About our Venue

My last two posts have been very serious, although about happenings that leave room for rejoicing. It's time for something a little bit more fun!

Rebecca and I didn't consider very many places when looking to book a venue. We don't have a lot of money, don't want a large enough wedding to necessarily warrant a hall, and we had less than a year ahead of time (for a June wedding, in the thick of wedding season), so a lot of places would already have been reserved.

The two places we seriously considered were Perspective 2, a loft space in Lansing's Old Town, and Gone Wired Cafe on the east side of Lansing. Both are nontraditional locations for a wedding. Perspective 2 has a very open feel with exposed brick, a tin ceiling, and more importantly, a nice kitchen in the back of the space so that we could self-cater. It has a feel of understated elegance. Gone Wired is a funky cafe with tea drinks, Italian soda, great coffee, and some real food offerings. Various groups meet there on a regular basis, including a church. Also, there's a balcony space with tables large enough to play boardgames (a favorite pastime for Rebecca and me).

So which did we choose? It came down to three factors: money, overall feel, and ease of use. Perspective 2 offered us a great deal - $810 including everything except food. However, the loft was on a ground floor, so the view was less than desirable, and it was hard to picture the kind of reception we wanted. Another downside? Having to self cater. I love cooking, and I love being in control of what is served, but food for 50 people on top of what we'll already have to do that day is a lot to get done. Gone Wired hosts this kind of event and told me right away that if we ordered food, there would be no space reservation fee (if we hadn't ordered food, it would be about $550). When I told them what kind of food and drinks we're planning on having, she quoted me $20 per person - $1000 total. Even better, I could see myself moving around the cafe greeting guests, playing games, and listening to karaoke. It was an easy choice: we're excited to be hosting at Gone Wired Cafe!