Tag Archives: miami wedding venues

Wedding Venue: The Bath Club

by on July 22, 2012

The Bath Club

5937 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140
(305) 867-5938
View their website
 

 

Average Cost: $40,000

*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, decorations, and flowers are not included. Average price includes chairs, linens, gratuity and state sales tax. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

 

How it breaks down:

Facility Rental Fee: 

  • Venue rental fee includes use of all interior spaces and outside courtyard, all lounge and bar furniture, bars,billiard tables, 72 inch round dining tables, 36 inch highboy cocktail tables, and lounge furniture. Cleaning fee, moving fee, two restroom attendents, plus use of fully operational air conditioned kitchen and use of 600 feet of our pristine beachfront property for ceremonies and events is included. (Permit fees apply)

Saturdays:  $18,500.00 (guest count 450 pp or less)

Sunday – Friday:  $14,700.00 (guest count 249 pp or less)

Sunday – Friday:  $15,700.00 (guest count 250 pp – 450)

*A 15% discount is applied to the rental fee during the summer months of July-September 

 
 
 

Food: You must use one of their preferred caterers, which includes Thierry’s, Bill Hansen, and Aaron’s catering. On average, you can expect catering with alcohol to start at $130/pp for a seated meal.

Important Note: Decor and other rentals, including linens and chairs, are not included in the facility fee. On average you can expect to spend $1,000 and up for both chairs and linens depending on the size of your wedding.

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside, courtyard, and beachfront.

Bridal Suite: There is not a typical suite for brides and grooms, but there are lots of spaces available to make one.

Size: Rental fee is for 450 pp and less

Food Service Type: Buffet/seated options

Parking: Valet, which is not included in the fee. Typically you can expect to spend $20/hour for valet services for 100 people.

How Will Grandma Get There? There are lots of hotel option on Miami Beach, including the nearby Eden Roc , Fontainebleau, and Courtyard Marriott.

 

 

Party On!

  • The good news is that this is Miami Beach, so events can go on until midnight (and beyond if your music is inside).

The Report:

The Bath Club is an oddity on Miami Beach. Not only because it looks like an Italian villa amongst the beachfront condominiums, but because it’s the only private event venue in South Florida. The building was built in 1926, and it looks like they haven’t changed the charming interior/exterior much since then, which is why it has such an old-world feel. The venue is still a “hidden gem,” and this is most likely due to the fact that it’s slightly north of all the craziness of South Beach. There are several layout options for your wedding, including four possible ceremony/reception rooms as well as use of their beachfront property as and ample space for guests to linger.

 

Woman Getting Married Says:

So, I am finally getting around to writing about the wedding venue where I got married at! I love LOVE the Bath Club as a venue. There are so many possibilities with it, and whether you’re from Miami or are looking for a great destination wedding venue, you can’t beat the location. However, nothing in life is perfect, right? And this venue has unfortunately fallen victim to that. When I got married here the venue was in a bit of a transition (and they still are). They were not really marketing themselves as a wedding venue, but there happened to be a great chef attached to the venue who catered weddings and events all the time, so it was a natural for him to cater more at The Bath Club. The problem, however, has always been with the management team, which is constantly turning over. While we managed (after some bargaining) to rent the Bath Club for less than $3,000, a new makeover of the club now means they’re charging higher prices. Last year they were renting it for $20,000 (with all decorations included), but now they have dropped it to $16,200 (without decorations, chairs, or linens). While I love this venue, I really wish they would drop the price back down to something more reasonable. If they don’t, I’m afraid nobody will be able to afford to get married here…and it really is such a special place!

You can see pics from my wedding at The Bath Club here

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Wedding Venue: Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove

by on December 15, 2011

Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove

2985 South Bayshore Drive
Coconut Grove, FL 33133
305-446-2909
View their website

Average Cost: $17,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 120-person guest list for a Saturday night ceremony/reception using the venue’s caterer. 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: The rental fee includes 8 hours (usually 3 hours of setup, 4 hours for the event, and 1 hour for breakdown)

Monday-Thursday: $550
Friday: $1,400
Saturday: $1,950

 

Food: The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, which is run by Coconut Grove Events, works with an in-house catering company named Bill Hansen. A sample of a Bill Hansen seated/served menu is here. You can typically expect catering food/beverage packages to run around $100/pp and go up from there. If you want to use your own caterer, the club will charge you $5/pp, which could be worth it and is a great option to have. 

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

Extras:

  • $200/hr for each additional hour over 8 hours
  • Parking garage located two doors west of building for $5/per car

 

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside/Outside options. Location options include the garden under the oak trees for the ceremony, and then the reception inside.

Size: Up to 120 guests and room for a dance floor.

Food Service Type: Buffet/seated options
How Will Grandma Get There? There are several hotel options in Coconut Grove, including the Sonesta Bayfront Hotel right next door.

 

 

Party On!

  • Events must end by 2 a.m. due to noise restrictions

 

The Report:

The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, which used to be referred to as The Housekeepers Club, was founded in 1891. The clubhouse as it’s known now was built in 1921, and is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. While it’s been recently refurbished, they kept a lot of the old-world details, such as the original fixtures and fans, as well as an awesome coral fireplace.

Woman Getting Married Says:

If you’re looking for a great, vintage-y wedding venue in Miami, I would seriously check this place out. I love the location, and think Coconut Grove is an underrated area of Miami to get married in (aside from Vizcaya in Coconut Grove, which is definitely not overlooked by couples). Coconut Grove is right on the bay, has lots of hotels and nightlife, and is a calm (or at least calmer than South Beach) yet fun place for out-of-towners to visit. The price is right for this venue as well. I would opt for a smaller wedding here (under 100), just so you have more breathing room. You never want to be at full capacity anywhere!

For more images of The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, click here.

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Wedding Venue: Grove Isle

by on August 4, 2011

The Ship's Deck @ Grove Isle. Photo by Serendipity Studios

Grove Isle Hotel and Spa

4 Grove Isle Drive
Miami, FL 33133-4125
(305) 858-8300
View their website

Average Cost: $27,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 125-person guest list for a Saturday night ceremony/reception using the venue’s all-inclusive wedding package (with no additional add-ons). 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:

Ceremony Fee: $1,500 for lower pool deck. Lower-priced option includes the Fire Pit for $500

Grove Isle’s Wedding Package includes:

  • One-Hour Cocktail Reception with one hour open bar
  • 6 Butler passed hors d’oeuvres
  • Four Course Dinner
  • Champagne Toast
  • Wine Service with Dinner
  • Four Hour Open Bar (plus the one above)
  • Complimentary Suite for the Bride and Groom
  • Discounted hotel rates for wedding guests

Equipment included in package is:

  • Cocktail Tables for the Reception
  • 72” Round Tables for the Dinner
  • White Floor Length Linens and White Napkins
  • Hotel Parquet Dance Floor, Staging Up to 12X32
  • Hotel 60” or 72” Round Banquet Tables
  • Hotel Banquet Chairs (They will rent Chivari chairs for your for $4/each, which isn’t a terrible price. I would make the upgrade if you can.)

Food:

  • 6 Butler Passed Hors d’oeuvres, such as Beef Carpaccio with Roasted Portabella, Parmesan, and Thyme
  • 1 Appetizer, such as Blue Crab Cakes with a Tropical Mango Relish, Avocado,Pineapple-Citrus Frisee
  • 1 Salad, such as Steakhouse Iceberg Wedge Roquefort with Grape Tomatoes, Red Onion, Bacon
  • Entree (see below)
  • Choice of two sides, such as Cranberry Almond Quinoa and Root Vegetable Fondants
  • Wedding Cake ($5.00 per person cake cutting fee will apply to any outside cakes brought in)
  • Coffee, teas

Your total price per person will depend on your entree selection. Examples include:

$155: Herb Crusted Salmon with Spring Onion, Fava, Fingerling & Mushroom Fricassee, Truffle Lemon Jus Soy

$215: Beef Filet & Sea Bass with Crushed Yukon, Braised Leeks, Glazed Carrots,Roasted Asparagus, Sauce Bordelaise, Ver Jus

Notes:

  • For a sit down dinner, you may give your guests a choice of 2 entrées. You will need to have your guests preselect and supply the Hotel with the count 5 days prior tothe dinner, as well as place cards indicating the entrée selection for each guest.
  • Add-ons to the standard package include stations (such as a Paella one for $18/pp), and upgraded appetizers

 

Photo by Serendipity Studios

See more photos from this photographer here. I’m really liking their stuff!

Beverage:

  • Premium bar package is included, with spirits such as Absolut and Jack Daniels. House wines are also included and there is service during dinner.
  • A ‘super premium’ upgrade is available for an additional $15/pp, with brands such as Grey Goose and Chivas
  • Champagne toast included (they currently offer Kenwood Sparkling Wine…which just sounds like it’s ‘meh’. I would ask if you can do a prosecco or something comparable in price)
  • You can opt to extend your bar past the 5-hour included limit for an additional $12/per person per hour
  • If you want additional bartenders, it will cost you $100.00/per bartender for 5 hours and $25.00 for every hour afterwards. See what they offer you. Typically venues say 1 bartender for every 75 guests, but I think if you’re having a full-bar you need 2. There’s nothing worse than a line at a bar!

 

Photo by Maloman Photographers

See more photos from this wedding here

Party On!

  • There is a 10 p.m. outside noise ordinance. After that, music can be moved inside.

 

 

Photo by Serendipity Studios

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside/Outside options, such as poolside, lower pool deck. ship’s deck, and the ballroom. You can see a floor plan here. Private poolside receptions run an extra $700, and have to start after 8 p.m. in the summer, and 6 p.m. in the winter.

Size: From 25-200 depending on location choice. 100 people minimum required for a Saturday night.

Food Service Type: Buffet/seated options

How Will Grandma Get There? There are 50 guest rooms available at the Grove Isle Hotel. There are several other hotel options close by as well, such as the lower-priced Hampton Inn

Note: Rooms at the Grove Isle Hotel range from $240 and up

More additions: A farewell brunch is available the next morning for $42/pp

The Report:

Grove Isle is a private island in Coconut Grove, FL (Miami) that has three apartment buildings as well as a hotel, restaurant, spa, and other resort-like amenitities (such as pools and tennis courts). The island, which encompasses about twenty acres, is right in Biscayne Bay, and has gorgeous views of downtown Miami and of the miles of water around you. The island is accessible via a small bridge, so it’s very easy to get to. Coconut Grove, if you’re not familiar with it, is about 10-15 minutes from South Beach, and is very “Old Florida,” with palms, marinas, and old spanish houses.

Woman Getting Married Says:

I have a soft-spot for Grove Isle because I actually grew up there! Tough childhood, I know. Coconut Grove is really my favorite part of Miami, because it’s SO green and it’s on the gorgeous Biscayne Bay and you’re not far from anything. The hotel and restaurant on the island have been through a TON of incarnations over the years, and they still seem to be getting their footing. However, I heard they got a great new manager (Christian), so I think it’s FINALLY going in the right direction. You cannot beat the views, especially at sunset. If it were me, I would opt for a wedding outside (they have rain backup plans) on the Ship’s Deck (which can accommodate over 150 people). They have a more traditional ballroom, but I just have a serious hatred of hotel ballrooms…I cannot STAND that carpeting. I really hope they decide to do away with it and make it into something cooler. The space has so much potential. I *heard* that they have been negotiating prices, so don’t be afraid to tell them what your ideal per person budget is. Compared to prices I’ve seen around Miami, this venue is pretty much in the right ballpark for what you’re getting. However, heed my advice above and negotiate!!!

 

 

Ballroom @ Grove Isle. Photo by David Acuna Photography

See more photos from this wedding here

 

Hopefully one day they’ll make the ballroom look more like the restaurant…

 

Gibraltar dining room @ Grove Isle. Photo by Serendipity Studios

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Destination Weddings Sale on Jetsetter.com

by on April 14, 2011

If you’re not aware of the hotel/vacation sale sites Jetsetter.com, Vacationist.com, and the getaways on Hautelook.com, you’re missing out! They offer super nice, schmancy hotels for up to half off (sometimes it’s more like $70/off…but it’s still something!). Jetsetter.com is especially great, because each hotel they select has to be up to the standards of the editors. All you have to do is sign up to become a member of these sites. Best news is, it’s free to join.

I was psyched to see Jetsetter.com offering several Destination Wedding packages today! They already offer some great honeymoon packages, so this is a no-brainer. I also love the idea of booking a wedding as a package, because that means it’s less planning time for you.

I went and checked them out, and I have to say there is really only one I would consider. There are three options: The Peninsula Hotel in NYC, Sebastian Vail in Colorado, and The Villa by Barton G in Miami Beach, which used to be Versace’s mansion (I wrote about it here, when I considered it for my own wedding in Miami). The first two are hotels, and have the “hotel ballroom” type vibe, which I’m not into. Plus, at first glance the packages look decent (“$34,000 to get married on a NYC rooftop, all in? Great deal!” you think to yourself), but when you look at the details you find out it says FOR 40 PEOPLE, and each additional person is $350/pp. Hmm, not so great anymore.

The Villa by Barton G deal is intriguing, but only if you’re in that price range to begin with (the package is going for $77,000). I personally think that venue is too pricey, as I wrote about earlier, but it is beautiful. There are a few pros/cons: First, $77,000 is a lot of money for only 100 people. If it was $50,000, that’s another story. Second, the area where you would be having the wedding is an uncovered courtyard/garden with a pool. It feels slightly cramped because there’s a pool taking up 1/3 of the space that guests have to maneuver around. Speaking of pools, my parents went to a wedding recently (not at The Villa) where one guest fell in the pool because it was near the dance-floor. Yes, it’s hilarious…unless you’re the guest. Then again if you’ve had enough wine anything can be funny.

One definite pro is that Barton G. makes amazing food. His namesake restaurant in Miami is delicious, and chances are your food is going to be extraordinary. You’re also smack dab in the middle of South Beach, and guests that aren’t staying in one of the 10 rooms included in the package can walk to/from the venue. You can stumble upstairs.

The package is attractive because it includes basically everything, from your wedding invitations and flowers to the band/DJ. If you’re in that price range and are looking for a unique venue, I would check it out. Here is what the package includes:

Villa By Barton G Wedding Package

  • Exclusive 2 nights accommodation (10 rooms included) at the Villa by Barton G (access to the entire villa) for a wedding between May 1st and Oct. 31st, 2011 or 2012 for
  • Wedding officiant (of any or no denomination)
  • 30-minute ceremony in the Mosaic Gardens & Pool
  • Live trio for the wedding ceremony and cocktail hour
  • DJ for the wedding reception; a 4-hour dinner and dancing wedding reception in the Mosaic Gardens & Pool
  • 3-course dinner for up to 100 people
  • Traditional three-tier wedding cake made by the villa’s pastry chef for up to 100 people
  • Flower arrangements (including bridal and bridesmaids bouquets, groom and usher florals and up to 10 centerpieces)
  • 5-hour deluxe open bar along with a 1-hour pre-dinner passed hors d’ouvres
  • All glassware, utensils, 10 sets of specialty linens and service staff
  • Up to 100 Chiavari chairs, carpet runner for ceremony
  • Candle decor package and basic lighting package for the gardens
  • Up to 100 charger plates at the table settings
  • Custom-printed menus, invitations, thank-you notes and place cards
  • A personal round-the-clock butler
  • All taxes and gratuities for event and villa staff.

Not Included: Flights to/from Miami or ground transportation to/from the villa, pre-ceremony rehearsal dinner, post-wedding brunch, mandatory refundable security deposit of $5,000, photographer, videographer, tent rental (typically $5,500), personalized menu for table settings, custom table numbers, custom invitations or postage for invitations and thank-you notes, place cards for assigned dinner seating or matrimonial fees.

The sale lasts on Jetsetter.com for two weeks

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