Receptions

This is the hardest part so far. Since I never got further in my wedding day daydream than a white dress and an aisle, I have absolutely no vision of where I want to get married. Neither does he, but whatever he isn't envisioning is still wreaking havoc on "the search."

I realized I forgot to tell you three important details:

a. We are getting married in New York City. Probably Manhattan, but maybe Brooklyn. For a few blissful moments I envisioned a ceremony on one side of the Brooklyn Bridge and a reception on the other so my guests and my (newly deemed) husband and I could ride across the bridge at sunset. After three months of searching, I don't need a bridge, a ride, or even a view. I need a place that has my deposit.

b. We are getting married in September 2008, which means I have plenty of time to plan since I started in July. I'm assuming all brides-to-be dilly dally for three months. If I'm wrong, I might be an ass, but don't let me make one out of you.

c. Our guest list is about 170 and we want a sit down dinner.

Now about the reception. Here's where I've looked so far, with my thoughts:

Wave Hill -- Gorgeous, but I don't want an outdoor wedding because I don't want to fear Mother Nature. On the night before my friend's wedding, the whole family stood with the pastor after rehearsal, held hands in a circle, and prayed (to God) for sun. It had been raining for the whole week. The next morning, there wasn't a cloud in the sky! Great story, but I'm not taking my chances. I think Wave Hill has an indoor option, but it's too small for our party.

The Elevated Acre -- Also gorgeous. I would have ditched my practical idea about indoor weddings for this place because I like that it's an unusual venue. Also, Jackie Lee, the person who showed it to me and my parents, was super nice and helpful. It's situated above the East Side Highway so it was a little loud. The kitchen and bathrooms are in the adjacent building and this worried my mom. My fiance didn't like it and no argument could sway him.

The UN Delegate Dining Room -- We never went to see this place, but it's run by the Elevated Acre people (Aramark) so Jackie sent pictures. We all love the building, but the ballroom pictures were uninspired. My sister thought the carpet was ugly. My mom concurred. I had been there for this party called "Celebrate Torino!" . . . yeah, I don't know -- there's just something that bothers me about celebrating my wedding day in a place where the Italian government marketed one of its cities. Call me snooty. Jackie quoted this:

The price per person includes continuous open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres and one station for the cocktail reception, a three course dinner including wedding cake, champagne toast, and wine service. Price per person is plus 20% service + NYS tax + $5500 UN Building & Security Fee.

Studio 7 -- This one is a loft space in Chinatown. It's nice enough, run by this guy Paul who's a photographer and videographer by trade. I think he lives there. He was nice enough, too, but I got the feeling he was more interested in taking pictures at my wedding than hosting it. (His prices are out of my photography budget.) In the end, even though the rental fee was reasonable, we would have had to bring in sound equipment, we wouldn't have been able to use the roof besides for pictures, there are only two bathrooms, and the elevator is small and slow.

Manhattan Penthouse -- This is one of the old standards as far as wedding locales go. It was filthy when I saw it, just coming off a Sunday night wedding. The woman I met apologized and I don't doubt they do a nice job cleaning up, but the space and the packages they push . . . well, it feels canned. I knew right away this wasn't for me. She quoted me this:

$5000
$110-140 per head
Plus 20% gratuity
Premium open bar
Rentals included
Cake, flowers, photography, and music not included

Westside Loft -- It's a wrap-around loft space in mid-town. I thought it looked run down, and again, the packages felt canned. A lot of people get married at this place and other spaces the company owns, like Studio 450. It was already booked on the date in September I want. Also, by the time I saw it, I was realizing that a loft space probably isn't a great idea unless it has a large terrace or a roof where people can get some fresh air and/or smoke. (I'm finding there aren't many places that make it easy for smokers, a problem since weddings are beacons for the social smokers among us.)

Smack Mellon -- I loved this place from the pictures, but the representative I spoke with was so unaccomodating (read: bitchy) I let it go. As I've mentioned, planning a wedding is a pain in the ass. I don't plan to deal with pain-in-the-ass people, too.

PowerHouse -- I like it, and I've been inside on a regular business day, but it's on the high-end price-wise ($7500, I think) so I'm not investing any more time right now.

The Xchange -- Another loft space. I love this place and right now it's definitely the front runner. The woman who showed me around was friendly and empathetic. The view from the roof is spectacular to say the least and the space is well-maintained. The fiance thinks the columns are a problem because people will be goosenecking trying to see the speeches and things. Also, there's the smoking issue and maybe it would be just a little too small if the entire guest list shows.

Other places I considered, but didn't get very far with were the Whitney, Cooper Hewitt, Ross Whitaker Studio (no weddings), the National Academy, Capsule Studio, Pochran Studios (too small), Maritime Hotel, Tribeca Rooftop (too expensive because liquor overhead is high), Music Hall of Williamsburg (haven't heard back), and the Frick ($25,000 I think -- way too expensive, period), and more that I can't think of off the top of my head. These are places I've actually sought more information for -- the list would be a lot longer if I included all the places from Biz Bash, Great Locations I've seen, and just plain old recommendations I've heard.

That's why it's so infuriating when I find a place I really like (Xchange) and the fiance, who maybe looked at three websites, says, "Eh, let's not rush into anything."