Yesterday, I posted about Liz and Calvin’s wedding day. Today, I am going to post about the rest of the evening.
Tag: Hotel Allegro
Real Wedding: Liz + Calvin
Would it be cheeky of me to say that Liz has great taste? Probably so, but that is only because we had so many of the same vendors! Liz and Calvin were married at the Hotel Allegro, used the same fantastic band, linen company, as well as had their rehearsal dinner at the same place. We even wore the same color nail polish (Mimosas for Mr. & Mrs. by OPI). And, we opted to incorporate our husband’s culture into the ceremony. But you know what? Their wedding was completely different and I loved theirs just as much as mine.
Liz’s wedding day, unfortunately, started off on the wrong foot. Liz had hung her dress on a billiard cue rack. While it probably would have made for an amazing gown shot, the dress ended up with blue chalk all over the back. A quick call to the gown experts, The Dress Doctor, and the stains were gone. If that wasn’t enough, Liz had purchased an antique brooch to pin to her bow. As soon as we went to pin it on, the brooch broke in half. When her bridesmaid tried to sow it together, the brooch crumbled. Luckily, we have the same (great) taste and I had a brooch very similar at home. My husband came with the brooch and some much needed Starbucks. Like me, Liz never broke a sweat. She stayed totally calm after two minor freak accidents. And after that, it was smooth sailing.
Band – High Society Orchestra
Cake – Rolf’s
Florist – A Perfect Event
Linens – Covered Affairs
Photographer – Jeff Owen at Modern Images
Reception – Hotel Allegro
Rehearsal Dinner – Giordano’s
Transportation – Windy City Limo
Videographer – Modern Images
Vendors Reviews Part II
Ann Taylor
Wedding– The night of the wedding, everything was perfect. More than that, the week of the wedding, we had absolutely no problems. Let’s start with the good. The hotel was amazing when it came to food. For the entrée duet, we changed the salmon to a crab cake. We also added a pasta course and supplied our own recipes. We also came up with some more unique hors d’oeuvres and they were totally willing to do it. I really appreciated it. The service was outstanding.
Things that I didn’t like– I wish that Kerry could have gotten back to us more quickly during the planning process. I don’t know if she is under-staffed/over-worked but 10 days for a reply is far too long. I loathe the draping in the Music Room and the Walnut Room. If I had the money, I would have brought new drapes in for my event. They are absolutely hideous. I would recommend the venue. Overall, we really enjoyed the Allegro.
My in-law’s were the first to check in on Thursday night. When I went to visit them on Friday, I realized that their room was on a floor with construction. I was livid. I specifically had a line added to my contract stating that I did not want any rooms to be booked on floors with construction. To top it off, my mother-in-law said that it was loud. Sarah was on vacation. Kerry was away that day in training. After speaking with the front desk, my in-laws were finally moved.
When my Maid of Honor and I went to check into our room at noon, I was unable even though Sarah had assured me that I would be able to check in early. We tried to check in again around 5PM. The room was still not ready. Luckily, I had rented out the Stardust Suite so we were able to get ready in that room while guests were drinking and socializing. Not ideal, but it worked. When we did go to check into the room at 10:30PM, the front desk associate told us that he had bad news for us. The only room that was available was the room that my in-laws had vacated. Great. I am having my wedding at the hotel and I get the crappy suite. I even asked if we could get a regular room but there was none available.
I was even unhappier when I found that there was a second hotel block under the name of Jacobs that had received our suites. While the chances of two hotel blocks with the same name are slim, I was still very frustrated with the entire situation. We were having our wedding there. Therefore, we deserved first priority.
Additionally, I was frustrated that my husband and I were unable to check into our bridal suite until 5PM because the room was not ready. Surely, one would assume that the bride and groom would prefer to check in to the bridal suite long before the reception commences. It is extremely disappointing customer service. The silver lining of the situation is that my guests did not have to experience any of these problems.
A few days later, I emailed her to see if she saw the problem. Apparently, the cards were destroyed in the mail. Maybe I am overly sensitive, but she never accepted the blame or apologized. While I see her point of view (she didn’t get proof of the mistake), I wish that she would have been a little more regretful about the entire situation.
Venue Remodel
Music Room
It’s the foyer immediately outside of the Walnut Ballroom. They’ve added a lot of really modern black and white touches. We’ll be holding our cocktail hour there.
I love the paintings that flank the doors to the Ballroom.
Very cool black and white credenza.
The other black and white credenza on the other side of the bar.
The Music Room has two grand staircases that lead to the cocktail hour.
Back Lobby
This is my favorite part of the remodel. We decided to take pictures over here with the bridal party.
We’re taking pictures before the ceremony. Since we both want to have our first meeting together special, this is where we decided to meet!
Room view in the process of being set up for a reception
We will be getting married facing the mirror.
Does anyone find anything redeeming about these drapes?
Overall, I am happy with the remodeling of the ballroom. It’s a risky decision to pick a venue that is going over a remodel. In our case, the remodeling to the reception space was minimal: new drapes, new carpet, and a fresh coat on the wood walls.
If you find a venue that you love, I’d say go for it! Just be prepared to not like some of the changes. In our case, it is the hideous drapes.