Alcohol can be as much as food.
Alcohol can be more than the dinner. We wanted to add a coffee station with things like Irish coffee, and the like. It was going to almost double the cost of the bar bill. That would,have made it more than the dinner per person.
Met with S and FDIL yesterday to discuss hotel blocks and rehearsal dinner options. They really liked one of the hotels and it’s near where my S works, so he will go check it out this week. They also like 4 of the options I offered for a rehearsal dinner and will go see each soon. @oldfort, one of them is Bar Cyrk - I’ve been in touch with the event person and I love it. The one thing that concerns them is the long, rather narrow space. How many people were at the party you attended? Did it feel crowded? I do think my FDIL prefers that option, but my S has always wanted a very laid back, low-key event in a more “rustic” bar or food hall-type place. From what I can gather, the cost will be the same at any of these, so we will go with whatever they want. Once I make the deposit and arrange for the contract for the hotel block, my job at this stage will be done!
@runnersmom I had to go look at the website and Bar Cyrk looks great. I’d go with that for the baked goods alone. 
Me too, but I’ve ceded the decision to the happy couple! Even better, the proposal starts with “prosecco and gourmet popcorn for your guests when they arrive!” They had my FDIL at popcorn!
I flew out to see D and FSIL for the past week. I finally got to see their venue, a Country Inn in NE, built in 1793. It only has 22 rooms so most of the guests will stay at other area hotels and be shuttled to the inn. The room that I was assigned to was the original kitchen and still has the fireplace area where the cooking was done. The manager told us that Julia Child had once stayed in my room, I wonder if I will channel my inner Julia while I am there and mysteriously learn how to cook? Nah, doubtful.
@Cotton Tales, is it safe to assume that by NE you do not mean Nebraska?
Definitely not Nebraska. The Quechee Inn, Vermont.
We had our rehearsal dinner at the Quechee Inn many many years ago. We’ve been back several times and it still holds special memories for us. The whole Quechee area is beautiful.
@runnersmom - I think they had at least 70 people. Yes, it was long, but people moved around. There were few booths and tables, some people sat and chatted. It was easy to get drinks, no waiting. I just remembered the food being very good.
@Cotton_Tales, the Simon Pearce restaurant in Quechee is a lovely spot with wonderful food. Also a potentially good source of wedding presents!
@Consolation, D and I were at the Woodstock inn this past Friday for her hair and make up trial run through and then to the Quechee Inn. I saw Simon Pearce and suggested it for lunch (it was her birthday) but she chose Pine at the Hanover Inn instead. Thanks for the tip about gifts from there, I have seen their website and they have some beautiful things.
Simon Pearce - great stuff, expensive!
Funny Simon Pearce should come up here - my mother bought my S and FDIL gorgeous Simon Pearce champagne flutes to accompany the bottle of bubbly she brought to celebrate their engagement!
I would love to have some Simon Pearce hurricane globes for my dining room table, This, despite that fact that I don’t need to spend money on non-essentials and I need to get rid of stuff. I still want them. They really do have some beautiful pieces.
D is narrowing venue choices to visit when she comes home in a couple weeks. After seeing pricing for various venues, my new idea of “reasonable” makes me choke a bit! Fortunately, there are some excellent options that are within our budget. Availability of the venue will influence the date - although they should be okay in terms of securing whatever venue they choose, because they are planning for March or April of 2018.
We chose Simon Pearce vases and glasses for our attendants’ gifts back in 1982. Simon himself blew them. His work can be pricy, but don’t be afraid to buy the seconds. I have collected a lot of his things over the years and you can’t tell the seconds from the rest. At this point, I could probably open up my own SP shop.
H & I recently saw a picture of Simon and our comment was “gee, he’s gotten old”…like we haven’t ??
Well, next step complete. My S and FDIL met last night with the woman who will perform their wedding ceremony and they are very excited after their conversation. Our rabbi is not available the day of their wedding, and so they’ve been looking for someone who shares their goals for the ceremony. This woman is a chaplain and belongs to a congregation the bride’s mother attends. They are very happy to have someone who seems to care deeply about the importance of this event and is going to work with them to make it a very special memory. We were also able to confirm that our rabbi will be in town the day before the wedding and so we will have an aufruf, where the groom, (or in this case, the groom and his future bride) will be called to the torah for an aliyah the shabbat before the wedding. Our S was called to the torah as a bar mitzvah in this synagogue with this rabbi, so it’s very special to us, and seems like a great way to begin the weekend wedding festivities.
Today he sees the hotel we all like, so the details continue to fall into place. September seems so far away, yet so close!
S texted me he is ready to put down a deposit for the venue. My H is concerned about the cost. I think it is probably not the cheapest spot but it also isn’t nearly as expensive as many of the other venues.
My younger D and her BF are trying to buy a house together. I said to her if you buy a house together he is stuck with you. They are committed to getting married but don’t want to get married before her brother. My D’s boyfriend told her that my H told him that he doesn’t like long engagements. Of course my H doesn’t think her brother and his fiancé will mind if she got married before him. Unfortunately due to some other commitments and work my S is going to end up with a 24 month engagement.
Is anyone here familiar with any venues in Los Angeles?