I am on a quest... for the perfect venue! Of course, isn't every bride? This is probably one of the biggest decisions to make and also one of the first that needs to be decided on, especially if you want to get married during the peak wedding months such as May or September. Unfortunately, my dream wedding date is in one of those months. Even though we are planning for May 2014, some venues are almost completely booked for the month already! On the other hand, some are not even booking that far ahead.
Anyway, Saturday we had our first visit to what I thought was my top choice for a venue. Beat Street Station in Manayunk, PA. First off, Lisa, the director of events is wonderful! She greeted us very promptly and showed us around the venue. The reason I was so into Beat Street Station was that it was so unique, an old train station converted into a venue space. Plus, they customize their menu from the bar, to the appetizers and different station options, even the dinner choices and a choice of dessert. That helps you create a menu that is in your budget and Beat Street Station is very affordable for a wedding venue.
The inside was nice, with three different "sections"... the entryway/bar area, a small hallway with cocktail tables an optional photo booth and the ceremony/reception space. And here in lies the problem, the ceremony space would have to be flipped during cocktail hour into the reception space. Also, the reception space was pretty small. They had it set up for 130 guests and it was TIGHT, being that that is around the number of people we will be inviting that worried me a bit. Another downside in my opinion is that the bar is in a different room. I am just not a fan of that personally. My last hang up is that there is no parking, and you have to pay for valet parking which is a pretty hefty fee if you are on a budget. Also, they were almost completely booked for May except for memorial day weekend, so we would have to either move into April or June most likely. So while I still like Beat Street Station, I have a feeling that this will not be our venue. The search continues this weekend!
Anyway, Saturday we had our first visit to what I thought was my top choice for a venue. Beat Street Station in Manayunk, PA. First off, Lisa, the director of events is wonderful! She greeted us very promptly and showed us around the venue. The reason I was so into Beat Street Station was that it was so unique, an old train station converted into a venue space. Plus, they customize their menu from the bar, to the appetizers and different station options, even the dinner choices and a choice of dessert. That helps you create a menu that is in your budget and Beat Street Station is very affordable for a wedding venue.
source: Wedding Channel
The inside was nice, with three different "sections"... the entryway/bar area, a small hallway with cocktail tables an optional photo booth and the ceremony/reception space. And here in lies the problem, the ceremony space would have to be flipped during cocktail hour into the reception space. Also, the reception space was pretty small. They had it set up for 130 guests and it was TIGHT, being that that is around the number of people we will be inviting that worried me a bit. Another downside in my opinion is that the bar is in a different room. I am just not a fan of that personally. My last hang up is that there is no parking, and you have to pay for valet parking which is a pretty hefty fee if you are on a budget. Also, they were almost completely booked for May except for memorial day weekend, so we would have to either move into April or June most likely. So while I still like Beat Street Station, I have a feeling that this will not be our venue. The search continues this weekend!
source: Wedding Channel
I didn't bring my camera this time but I will be bringing it from now on so I can keep better track of the positives and negatives of each place.
Positives=
+the event coordinator is very prompt with her responses, friendly and accommodating
+the venue is unique and beautiful
+the menu is completely customizable to fit your taste and budget
+fits into our budget
Negatives=
-valet parking is a must and comes with a hefty price tag
-ceremony and reception space are the same area
- reception space seemed a bit tight for our number of guests
-bar is in a different room
-our top choices for date were already taken
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