The Venue

(PHOTOS: Hotel Monaco - Alexandria, VA)
T called me down to Alexandria, VA (destination for the wedding - please, no paparazzi), to help her search out the best location for her wedding. Like any bride, she first had to decide a few things:

1.) What would her budget be for food, beverage and venue?
2.) Is the venue in an accessible location for out-of-town guests?
3.) How many guests was she planning on having (aka, how big of a room would she need)?
4.) Was there an outside-caterer she had her heart set on using? (most hotels do their own catering, and many also include specific vendors for cake/flowers/music)

The questions were all a little overwhelming for T, who decided we should just drive to old town and figure it out from there. The first place she took me to was a brand-new Hilton. The hotel itself was fine, but when we saw the ballroom, I immediately gave it the bridesmaid thumbs-down. The room was dark and not very wide. It reminded of me of an office. Not exactly the type of atmosphere that screamed "Romance."

T was a little discouraged. But like any robust bride & bridesmaid team, we kept on trucking. As we drove further down King St., we came upon a series of cute boutiques, shops, bars and restaurants. This was already a plus considering that most guests were coming from out of town, and so they'd be looking to make a weekend out of T's wedding extravaganza (I'm channeling my inner Zha-Zha Gabor, pay no attention).

Right in the middle of this bar/ice cream shop/brick-sidewalk town is a brand new Hotel Monaco. We immediately had a good feeling when we could park the car for 10 dollars. The feeling only got better when a super friendly wedding planner came out to greet us and showed us a sample room (the hotel is under construction but will be done way before W-Day), the courtyard, a menu, and of course the ballroom. The whole thing was fantastic. T right away started asking about food -- how many appetizers she could have, what the price would be to substitute different brands of alcohol. I, on the other hand, spent the hour trying to find out how many rooms we could get at a discount and if there'd be space for an eight-piece band. I'm never practical in my own life, but when it comes to T's wedding, I'm like those old ladies who reuse teabags.

And so there you have it - Hotel Monaco it is. Now that we've got the venue, we can get on with the details!

As always, happy planning...