Monday, May 23, 2011

Visits!

First of all, thank you everyone for your kind words responding to my previous post.  I didn't post for feedback, I write to let things out.  

That being said, Saturday was a lovely day.  Not only was the sun in the sky for 8+ hours, not only did the rapture not occur, but Mom, FMIL (future mother in law, for those unfamiliar with 'theknotspeak') and I went venue-hunting.

Be vewy vewy quiet.. we're hunting venues!

Each spot was as lovely as the last, and they were all different, but all old buildings that used functions and space rental for preservation.  So no matter where B and I choose to celebrate our marriage, we will be helping preserve a gorgeous historic landmark.  Bonus!

Rather than go into the details of each specific PLACE, its more fun in my opinion to dissect the personalities of the people who showed us around.  I'm not going to bad-mouth anyone, but they were all so different from each other.  I think it is safe to point out that an event planner can come from any combination of personality traits.


We begin with the seasoned female.  She worked in a law office for many years before going into event planning, and is outsourced by one of the venues for all their event-related needs.  She was all business (of course), joking a bit.  Then I mentioned that we're looking for a place/caterer that can accommodate our unique taste in food (we really like food.  A lot.)  I said we wanted more of a cocktail reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres, beginning with the lighter fare of cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, etc, followed by potential food stations (a mac and cheese bar has been my dream, inspired by Lil' Hoot's mashed potatoes in martini glasses!)  She just lit up.  She started talking about previous clients doing taco bars, tangine, meze, every food imaginable as a station rather than the typical wedding 'Chicken or Fish'.  (That brings me back to the episode of the Office when, after Pam calls the wedding off, Roy brings in two plates for lunch asking 'chicken or fish', after which Pam goes into the 'confessional' explaining that rather than lose the money on the food they would have served, she and Roy decided to freeze it and eat the meals one by one.)

She asked me where else we were looking and after every venue I listed, she gave me her exact opinion (mostly 'love them!  you'll be in great hands!')  Then she expressed surprise at the other venues, wondering why we were bothering to look at hers if the others were so nice.  She quoted us a $5,000 fee for each of them, basically turning me off of the rest of our visits before we had even set foot on the various properties. I left the first place feeling as though I didn't need to see anything else.


How wrong I was!


Person 3 was much younger.  Possibly my age, or a few years older or younger.  One could not tell.  She began the meeting delving into the dirt on me and B - where did we meet, let's see the ring, engagement story, etc.  It definitely showed her age (not in a bad way), and you could tell that she hadn't been doing weddings for years and years, because she could still get excited about every individual story.


The property was beautiful (heck, they all were) and she was easy to joke with. Both pluses.


Last was another seasoned events woman.  She allowed our trio to view the venue while they set up for a reception, which made things much easier to visualize.  While waiting for her to finish with another couple, we chatted with one of the other events staff who said she had her own wedding there with about the number of guests we have, and logistically it worked wonderfully.


(Why on earth would you have your wedding at your place of work?  I'm planning a conference at a local Marriott and maybe a hotel venue just isn't my style but there is no way I would even consider having my wedding there.)


I think the most interesting thing about the fourth planner was that when she showed us the bridal suite, she told us that before she agreed to take the planning job, she went into the bridal suite to check out the mirrors - she said that if they hadn't been perfect, the first thing she would do would have been to order new mirrors.  She didn't want a bride having a meltdown on her watch due to unflattering mirrors!  My kind of woman!


Did you notice I skipped personality 2?  That was intentional.  Saving the most memorable person for last.


The second person to show us around was a man.  I have to divulge his name - Frank.  Frank actually owns the property, but keeps it up to historical society standards in the middle of Topsfield (which I can only imagine has super strict zoning laws regarding old buildings).


My parents had gone to a wedding reception there and my bubbly mother tried to make conversation with Frank about it, receiving only few-word answers.  Frank didn't seem comfortable, warm or open, and at first it turned me off of the venue.  Which was a shame, because I could totally visualize our day going so well there.


Then, Frank talked food.


He also visibly lit up when I mentioned my menu wishes.  We had to have spent twenty minutes to a half hour brainstorming menus - from gourmet mac and cheese to mini pizzas with duck to (this is where he won our hearts and made us swoon) truffle fries.  Oh, dear Frank, you and my families are foodie matches made in heaven.  He left us for a few minutes to give us estimated pricing and came back with mini salmon mousse crepes.  


Swoon.

Now for adding things up and trying to figure out who is most economically feasible.  Yay for math!

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