And the winner is...

After seeing Le Fais Do-Do and shocking our fellow venue-shoppers at Le Fais Do-Do with the number of reception venues we had seen, we figured it was time to make a decision.

Deciding on one venue proved difficult.  No two venues were alike.  We joke that trying to decide was a like a giant calculus equation, since there were several factors to consider, each of which changed from venue to venue.  One might come with tables and chairs while sacrificing parking.  Another might be perfect inside with a lackluster location. 

Throughout the process, none of the venues was a strong “no.”  At some point, each venue was at or near the top of our list.  No venue was perfect for our needs.  No matter which venue topped our list at any given moment, another venue could have topped it if another category was weighted more heavily. 

When it came time to make a final decision, the main factors we started looking at were space and price.  Everywhere we looked had enough space for our needs.  At first, it looked like there were some significant differences in price, but when you factored in table rentals, bartenders, security guards, etc., the difference in cost wasn’t significant enough to select one venue over another.  Costs remained fairly constant for our top contenders—the rental fees were around the same, we could bring our own alcohol, etc.  This was true at every place except Emory (which was immediately out of the running) and Cherokee Run (who said we had to use their caterer and purchase alcohol from them). 

Knowing that open bars generally ran $20+ per person, we figured Cherokee Run would add another $4,000 onto our tab.  They were at the bottom of the list.  Then, with one nearly too late email detailing the alcohol prices, the underdog came back and trumped the competition. 

So, it came down to small things.  I was pretty committed to Le Fais Do-Do.  Rob favored Spring Hall, but I couldn’t get past the location.  Having the reception in a shopping center, where we couldn’t have any pictures outside, really bothered me.  If it had a different location, I’m certain we would have chosen Spring Hall.  Of course, as Rob pointed out, we’d be in the same position with Le Fais Do-Do, but I still preferred that venue.  I loved the interior and the fact that we could transform it as we pleased.  (I also liked the disco ball.)

We also realized at this point that we hadn’t done any research on the price of the church for the ceremony.  We had been narrowly focused on reception venues without giving thought to churches, other than Grace Covenant.  Once we were learning towards Atlanta venues, we started exploring churches near Spring Hall and Le Fais Do-Do, which were our top choices.  We didn’t expect the church issue to complicate our decision, since neither of us anticipated the price of a church being comparable to cost of renting the reception venue. 

I was quickly proven wrong.  At the first church that we checked, we received an estimate of $2,500 for non-members.  The cost “included the Wedding Director's fee, two Wedding Coordinators (required) who conduct the rehearsal and are there for you on the wedding day; the Music Director and all organ music; set-up and take down; two security guards (required), the Marriage Workshop (which is in addition to your marriage counseling with your clergy and very much encouraged); and free parking.”  Since we aren’t expecting fights at the church, paying for two security guards (among other things) we didn’t want seemed unnecessary.  We also contacted a few other churches, which had fees ranging from $800 to $1900. 

Once we realized that the cost for a church would be more than we expected, we briefly considered having the ceremony at the reception location.  This idea would have worked fine with Spring Hall.  The ceremony room at Le Fais Do-Do looked like it would be very tight since the room was long and narrow shaped. 

However, when we pictured having the wedding ceremony at these venues, I realized how much I wanted a church wedding.  It’s not something I would have said I was 100% set on at the outset.  It was only when we started thinking about taking the church off the table that I realized how much I wanted it.  There’s something special and sacred about being married at a house of worship, and beginning your life together in a spiritual place.  I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would be disappointed if we didn’t have that type of start to our marriage. 

So, even after we’d spent a couple hours discussing it over the weekend, we still hadn’t come to a final decision.  When I realized how important a church wedding was, though, I told Rob that, if Cherokee Run got back to us with reasonable alcohol prices, we should go with that location. 

Luckily for us, Cherokee Run sent us a beverage price on Monday.  Their alcohol prices turned out to be very reasonable, and didn’t make them any more expensive than the rest of the venues we’d been considering closely.  Also, unlike most places, they allowed us to purchase bottles of wine and kegs of beer from them instead of limiting us to pay-per-drink or open bar prices.  Their system allows us to control pricing, and essentially allows us to get just as much there for what we were planning on spending on alcohol at any of the BYOB venues.

Also, Cherokee Run has a great location.  Being in Conyers allows us to use Grace Covenant, which was something that we’d wanted all along.  Cherokee Run made Grace Covenant a practical option, since it doesn’t involve a 45-minute drive between the ceremony and the reception.  An additional benefit is that Conyers is a smaller, more easily navigated city than Atlanta.  We thought that might be a better option for our guests who will be coming from out of town or who aren’t used to driving around the city in Atlanta. 

Now that we have finished our long search, we’ve made a decision and set the date.  I’m excited to announce that we will be getting married on June 2, 2012 at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, with the reception immediately following at Cherokee Run Golf Club.