Tag Archives: best wedding locations

Wedding Venue: Flood Mansion

by on June 2, 2013

flood mansion wedding

James Leary Flood Mansion

2222 Broadway St  
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-563-2900
View their website
 
 
 

Average Cost: $36,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 150-person guest list for a Saturday night wedding using standard food/beverage costs, valet, tax and gratuity. Transportation to venue, entertainment, decorations, flowers, tents, chairs/tables, lighting, etc. are not included. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

flood mansion wedding

How it breaks down:

Facility Rental Fee: $10,000 location fee and a $250 kitchen usage fee. You must also provide a $1,000 refundable deposit.

What this includes: Security staffing and janitorial services before and after your event.

Food: You must use one of their approved caterers, which include McCall’s Catering and Events, Taste Catering, and Living Room Events. On average, you can expect catering per person (including alcohol) to start at $100/pp.  

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside/outside

Bridal Suite: Yes

Size: 180 for an outdoor ceremony/200 for indoor ceremony and reception

Food Service Type: Depends on selected caterer

Parking: You must hire a valet company (they will provide recommendations for you). On average you can expect those prices to run $20 hour for 100 expected guests and go up from there.

How Will Grandma Get There? There are tons of hotel options in the city, including Pacific Heights near where the mansion is located. Hotels with good reviews near the venue include the Hotel Drisco and Jackson Court.

Extras: Tents, tables, chairs, linens, etc. need to be brought in from an approved vendor.

Party On!: The venue rental time begins at noon the day of your event, and all events must end by 10 p.m. All staff (caterers, DJ, etc.) must be out by midnight.

flood mansion wedding

 The Report:

This Beaux Arts mansion with an Italian Renaissance design was built in the heart of San Francisco by James Leary Flood for his wife, Maud. He hired renowned architects Bliss & Faville to begin construction of the “house of marble on a hill of granite” after Maud became concerned about living in a city that was devastated by the Great Quake of 1906. After her husband’s death, Maud gave the home to the Religious of the Sacred Heart. It is now part of the Broadway campus of Schools of the Sacred Heart. The total square footage available for rental is 11,000 sq. feet, and includes a “Grand Hall”, a courtyard, as well as several smaller rooms.

flood mansion wedding

Woman Getting Married Says:

The venue fee at this incredible mansion is pricey, but if you’re looking for a ceremony/reception in a memorable venue in San Francisco, this could be it. My main gripe with the venue would be the forced end time of 10:00 p.m. (after party, anyone?) as well as complaints of a narrow reception hall and loud acoustics. I hate having to end a wedding early, but if you start at 4  or 5 p.m. it might not be a bad idea. I would opt for a slight smaller guest list at this venue to make up for the potentially cramped reception areas (and to help offset the costs of the venue rental fee).

 

 flood mansion wedding

 

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Wedding Venue: Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens

by on September 9, 2012

 

Boone Hall Plantation

1235 Longpoint Road
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 884-4371
View their website
 

Average Cost: $25,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 125-person guest list for a Saturday night ceremony/reception using an outside caterer. Transportation to venue, entertainment, decorations, linens, chairs, and flowers are not included. Average price includes gratuity and state sales tax. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

How it breaks down:

Facility Rental Fee: Location fees range from $1,500-$5,000. All rentals include a gate attendant for the evening of the event, complimentary parking for all guests, indoor restroom facilities, limited electricity, tiki torches lit along the Avenue of Oaks and a scheduled rehearsal time the day before. For more info on each location, click here to view the Boone Hall plantation event guide. There are various locations to choose from within the Boone Hall Plantation, and you can choose to combine locations as well. An example of the fees are as follows:

Front Lawn: $3,000
Front Lawn and Cotton Dock: $5,000

 

Food: You are allowed to use your own outside vendors for catering. On average, you can expect to pay $100/pp and up for a plated, multi-course dinner with alcohol.

More Stats:

Space Type: Outside/some covered

Bridal Suite: Space is available to change in

Size: Can accomodate weddings up to 500 people depending on location choice. For example, the Boone Hall Plantation Cotton Dock can hold 175-200 people for a seated event with out a dance floor, a 150 with a dance floor, and up to 300 for a mingling function. The dock that overlooks the creek can hold 100 chairs.

Food Service Type: Must bring in catering (they also offer a Boone Hall Farms Market catering service)

Parking: All guests must park in the main parking area near the Plantation House.

How Will Grandma Get There? The plantation is located 7 miles from downtown Charleston. There are tons of hotels available in the area. However, if this is a destination wedding you will most likely have to arrange for a shuttle or other transportation. For Charleston travel tips, check out this 36 Hours in Charleston from the NYTimes.

 Party On! All events must end by 11 p.m., and guests must be off the premises by midnight.

The Report:

Boone Hall, which dates back to 1861, is one of the oldest working plantations in the United States. Once known for cotton and pecans, they still grow crops such as strawberries, pumpkins, and tomatoes. The Antebellum plantation, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is known for it’s “Avenue of Oaks,” which is a 3/4 mile stretch of 68-year-old giant live oaks draped with Spanish moss. While it’s making the news lately because Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds had their wedding there, it has also appeared on Days of Our Lives and The Notebook.

 

 Woman Getting Married Says:

The plantation is obviously gorgeous. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get married in a place with 68-year-old oaks? My main issue with strictly outdoor venues (or partially covered) such as these is that it gets pricey…and fast. Because there is limited electricity, it means you have to bring most things in, such as a kitchen for the caterers and all the stuff that goes along with it. That means they’ll normally charge you more than if you were getting married in a place that was equipped with a kitchen already. However, with a rustic and historical location like this, you’ll save money on decor vs. a plain banquet room that needs a lot of design. Another positive note is that this venue is only 7 miles from downtown Charleston, which is a huge bonus for couples looking for a destination wedding spot that has a ton of charm to offer out of town guests. I’ve never been to Charleston but it’s on top of my list! Overall, this venue is worth checking out.

 

Photo by Virgil Bunao via Style Me Pretty

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Wedding Venue: Serra Plaza

by on January 25, 2012

Serra Plaza

31920 Del Obispo Street
San Juan Capistrano, CA
949-542-4848
View their website
 

 

Average Cost: $17,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 125-person guest list for a Saturday night ceremony/reception using one of the venue’s approved caterers. Transportation to venue, entertainment, additional decorations, and flowers are not included. Average price includes gratuity and state sales tax. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

How it breaks down:

Facility Rental Fee: Wedding ceremony and reception, up to five hours (plus two hours for setup and one hour for cleanup after).

Friday/Sunday: $3,500
Saturday: $4,500
 

Food: You must use one of the venue’s approved caterers, which includes Jay’s Catering, Good Gracious! Events, and Sundried Tomato. On average, you can expect catering with alcohol to start at $100/pp for a seated meal.

Important Note: Decor and other rentals are not included in the facility fee.

 

More Stats:

Space Type: Outside, with an inside location (the Grand Salon) scheduled for completion January 2012. Location options currently include The Grand Plaza Courtyard and Salon Patio.

Bridal Suite: Yes, along with a small groom’s area.

Size: Rental fee is for 200 guests, but the space can accomodate up to 450

Food Service Type: Buffet/seated options

Parking: Yes

How Will Grandma Get There? There are better hotel options near Capistrano Beach, Dana Pointe, and San Clemente. Guests can take a taxi or drive to/from the hotel or you can arrange a shuttle. Shuttles can cost around $1,000 depending on how many people and amount of time. Click here to get a quote.

 

Party On!

  • Events must end by 10 p.m.in the courtyard, and 1 a.m. in the Grand Salon.

The Report:

Serra Plaza is located in the Los Rios district of San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. The district, which is considered to be the oldest neighborhood in California, is located across the train tracks of the Capistrano Depot, which means you can hear trains in the background from the Plaza. The plaza itself is mission-style, with clay tile roofs, adobe-colored walls, and a fountain. They are currently in the process of finishing their “Grand Salon,” which you can see below.

 

 

Woman Getting Married Says:

Now that this venue will feature an inside-option, I’m liking it a whole lot more. I’m not a huge fan of an event that is in a) one location and b) entirely outside. While the weather in California is typically gorgeous, it’s one of those things you don’t want to stress about. I think a Tuscan-styled wedding, like they did for this shoot here, would be a perfect fit for this venue. I would attempt to negotiate the fee down to $3,000-$3,500 for a Saturday night, because while I love the style of the building, I think you’ll end up having to bring in a lot of lighting, decorations, and flowers to make it look warm and styled.

For more pictures of Serra Plaza, click here.

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Wedding Venue: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

by on May 27, 2010

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Neighborhood: near Coconut Grove
3251 South Miami Avenue
Miami, Florida 33129
View their website

Average Cost: $27,000
*Average cost for THIS venue, including tax and gratuity, is calculated by figuring a 125-person guest list for a 6-hour reception on a Saturday night using the least expensive menu and bar options and renting your own table and chairs (since they’re not provided by the venue). They do not include transportation to/from the venue, or any optional fees such as tents or decorations such as flowers and table linens. Numbers are rounded up to the nearest hundred.

How it breaks down:

Facility Rental Fee: $12,500 for use of the property from 6:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. for guests. Set-up and deliveries can start that day anywhere at 3, 4, or 5:15, depending on the location. Food: A licensed caterer must be used. Assume the going rate is anywhere between $50-$100/pp. Using the least expensive option, it would be $6,250. A $375 catering permit must also be obtained.

Bar: BYOB, so look for a caterer that doesn’t insist on providing the alcohol (ask them for bartenders and setups only). If you BYOB, you can assume a generous $20/pp cost for beer, wine, and liquor, plus up to $500 for servers. $3,000

Tax and Service: This will be unique to your chosen caterer, but plan for a 18% service charge and 9.25% sales tax on food, beverage, and any rented equipment. There is also a 7% tax on all facility rental fees.

Party On! Events can go until 1:00 a.m. for an additional $1,500/hour. Music is encouraged to be “lowered” past 11 p.m. since the museum is in a residential neighborhood.

What’s Included? Nada. Assume each table setup (tables and chairs with 8 people per table) will run you $75 each. So factor in another $1,200 for a wedding of 125 people. Keep in mind you also have to get linens, etc.

More Stats:

Space Type: Mostly Outside (Inner courtyard is covered, but the terraces and gardens are not). You can rent out the historic interior (basically, the museum part) for $2,500 for the first two hours, and $1,200 for each additional hour. You can tent the terrace in case of rain from $2,500-$4,000 depending on size and tent accessories.

Size: The inner courtyard can hold 100 people, and the outside (East Terrace) can accommodate up to 300 people.

Food Service Type: Your choice

Dressing Rooms Available: Brides have to use the restroom for a dressing room. :(

Elevator: N/A

Security Provided: No. Police officers are available for $100/hr.

Valet: No.

How Will Grandma Get There? The museum is a 5-minute drive from hotels in Coconut Grove and Brickell, and about 15 minutes (with traffic) to Miami Beach. Out-of-town guests can easily take cabs to these location.

The Report:

Vizcaya was built by industrialist James Deering, and he used the mansion as his winter home from 1916-1925. Deering wanted the house to mimic the look of an Italian Estate that had stood for 400 years…and it really does. The 50-acres that villa sits on are expansive and gorgeous, like something you would see in old-world Italy or France. The most beautiful thing about the house is that it sits right on the bay, and has an amazing stone terrace that looks out to it. Inside, there are over 70 rooms that are preserved with original furnishings (the majority of these rooms are roped off, and would be for your event as well.) The inner courtyard is covered, so if you are worried about rain you would have to tent the terrace.

Woman Getting Married Says:

Having grown up in Miami, I’m very familiar with just how spectacular this place is. It’s location on the bay is stunning, and I think it might be one of the most beautiful places in Miami, period. My two biggest issues are the price, and what happens if it rains. You’re paying almost $13,000 JUST for use of the property. You think for that price they could at least throw in some tables/chairs, right? Also, while the grounds really are gorgeous, if it rains you’re going to miss out on a lot of it. My advice if you want this place on a budget? Go low-key on the food and music. Instead of a DJ, just hire a local three-piece band (check the University of Miami). And for the food? Think Cuban and get a VERY inexpensive restaurant to cater some local favorites. Otherwise, you’re looking at a not-so budget friendly wedding.

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