Friday, July 23, 2010

The Venue Search...Part II

I am thrilled to follow up Wednesday's post with the news that Megan has chosen her reception venue!  Out of all the possibilites (which are quite numerous), she has chosen the Gandy Dancer, Ann Arbor's first class dining establishment, as the venue for her wedding reception!





Megan and I met with Kristina, the events coordinator, a couple weeks ago and she was great!  The Gandy Dancer is a really affordable venue in Ann Arbor.  Wedding receptions typically take place outside in their courtyard, which is tented.  They provide tables, chairs, white linens (including napkins), and all dinnerware and glassware.  You can fit up to 120 people comfortably by seating them at round tables of 8.  Your primary costs when you choose the Gandy Dancer are:  food & beverage, alcohol, tax, service charge, and dance floor.

 They charge 20% service charge and standard 6% Michigan sales tax.  Their most inexpensive dinner offering is $39.95 and includes a soup OR salad, choice of one of four entrees including chicken, shrimp, fish, or steak, and creme brulee for dessert.  Each entree is served with a vegetable and a starch, and water, iced tea and soft drinks are included as part of the meal charge.  If you do not want the dessert included with the package, and would like to bring in your own dessert, they will take $3 off the price - so this particular meal would cost $36.95 (plus tax & service charge).  They do have pricier options that are more inclusive - I encourage you to check these out!

The dance floor costs $250 and you can bring in whichever DJ you prefer.  There is no charge for having a private bar, you just have to pay for the alcohol (which you can set a ceiling on).  The reception area comes with uplighting, including twinkle lights strung around the beams, and they also offer round paper lanterns that hang from the ceiling if it suits your decor style (free of charge).

Kristina at the Gandy Dancer takes care of the set-up, you just need to drop your items off to her.  They are very flexible, and very willing to work with each individual situation.  They require a $250 deposit on a credit card to hold the date.  You have until 90 days prior to the event to cancel, and you can rebook for any date within the year to avoid losing your $250.  If you cancel within the 90 day window of your event you lose your $250 deposit.

You may email Kristina at gandbq@ldry.com to receive availability and specific pricing information.

Click here to view the Gandy Dancer's dinner menu

courtney@petalsplanningco.com
http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

2 comments:

Samantha Cover said...

wow, great info! I never would have thought that the Gandy Dancer would be so affordable :-)

Petals Planning Co. said...

Isn't it great? And, another tidbit of information...the pastry chef at the Gandy Dancer makes amazing (looking & tasting)cakes for $3.50 a slice!