me renderings for the hotel’s renovations of the main space and the addition of the new restaurant Bourbon Steak, she gave me so many great reasons for me to have my wedding there. Here are the top three -
- I would have total wedding space exclusivity (sweet)!
- I could design a multiple-course dinner menu that includes wine service, desert, and a personalized cake.
- Last but not least – I would get a first anniversary gift – a three-night stay at any Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Knowing that Will and I wanted our special day to be one of a kind, I had no doubt that he would also love the venue. After bringing him back to see the space and meet Julie, we signed on the dotted line.
Now that we have the reception location booked, it is time to find someone to make my dreams a reality. Time to hire a wedding planner…
How is this advice? It took her HOURS to find the four most-well known (and expensive) venues in the city?
SO helpful, this post. How about some off-the-beaten path ideas for those of us that aren’t marrying into the Trump family?
Hi CBR, Thank you for your comment today. I am sorry that you feel like Kimberly’s advice and search process was not the right fit for you – each bride has their own criteria and priorities and today’s post includes Kimberly’s.
At District Weddings, we do our best to spotlight a variety of venues – those less known, hotels to historic properties, a range of price points, etc. Please let me know if there is something specific you are looking to find and I would be delighted to help you in your search!!
I have to agree a little, just not so bluntly. I am actually looking at those same venues. It might have been a stronger article if you had included reasons why you are choosing the Four Seasons. Other than the mini-vacation, it’d be great to hear her opinions regarding the differences the FS afforded. The other information – multi-course meal etc., is available at all those venues. Would LOVE to read a follow-up post! Good luck XOXO!
I also was considering the Four Seasons as a wedding venue – it is really beautiful and although I thought it would be way out of my price range, Julie actually did put together a surprisingly “affordable” package for us. I think it is worth going to take a look at the space because they really can play with your budget. My hang-up with the Four Seasons as a destination wedding spot (mostly all of my guests are out of town too) was that it was so…not DC. It basically is a luxurious space that could be anywhere, unlike the classic Hay Adams or St. Regis which are definitely have Washington feels to them. I found a historic property that had a little more DC character, but I know Kimberly will have a beautiful “wow” wedding at FS. Good luck!
Ladies – thanks so much for leaving your comments. I’ve been given the very daunting task of blogging my experiences with only 500 words, so it’s really a challenge to be able to tell the story you want to tell within set guidelines. However, I really wanted to take just a moment to respond to each one of your posts.
To CBR – I really do appreciate your comments, and they are very well taken. Not sure if you started reading from my beginning blogs, but not only am I celebrating my wedding, but I am also celebrating my 40th birthday. I AM NOT marrying into the Trump family – HARDLY! I’ve worked hard for the past 18 months to save up for this special day. For me to be able to have all my friends and family together to help celebrate not one, but two milestones in my life is worth the added expense. Make no mistake about it, there are things that I know I have to have, but don’t want to spend lots of money on – flowers for example. I’m saving by opting to use lots of candles instead of flowers because at the end of the day, flowers don’t last. I’m also thinking about bringing in smaller trees to put on the tables or Manzanita branches with fall fruit in tall vases for my centerpieces to save on costs. In short, just because you have a wedding at the Four Seasons doesn’t mean that you don’t have a budget. Everyone has a budget…even Donald Trump. Trust me, I do! I appreciate you reaching out to share your thoughts, and I know that wherever you decide to have your reception, I know it’s going to be beautiful because you will be surrounded by friends and family that love you and your fiancée.
To KS – Let me expand a little about what made me go w/Seasons vice other places. Yes, a multi-course meal is available at all of the places I mentioned. You go to said Hotel and you pick out a chicken, beef, fish or duet-plate option for your guests. It goes on the RSVP card, which they send back to you and you let the hotel know how many of each. At the reception, folks get their requested meal choice when they arrive at the reception. What makes the Season’s different is that I am going to give my guests the option to choose their meal once they arrive at the reception. Think of it like you are going to any random restaurant in town. You come in, look at the menu and choose any appetizer, entrée and dessert. Every order is personally taken by the waitstaff and prepared to each person’s liking. The Four Seasons is the only hotel in the city that is able to do tableside service. For me, that was the “wow factor” that I wanted for my guests to remember. The second thing was like I said in my post – total use of the entire bottom space for the whole evening. I’m thinking about breaking up the bottom into small lounges where various activities might be going on – (some ideas could include) cigar rolling, dessert bar, coffee station, a DJ w/lounge area, etc. Most of the places save for one or two on my list you have to share the space with another reception going on simultaneously. I really liked the fact that I’ve got the entire place to myself. In the end, the tableside service is what sold me on the Seasons.
Thanks again for your feedback. I really enjoyed hearing from both of you, and hope that you will continue to follow my posts.
Cheers –
Kimberly
LM -
I was actually writing my response to CBR & KS and didn’t know you had posted. I couldn’t agree with you more about Julie. She’s going to work with me to make sure that we can get an affordable package for what i want to do that still allows me to hit those dreaded “minimum revenues” that is standard with all hotels. I totally agree that St. Regis and Hay Adams are totally Washingtonian, and would totally capture the DC feel I am looking for. The main reason I passed on both of them is that it seemed like our numbers were going to out grow both of the spaces, so I would rather find a place that would hold everyone I wanted to invite than have to cut at the last minute. I’ve tried to give my guests a “Washington Feel” by incorporating bits of Washington history into my Save the Date’s and will also do it w/my welcome bags for my guests. (more details to follow in a future blog)!
Thanks for your comments, and good luck to you as well!
Just FYI – I asked about tableside service at all my venues (including FS and Ritz) and they were all willing to do it, although it generally costs more because they have to prepare for the possibility that every guest will choose the same dish. Ritz-carlton also gives you the entire lower ballroom level and doesn’t plan any other events on the same day. In fact, the Williard was the only place I visited that said they would have another event at the same time. Both the Ritz and FS can be budget reasonable if you make the right choices with menu etc.
AC-
Yes you are right about them all being willing to do tableside, but the Seasons was one of the only ones that really didn’t seem to be too reluctant to take it on. The Ritz said that “they would do everything possible” not to book another wedding at the same time as yours. The Hay-Adams and St. Regis do offer wedding exclusivity, but we were concerned about maxing out and going over our numbers. You are very much correct about all of the venues being budget if you can make the right menu choices.
Thanks for taking time to post and to read my blog!
Kimberly
Thanks for taking the time to share your journey Kimberly. It sounds like you are going to have a once in a lifetime celebration! This posting was very helpful for me.
That is so weird that the Ritz said that to you! I’m using them and I know we have exclusive use of the lower floor from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon as part of the initial basic proposal. Ah well. I’m sure we’ll both have beautiful events.
Indeed! Congrats to you!
AMHRP -
Thanks for reading and I’m glad my posting was helpful for you. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! You are very correct that embarking on planning a wedding is truly a journey where each person has a completely, unique experience.
I also want to respond to AC that when I was starting this entire process of narrowing down locations it was well over a year ago. So depending on when you started your venue search, services and options that may be available for you now may not have been possible when I started my process. Hotels regularly change their policies and promotions, so that’s also something to take into consideration if you’ve heard about a particular venue and may want to have your wedding there.
Kimberly