Weddingbee Blog

Like an employer looking for the right employee, we began our venue hunt with a wide range of candidates that slowly dwindled down to THE ONE through a process of elimination.

Community centers are great as wedding venues because everything is BYO, meaning you can start from a blank canvas and throw as lavish or as simple a party as you want. Plus, if you live in the community, chances are you are entitled to a special discount off the rental fee.

On the downside, because community centers are government owned and maintained, there are also a lot of restrictions, such as no hanging things from the ceiling, no open flames indoors, noise levels must be kept at a certain decibel so as to not disturb the neighbors, etc. So make sure to double check all the rules and regulations before you commit to a community center. That said, you also have the opportunity to let your imagination run wild and use whichever vendors you want. iPod wedding? Go for it. Potluck-style dining? Bring it on!

The Bay Area is very blessed to have some beautiful community centers available for rental, so Mr. French Toast and I were very keen on using a community center. Here are a few contenders which almost took the job home…

Piedmont

Brisbane

Palo Alto

…and a couple that were strong contenders but ultimately didn’t make the list due to the cost, restrictions, or distance.

Atherton

Hacienda

Here Comes the Guide, where I found most of these venues, is a great resource to browse during the work hours as part of the venue hunt. Oops! Did I just say that? I meant that it is a great website to browse at home, after work, when you have all the time in the world to make a crazy spreadsheet like me and compare all the pros and cons between the venues.

But in the end, all the endless hours I spent putting this together didn’t compare to the one venue that was always in the back of my mind…

How was your search for a venue? Was it a no-brainer or a difficult process of elimination?