Venue hunt

Happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was filled with champagne, great food and of course the task at hand...venue hunting!

G, myself and parents set out on Saturday to see 5 places. We only ended up seeing 4, because we got hungry and decided lunch was more important than the viewing. More on that later... :-)

The first two places we saw really set the bar high, and are the only two we are truly considering. They were very different from each other. The first was a hotel ballroom. Hotels are a unique beast. They really offer everything right up front. Again, I am an event planner at a venue so I know all the arguments against hotel weddings. But, we really liked what they were selling. The only downside: they didn't have our date. We would have to push back a week. This could get difficult because we are planning around work schedules/school schedules/Jewish holidays/christian holidays/ etc...

The second place we saw was breathtaking. It is a concert hall. While we were walking around Roberta Flak was warming  up for a gala they were having that evening. This is the second time I have encountered her at an event. I take that as a sign. We loved the space, but are responsible for bringing everything in. This can get stressful. The downside: they don't have their 2014 schedule printed yet for the Orchestra. We can't book our date until they do. The upside: they said it was a 90% chance our date is available.

This is where I'll stop yapping about venues, until we pick one at least, and talk about food.

Thank goodness the 2nd venue was next to one of the best places I have ever eaten. If you are in University Circle in Cleveland...you should definitely look this place up! L'Albatros. http://www.albatrosbrasserie.com/ It is the best onion soup I have ever had. (that is a BOLD statement, because I have had a lot). Great environment, warm surroundings, amazing service. I could go on and on. This definitely created the environment to discuss our catering needs for the wedding. We are combining a Russian/Jewish cultural with our now living in Chicago mix of foods. This is creating quite a menu in my head. Hopefully the caterers can keep up!

Our table!