Weddingbee Blog

Trying to find the perfect location for our engagement party seemed like a big deal, but only to me and Momma Kettle. Grandmother Kettle kept reminding me that she’d never been to an engagement party before so she didn’t see the big deal.

I reminded her she’d just never been invited to one before, so that wasn’t quite the same thing as it being some made-up newfangled party for Mr. Kettle and me.

I do think my mother and I made it more difficult on ourselves than we had to, though. We went through several idea before we settled on one that worked.

Image: Maggiano’s / Here Comes The Guide

Plan: Sit-Down Dinner At a Restaurant; like Maggiano’s in Chicago

Why It Seemed Great: Imagine that picture, except for an engagement party instead of a wedding reception. All of our family gathered for the type of food Chicagoans constantly drool over.

Why It Didn’t Work:

The cost is ridiculous for just the “appetizer” of our wedding events. And the environment is a bit too… stuffy… for the type of party we wanted to ultimately have. We envisioned our people having a great time hanging out, not being forced to stay in their seats for a plated dinner.

Image: G.R. N’Namdi Gallery

Plan: Art Gallery or Outdoor Venue

Why It Seemed Great: Mr. Kettle loves places that look “industrial,” like the G.R. N’Namdi Gallery in Chicago. Plus we could use our own caterer and decorations and music…

Why It Didn’t Work: and liquor license… and linens… and tables… and chairs… and the costs began too add up a bit too much. It seemed that we at least needed a place that already had a liquor license as well as tables and chairs to accommodate what is turning out to be a wedding full of intimate parties for 100-300 people. Sigh.

Metromix Chicago / Page for Andy’s Jazz Club

Plan: Jazz or Blues Club, like Andy’s Jazz Club in Chicago

Why It Seemed Great: Mr. K is a jazz musician. My mother and I were dying to incorporate that into the wedding somehow. These places have tables and chairs and are set up for live music, which is perfect for what we were once envisioning.

Why It Didn’t Work: The cost for these places had to cover them losing business for that day. And we weren’t prepared to cover costs for that much money. We’d have to have the party on Wednesday afternoon to afford it.

So we finally ended up with…drum roll please…I’ll just explain in the next post.

Were you able to find an engagement party venue that didn’t break the bank?