Venue 6: Le Fais Do-Do

Le Fais Do-Do was a beautiful, reasonably priced venue that provided a great deal of flexibility in planning the reception.

I noticed Le Fais Do-Do while searching online for venues.  (Why I continued searching for venues when we had seen several suitable contenders is beyond me.)  Right after we finished looking at Spring Hall, we toyed with the idea of looking at Le Fais. 

One reviewer had noted that the Georgia State law school had their Barrister’s Ball at the facility this past year.  Rob called a friend who had been to the Barrister’s Ball.  Since Rob’s friend said that it was at least worth checking out, we called Le Fais.  Marie, the owner, informed us that if we could be there in thirty minutes, she would be showing the venue to other potential wedding parties.  It just so happened that Spring Hall was about thirty minutes away…

Le Fais Do-Do is located in an industrial section of West Atlanta, making the location another unremarkable one.  Accessibility was no problem, as the front ramp provided an easy entrance to the building.  Inside was a warehouse converted into an event space.  The event space had shiny, black stone floors and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. 

The first room we saw is frequently used as the wedding ceremony room or cocktail hour room.  It’s long and narrow, and has a pretty backdrop of golden mirrors.

A little hallway leads past a coatroom and a photo booth room from the ceremony/cocktail room to the main ballroom.  Marie, who kept us consistently entertained with anecdotes about the venue, mentioned that the photo booth was the most popular feature with guests.

The ballroom is the same as the first room, except bigger.  The same gorgeous chandeliers adorn the ceiling.  A fun disco ball illuminated the dance floor with what appeared to be little bubbles of white light.  Compared to other ballrooms, this space appeared smaller.  Despite appearing smaller, I was certain that we would have enough space in the ballroom for our tables and dance floor. 

Le Fais really stood apart from other venues due to its relaxed, yet classy atmosphere.  It had a vintage feel, which really appeals to me.

Another plus is that Le Fais is a space that guests can personalize to their own unique vision.  One nice touch in this vein is a projector that can display names of the bride and groom on the floor.

Off the ballroom was room that could be used for the bar and buffet.  It was similar in size to the ceremony/cocktail room.  Marie noted that sofas could be added to the area to give it a swanky feel.  Throughout the entire tour, Marie expressed that the furniture could be moved anywhere.

You could tell Marie was very proud of the space she opened just a couple of years ago.  She was full of ideas and advice.  She seemed supportive of each person’s vision.  I am certain she would be excellent and work diligently to guarantee each person’s desire for the space is realized.

Before leaving, we took a peak at the bridal area.  This area was ok, bearing in mind we just saw the beautiful and much more ornate bride room at Spring Hall.  The bridal area was large and included a couple of sofas and mirrors.  It contained everything a bride would need to relax or get ready for the big event.  However, like the entire venue, it was a blank slate that you could decorate as you pleased.

While we gathered pricing information, I was pretty much sold on Le Fais Do-Do, which was available in June.  When we inquired about the slim possibility of rescheduling due to a deployment, Marie emphasized her patriotism and how she would do nothing to offend our troops.

Overall, I loved the vintage feel and the ability to mold the space to our liking.  Moreover, Marie seemed to have many connections to make the vendor selection process easier.  She had a number of recommendations for bartenders, florists, photographers, caterers, etc. 

Marie noted that she explored the wedding reception industry for four years.  When she started her company, she purposefully avoiding limiting clients in the way that other venues tended to do (e.g., requiring certain caterers or use of the venue’s alcohol).  Le Fais Do-Do will allow you to bring your own alcohol (although require the disposal of any opened containers at the end of the night), allow you to use any caterer, and give you access to their furniture inventory (with tables and chairs are included with the rental). 

 Plus

• Vintage feel with open space.
• Free rein to design as you please.
• Bring your own alcohol and caterers.
• Accessible bathrooms.
• Ample parking.

Minus

• Industrial location; lacks opportunities for outdoor photos.
• The space for the ceremony looked a little tight for our 150 planned guests. 
• The darker colored interior and lack of natural lighting.  I’d prefer a brighter area for our reception