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»  » Good weekend!
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Good weekend! |
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| P: 9/17/2006 3:51:23 PM | |
anchor31 Ideal Rock Total Posts: 6,363 Last Post: 11/24/2009 Member Since: 10/18/2005 |
J and I went to get information on reception venues on Saturday and church booking info on Sunday. I had a hunch we'd have to reserve about 18 months in advance since we can't be flexible on the date and we wanted to take a look at the venue during the fall season before booking. A lot of things happened, so I'm breaking this up in two posts. Venue #1: We had an appointment at Mont Gabriel, which is closest to the church, in early afternoon. We had a very good impression from the start. The special events director took us to the hall that would most suit our needs, and it's beautiful! Logwood and stones and a gorgeous fireplace...  It would need no decoration except the centerpieces. He sat down with us and gave us a few very helpful tips on wedding planning, explained the packages and how it was possible to customize them, etc. He was very attentive to our needs, very thorough, very welcoming and likeable. He even asked us where else we were planning to get information and suggested another hotel nearby. They have a great price for the basic wedding package ($67CAD/guest before taxes) and it has everything we need and a coordinator for the evening, service fees included. They have a beautiful terrace with a great view for the cocktail, and gorgeous spots for photos on the golf course. They offer a complimentary honeymoon suite for the married couple, and reduced reservation fees for guests who wish to stay the night (which is good, since most of our guests will be out of town). Another bonus point is the free menu tasting we can do a few months before the wedding.Venue #2: We had plenty of time before our appointment at Estérel, so we went to the Chanteclair upon his recommendation. We didn't have an appointment, but they were very welcoming all the same, and the woman as really nice. Their reception all is very nice too, but would need a little more decoration than Mont Gabriel. They offer the same package as Mont Gabriel, with the room and everything else, but it's more expensive ($72CAD/guest before taxes) and the service fees (15%) are not included. Another down point is that they didn't seem so keen on the free tasting. She said it had caused problems in the past because they had had complaints about the food not being exactly the same at the wedding then at the tasting (eek! bridezillas!  )... So, I dunno.Venue #3: We finally got to Estérel, which we found out was pretty far away. Not a very good impression from the start, since I noticed that "hmm... maybe they should clean the windows..."  . Not very good for a 4 stars hotel. And the man we met was a bit of a snob. The FI and I are in our early/mid-twenties and have an approximate budget of 8k, but he seemed very keen on trying to get us to spend a lot more. J and I hated the reception hall. There were pipes everywhere on the ceiling, the paint was chipping, yuck. It needs a LOT of decorating (and of course, they make a lot of money out of that...) He told us a couple was making them put drapes all over the walls, and no wonder! Ick. He showed us some decorating options ($$$) and then we went to his office. They offer exactly the same packages then the other two hotels for $73CAD/guest before taxes and the service fees are not included. He tried to sell us wedding planning services, which I had told him I was not interested in.  And what really, really killed him off for us is that he specifically told us not to go Mont Gabriel. It seems very cheap of him to tell us their food isn't good, especially since I've been told by people I know the very opposite. Not to mention that we'll get to judge that by ourselves. Overall, we really disliked the place, and really disliked the guy, so we immediately crossed him off; he will not be doing business with us (and ripping us off!!!). 
******** R & J 08-02-08 Expecting baby on 12-30-09 |
| Posted: 9/17/2006 3:51:23 PM | |
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There are 9 replies to this message. There are 9 replies on this page. |
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| P: 9/17/2006 3:53:33 PM | |
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anchor31 Ideal Rock Total Posts: 6,363 Last Post: 11/24/2009 Member Since: 10/18/2005 |
Conclusion: After some discussion, we picked Mont Gabriel. It's the closest, has by far the best services, the best reception hall, terrace and photo spots, and the best prices. We really love the place, and we're thrilled!  All the places told us to book in April/May since we couldn't be flexible on the date, so I was right and it was a very good idea to visit this early. They also need an idea of how many rooms they need to reserve for our guests, so we'll be sounding people out this Christmas holidays. We've also decided to send Save the Dates next year since we have so many out of towners.The man at Mont Gabriel had suggested that we booked the church extra-early since there are less and less churches and priests, and that way we could be sure to have our exact date and the 3PM spot, which is best so there isn't too much waiting between the ceremony and reception. So, we talked to my priest after mass this morning to know when it was best to book. He told us that at my church one year is early enough, 13-14 months if we want to be absolutely sure. We also should not have any problem choosing the hour of the ceremony. I also asked my sister to be my MOH and she said yes. I'm really happy and she's honoured.  I know she probably won't be a bubbly and bouncy MOH since she's not much of a girly-girl, but she'll balance me out and that's good. J asked his brother to be his BM and his best friend to be his GM last week, and I already asked my best friend to be my BM, so all that's left for the wedding party is asking my brother to be the usher/driver.So, it was a good weekend! J and I had a lot of fun and we’re very happy. He even gave me flowers… I’ll be sending an e-mail to the director at Mont Gabriel with a few additional questions we have, but now that this is done there won’t be much wedding planning until April. I can’t wait to go dress shopping next summer!  ******** |
| Posted: 9/17/2006 3:53:33 PM | |
| P: 9/17/2006 4:04:07 PM | |
IndieJones Ideal Rock Total Posts: 2,216 Last Post: 4/27/2009 Member Since: 12/1/2005 |
YAY! You did good girl!! I'm so glad you found a great place to have the reception. To me location seems like one of the hardest things to pick! Not only does your place sound better, but it's cheaper too! 
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| Posted: 9/17/2006 4:04:07 PM | |
| P: 9/17/2006 4:25:49 PM | |
labbielove Ideal Rock Total Posts: 862 Last Post: 8/27/2008 Member Since: 6/28/2006 |
congratulations on a fun and productive weekend. your venue looks beautiful, and i couldn't agree more with going with your gut in terms of how the vendors treat you. sounds like the place you are going with is very willing to work with you, which is great. i'm constantly amazed how anyone in the bridal "business" can afford to be rude/snobby, but i hear/see it all the time. congrats again!!!!
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| Posted: 9/17/2006 4:25:49 PM | |
| P: 9/17/2006 4:42:24 PM | |
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anchor31 Ideal Rock Total Posts: 6,363 Last Post: 11/24/2009 Member Since: 10/18/2005 |
Thank you! After having done this, I would definitely advise everyone to trust their gut and to go with a vendor who listens to you and cares about your needs, your budget and your vision. If he doesn't, he's not worth your time and money! Good luck finding your venue, Indie! ******** |
| Posted: 9/17/2006 4:42:24 PM | |
| P: 9/17/2006 5:23:25 PM | |
robbie3982 Ideal Rock Total Posts: 3,940 Last Post: 11/22/2009 Member Since: 6/28/2006 |
Yay congratulations! You got the hardest part out of the way! FI and I still don't know what to do about the reception/ceremony.
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| Posted: 9/17/2006 5:23:25 PM | |
| P: 9/17/2006 6:21:53 PM | |
AmberWaves Ideal Rock Total Posts: 3,421 Last Post: 11/24/2009 Member Since: 10/19/2005 |
Yay Anchor! Doesn't it feel good to have this almost taken care of? I think you made a great choice, and it sounds great!!! I am SOOO excited for you!
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| Posted: 9/17/2006 6:21:53 PM | |
| P: 9/17/2006 7:37:57 PM | |
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anchor31 Ideal Rock Total Posts: 6,363 Last Post: 11/24/2009 Member Since: 10/18/2005 |
Thank you! It is a relief... The two other things that stress me the most are the reception DJ and photographer...  robbie - How did your venue shopping go last week? ******** |
| Posted: 9/17/2006 7:37:57 PM | |
| P: 9/17/2006 7:39:17 PM | |
EBree Ideal Rock Total Posts: 6,654 Last Post: 11/24/2009 Member Since: 8/31/2005 |
Yay, Anchor! What a beautiful location. Isn't it a relief, having that done? Now that you have the location, everything else should fall into place.
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| Posted: 9/17/2006 7:39:17 PM | |
| P: 9/17/2006 7:41:55 PM | |
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robbie3982 Ideal Rock Total Posts: 3,940 Last Post: 11/22/2009 Member Since: 6/28/2006 |
Date: 9/17/2006 7:37:57 PM Author: anchor31 Thank you! It is a relief... The two other things that stress me the most are the reception DJ and photographer... robbie - How did your venue shopping go last week? Not so well last week, this week we found one place that we love , but apparently they're no longer doing ceremonies because some girls got all bridezilla about something and ruined it for everyone. We're going to call and see if maybe they'll make an exception to their rule, but I doubt it. It's this gorgeous restuarant that looks like a castle, well it is a castle, but just not an old one. It would be sooo perfect. I'm still looking into places for a reception in OH by where we live currently. Things seem to be much cheaper out here, so it could work out in our favor I guess. Just not what we want ideally.
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| Posted: 9/17/2006 7:41:55 PM | |
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