Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Holland Historical Venues

If you are looking for intimate unique venues for wedding ceremonies, receptions, cocktail parties, showers or all of the above take a look at the Holland Museums. There are multiple venues available, the Holland Museum, the Armory and the Cappon House and Visitors Center. All are rich in history and would turn your party into an event. In addition to your rental fee you are given the opportunity for you and your guests to tour the building and exhibits during the time of your event. Renters are allowed to bring in their own caterer or to choose from a list provided by the rental coordinator. Bar service is also allowed on site.






The Museum lobby can hold up to 150 for a stand up cocktail/appetizer reception or around 40-50 for a sit down reception. The Museum is directly across the street from Centennial Park which has a gazebo perfect for ceremonies and then your guests could walk right over to the reception.






The Cappon House and Visitors Center is lovely for an outdoor ceremony and a tented reception. There is a nice porch/front entrance that is a nice backdrop for the ceremony and there is plenty of lawn space for smaller tents. Inside there are a few rooms available for public use. The dining room can handle a sit down dinner or luncheon for 24 or a stand-up reception for 40.





The Armory building has recently undergone some renovations so the pictures on their site are outdated. They have opened up the ceiling and have redone the floor to get away from the gymnasium look. The Armory can hold up to 500 people for a sit down reception but would also be a good site for a trade show, fundraiser or some other event where you would need a lot of room to spread out.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

On-site Coordinators

I am often asked if couples should still hire an independent day of coordinator if their reception venue has an on-site coordinator. The answer is Yes.

Most reception venue have someone on their staff that acts as an on-site coordinator, working directly with the couples and as a liaison between the couple and the venue staff. But remember they are employed by the venue not by you, they will always have their own best interest in mind not yours. Depending on the size of the venue this coordinator may have other responsibilities beyond special events so their focus may be in multiple areas. If you have issues with one of your other vendors (DJ, florist, caterer, etc.) you will be the one handling this on your big day, not them. It is very frustrating when couples give all their wedding details to the event coordinator at the venue and work with that specific person during the entire planning process and then that person is not working the night of the reception and those details have not been passed on.

Hiring an independent coordinator takes a lot of pressure off of you and your family. They will deal with any issues that come up. When you hire someone they are being paid to be your advocate and to take care of your needs. And often you have worked closely with your coordinator over the last few months and have built a good relationship with them. You have gone over all the details with your coordinator, they know the event as well as you do so this will help to eliminate people bombarding you with questions all night and help to keep things from falling through the cracks. And of course, the obvious reason of having your own coordinator. This person will be with you all day, running the ceremony, the set up and then the reception.

On-site coordinators serve their purpose and can be very helpful when you have questions regarding the venue and its policies. But if you are in need of assistance on your big day and are concerned with having any issues handled in your best interest don't hesitate, hire a day of coordinator.