the date is set -

we did it! we booked our sites! ok, i lied. we didn't really book them officially, as in sent-in-our-deposits-signed-the-contracts-official. BUT we have our date reserved and the contracts/deposits are in the works - WOOHOO!

God has some seriously good timing. Everything came together literally at the last minute. God was really gracious, as I was honestly SO stressed because I essentially had 1 week to get everything taken care of before I had to leave AZ and head back to school. It's tough to find a place that is affordable, nice, has the right je ne sais quoi, ANNND can fit around 300 guests. Anywhere.

So....back to the beginning... sometime last summer, Mr. Ramen and I went to the Phoenix Art Museum on First Fridays for a date, since it's freeeeeeee! We thought the space was awesome and would be incredible for a wedding reception (because we like to be different and couldn't just have our reception in a hotel ballroom) - although obviously, we weren't engaged at that point. It is possible that I was the one that first thought that was a good idea. So, crazy thinking me did a little research and found out that the rental was (surprisingly) quite reasonable. Since I knew I would be in optometry school, I knew that December was pretty much the only reasonable time of year for us to get married in AZ. (not to mention, 110*+ weather in the summer in a big white dress? no thanks) Unfortunately, PAM was planning a giant exhibit extravaganza or something for Dec 09, so the event coordinator told me to check back later in the year. So once the ring was on my finger I shot off an email - and no dice. They were still booked solid. Pretty devastated. To say the least.

I also contacted the Desert Botanical Gardens - another previous date location (1st anniversary, to be exact) of ours that is beauuuutiful and so very Arizona (what with the desert flora and all). Alas - another no-go due to Las Noches de Las Luminarias - which you should go to btw, if you ever have the chance. They decorate the ENTIRE garden with luminarias (tealights in bags) and Christmas lights and it's sooo romantic. Anyways, more depressed. Back to the drawing board....

Since we were looking for a unique venue, I checked out Monterra at Westworld, a ranch style setting in East Scottsdale. While it was a nice venue and verrrry affordable, it was pretty far out in Scottsdale (off the 101 around Princess/Pima, for you Arizonans) and a little too Western for our taste. I could see this being a fun venue for those who want a cowboy/Western themed wedding. They have a really nice, big ballroom that can accommodate about 450. And their wedding prices (at least when I checked), were EXTREMELY reasonable.

the Westworld ballroom

We explored this renovated hotel called Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale - it used to be this luxury resort where all the old celebrities used to stay back in the day. The newest owners spruced it back up so it's kind of this mod/vintage mix - super bright and colorful! Anyone that has a wedding here gets a free stay in a room for their wedding night - and it's just a realllly cool venue. Awesome furniture, bright backgrounds, super awesome rooms - it's incredible. But the ballroom was just typical hotel and for our color scheme (which I shall reveal soon... once we figure out exactly what that is, haha) it was just a little too loud. Sigh. It would have been pretty snug with our 250 guest list (which has somehow now expanded... exponentially) Not to mention a tiny bit on the pricey side - I mean, it IS Scottsdale.

We checked out the Arrowhead Golf Club - which is really nice... but too small of a room for our ever-growing guest list. As well as a bit too far out of the way from Phx and things to do. Unless you wanted to play golf. But really, a nice venue with lots of benefits and GREAT pricing. One of the most affordable venues. It's nice because the ballroom overlooks the green and a pond/lake. You know how golf clubs are.

Fiesta Resort in Tempe - a typical resort/hotel ballroom facility - it was just renovated, so the light fixtures and carpet are nice (although, as you can see - the carpet is pretty loud...)

The menu prices are extremely affordable (ok, so THIS one was the most affordable)... but not at the level of formality that we or the future in-laws desired. Probably not the fanciest food, but if you're on a really tight budget, I would definitely consider this option. The lobby was my favorite part, with a water feature and everything....

I'm not sure exactly what it is about downtown Phoenix, but I love it. It's romantic in that old, vintagey, revitalizing (as in the city is being revitalized) way. I told Mr. Ramen that if we move back to Phx once I'm done with school, I needed to live downtown in an old Craftsman style home. YEAH! Party at our house! Uhm.... in like, 4+ years. Deep down inside, I knew that I wanted to stick around downtown/central Phoenix, support local businesses, etc (uhm, I just realized how stupid that sounds because honestly? I think most wedding vendors are local...)

Enter.... the Bentley Projects. In one word - amazing. *cue angels singing*. It is just a huge blank slate just waiting to be given a theme. It's a modern art gallery in downtown Phoenix (south of the ballpark) that was converted from an old laundromat.
Exposed brick walls, huge rafters on the ceiling.... really sweet modern art on the walls... extremely unique.... exactly what I wanted.....

BUT (there's always a but, isnt' there?).... everything has to be rented. Tables, chairs, couches, etc. Which gets amazingly pricey quite quickly...

There are 4 galleries - the two largest ones are separated by 2 large doorways.... so we would either have to cram everyone into one room and have our "dance floor" in the other, or split everyone into two rooms (and if any uninvited guests showed up - there would be no room! not that i'm planning on any of that happening.) Not exactly an ideal setting. Another issue was parking - the Bentley Projects lot holds ~ 88 cars (but apparently that's only if you hire a valet service, according to a caterer that has done many events there). The rest is street parking OR renting a neighboring lot for an extra $250. Which in weddingland is the equivalent to 2.5 guests. Since I do NOT live in weddingland, but in the the world of I-am-living-off-student-loans-and-will-be-paying-them-off-for-the-rest-of-my-life, having to pay for the extra parking lot did not appeal to me. Also, it's not the most kid-friendly space; if kids get too unruly, they will be asked to leave, and Mr. Ramen and I looooove kids (we each have quite a handful of little cousins)! But.... it is such a gorgeous venue that it was immediately #1 on my list.

The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts - the Atrium (pictured here) was nice, however it is undergoing renovations and those happen when the city is able to provide funding.... in our present economy, we didn't feel secure in going with this venue, although all major renovations are scheduled to be completed in Sept/Oct. It is a lovely space if you have a large number of guests - it can seat 500+, I believe and is right next to the very modern SMOCA (Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art). You do have to choose from a list of preferred caterers, but other than that, you can do whatever you want with this huge space. Plus, the area surrounding it is a favorite for wedding day/engagement portraits, what with the "LOVE" statue-thing being nearby.

Next.... Inspirador in Chandler. This place was most aesthetically pleasing to both of us - Spanish style (for me) with lots of modern touches (for Mr. Ramen).

This is an all-inclusive venue - You can pay one flat rate and EVERYTHING is included - open bar, custom designed menu and cake, floral centerpieces, your choice of round or square tables (i LOVE square tables - but they're more expensive to rent - isn't that counterintuitive???), event designer/coordinator AND chivari chairs. these glamourous chairs usually cost around $10 EACH to rent. why? i don't know - i mean, it's a chair. it makes contact with your butt. but at Inspirador, it's included.
anyways. inspirador is a nice deal. They were actually offering us some pretty sweet deals, BUT it would be a tight fit and again... it's in downtown Chandler. that's like... almost an hour from my parents' house. AND you don't get to choose the caterer. If it were only in downtown Phx.... sigh. I started worrying we were going to end up with a hotel ballroom after all.

so how does this story end? stay tuned...........
* all pictures by yours truly