Visiting Our First Potential Wedding Venue

The weekend before last (during the torrential downpour, naturally) Scott and I visited our first potential wedding venue in Hull, MA -- Raffael's Oceanfront (a part of the Clarion Nantasket Beach Hotel Resort & Spa). 

The event planner took us on a tour around the different ballrooms to show which spaces we could use for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. As we'll be inviting between 175 and 200 guests (I just heard the sound of a cash register chiming somewhere off in the distance...) the event planner told us that the Surf Ballroom (right pic) would be the best fit, since it could hold up to 200 people.

They were in the middle of setting up for a wedding that night (I felt so bad for the bride as I looked outside at the whipping wind and rain) with 70 guests. Scott and I walked around the ballroom for a minute or so, and found that between the long head table, dance floor and 9 or so 8-top tables, there really wasn't a heck of a lot of space left over. I'm a girl that get's a bit antsy in hot, crowded places (I try to start my Christmas shopping in October for that reason) so when I thought of the 175+ people dancing and drinking in that one space, I couldn't help but start to feel a little claustrophobic. And plus, a girl's gotta have some room to dance... especially after a couple cocktails!

Don't get me wrong though, the place was beautiful and seemed really accommodating. The Surf Ballroom had big windows lining every wall, all looking out over the Atlantic Ocean (left pic). Scott and I both agreed that it would really be an awesome place for a smaller summer wedding, where guests could relax on the beach the day before or following the wedding, and enjoy a cool little beach-side town.

The menu seemed really great -- they offered a little bit of everything and had a few different packages (prices) to choose from. The event coordinator talked about the complimentary tasting day they set up for their brides and grooms, where they invite several area vendors so you can get to check out their recommended florists, photographers, bakeries, etc. and potentially get special deals on their services. Free cake and filet? Now, you're talking my language, lady!

We sat down with the coordinator to run some numbers and see what it was going to set us back (read: how many more days we would be making peanut butter sandwiches for lunch). The number was as expected -- I'd say maybe a $$ out of $$$ if we're working with a Frommer's-type guide here. On the ride home I think for a few minutes about going back to waitressing or bartending on the weekends to make a little extra cash. Aaaand then I shake that silly little idea right back out of my mind a second later.

We chat about the pluses and minuses and realize one important fact. We want to get married in October -- one of the prettiest times of year if you live in New England because of the incredible foliage. And there wasn't a single tree around. We realized that if we got married on/by the beach in Hull, the pictures might be pretty, but you wouldn't even be able to tell it was Fall!

My Rating of Raffael's: 3 out of 5