Don't Look at Stuff You Can't Afford

If there's one thing I've learned over the past six months it's this:

DON'T LOOK AT STUFF YOU CAN'T AFFORD

Why? Because you will compare EVERYTHING to the more expensive (and presumably) higher quality house/clothing/VENUE. 

And that's where we are today. Let me break it down for you.

Peter and I were at a Halloween party at the Jam Factory – a venue we were very close to booking. What happened? A few things. 

First up? The washroom situation (or lack there of). Could I really expect 130 people to only use two stalls? Especially if there’s drinking involved? Nope. 

Also, communication with their team proved to be.... difficult. 

When emailing with the pricier venues, everyone responded so promptly! And they were clean! With multiple stall washrooms! Why is this so difficult?!?! 

I was wallowing in my first world problem at my Ladies Learning Code Digital Skills for Beginners Course*, when the guest lecturer introduced the concept of "search engine optimization". Suddenly, everything became clear. I was Googling "Toronto Venues" -- I needed to switch up my search engine key words to gain access to a whole new world of event spaces. 

So! With my trusty new key words in hand, I came across this site.

Paul's Halls! So simple (especially in design. Woof).

Early internet page design aside, I suddenly had access to 14 pages of Toronto venues! We've made appointments with three -- the first with the Estonia House on Broadview. It's a cultural centre without much internet presence, but you can rent their grand hall for $2000. Not bad! Plus, you can bring in your own caterer, DJ etc. Some pictures below. 

60s design -- ample lighting. 

A stage for the ceremony, you say? 

Ample seating! 

It's got a 60s aesthetic for sure, but the place can definitely be dressed up. Plus, there's parking for up to 75 cars and we can bring in our own food.

We are going to check out two other venues this week. But! I promise you, dear reader, we will have a venue by the end of this month. 

*I'd definitely recommend the Digital Skills for Beginners Course for anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of web design. 

Why Won't You Email Me Back?

My recent experience dealing with venue coordinators has led me to one conclusion: they’ve taken a page from Adele, and communicate using flip phones only. That has to be the reason for the delayed email responses, right? No immediate access to email?

“Professional Larkey” responds to emails within minutes, unless I’m away from my phone or desk. If that’s the case, it may take a few hours. But! Rest assured, dear colleagues, I will respond to your query as soon as I have a secure Internet connection.

 I’d say my email response time is pretty typical of a media person, but,  I’ve never worked in another industry, so I don’t really know if waiting three to five days for a response is normal. Is it? 

In the coordinating world it certainly is! I’ve started to get use to waiting days (if not a week) for a response. This is from multiple venues, by the way. 

 I get it, they might be busy dealing with other clients but, I have questions that need answers! I wanted to know if mine was a universal experience, so I reached out to a few friends who are either hitched, or have friends getting hitched, to hear about their experience.

*Names have been removed to protect the brides & bridesmaids

 ROYAL CANADIAN YACHT CLUB

Overall I think they might have got back to me within a day or two, based on the time stamps in my sent emails. But, I did have to follow up on the final bill at the end of July (I got married in June). They didn't send me the final bill until early August.  

ROSEWATER SUPPER CLUB

The rosewater was really good with getting back to us. I think it was the next day. Anytime we emailed them about questions/concerns, we got pretty quick responses compared to other places we contacted. I would totally recommend them, the wedding coordinator there was really helpful.
 

PALAIS ROYALE

I have had such a positive experience with my wedding coordinator at Palais Royale. The longest I think she has taken to get back to me is probably 3 days and she apologized profusely for the delay. 

THE FIFTH SOCIAL CLUB

My friend is getting married in June and wanted to do it at the Fifth, was all ready to book and give a deposit but no one got back to her even after she followed up a couple of times. It’s so shitty because that was the venue they wanted, but it was too stressful to rely on people who don’t get back to you when you’re spending that much money!