ABOUT YOU: You want to have a reception after your beach (or city hall) wedding. But you don't want to spend thousands. You like our fun vibe, and your friends and family love you. You want a venue that will embrace your [ahem] unconventional family, and let you celebrate your big day, your own way.
Here's your plan...
COSTS
$500 = Basic space rental. (This would be your non-refundable deposit, too.) This covers set-up, tear-down, and clean-up.
+$150 = Pre-paid bar tab for 50 drinks. (You pay this a week before the event, so we can stock the bar.)(We give you 50 drink tickets you can distribute. You know who they are...)
+$50 = Photobooth on 'digital party mode' (You pay this a week before the event)
=$700 TOTAL EXPENSE TO US
+$300 = Refundable security deposit. (You pay this a week before the event, too. It is refundable 2 days after your event if your guests have been reasonably well-behaved. :) )
TIMING: If you are booking on a weekend evening (Fri-Sat-Sun), we need a couple of months notice. (We normally book live music performers and advertise a month in advance. Those days are locked in.)
If you are booking on a weekday (Mon-Thurs), or daytime any day, then we may be able to do much shorter notice.
THRIFTY FEATURES...
MUSIC: No band or DJ? No problem. We've got Alexa hooked up to indoor/outdoor speakers.
PHOTOBOOTH: We can set the photobooth on 'Digital Party Mode' for $50. That means you and your guests can use the photobooth over and over, and (if they want to) can email their images to themselves. They just won't get printed photos. Instead, we will give you a zip folder later with all the digital images people took that night. You can use those for blackmail for years. Or you can print them for your friends, or send them out slowly, one crazy image at a time, on social media. You can do this instead of a photographer, or in addition to your cousin Joe who has an old Pentax.
FOOD: We can't let you use our kitchen, but you could have your friends bring potluck. We will set aside a table for your home buffet.
DRINKS: After your guests consume their pre-paid bar tab, they can continue as they wish. Drinks will be $3, for beer, wine, and mixed drinks such as margaritas.
UPGRADES:
** Food: We really do have good value for food, because our perfect little kitchen is 5 feet from the event space. For another $100, we could make you two very nice crockpots of hot food, with serving dishes. You could do this in combination with your family potluck buffet. And/or for another $60, we can make you a wedding pyramid of lovely little wedding cupcakes (30 of them). Come to any of our Fri-Sat-Sun evening events and you can taste our food. Not bad, not bad!
You. Yes, you. You know that parade you always wanted? The parade for YOU? Yes, this is your time.
In this town, we have the beach, and we have many many bicycles. In fact, we have more bicycles than car parking. Want to get married at the beach? (Which has, by the way, not much parking.)
Do it, then hitch up those skirts and start your journey to wedded bliss on a nice beach cruiser. We will have a truckload or three of multi-color beach cruisers standing by at the beach, just awaiting your vows.
Then you and your squad can pedal the flat six blocks to our venue for your reception, where cold beer awaits. [Also, I might add, an OUTDOOR SHOWER. And two indoor showers, if you wish. But it's a party--don't worry about it!]
Life is shorter than we think. Let your married life begin with a parade. It will be the first of many beautiful adventures you share.
Other details for this example: This is your basic 'Thrifty Eloper', with 'Beach Wedding' plus 'Parade Package'. You book the beach officiant, and pay for the bicycle rentals. We do the arrangements to get everyone there at the right time, and get cars where they are needed, rain or shine.
MORE ABOUT THE BEACH:
We are six blocks from Cherie Down Park beach, where weddings are free and legal.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cherie-Down-Park/ *NOT DISPLAYED* 60126
NOTE: This party is not for the faint of heart. But if you are lucky, you will be invited when we do this bash for ourselves this fall. Meanwhile, you can do one just like it, too...
Here's an EXAMPLE of a BIG party plan, and what it would cost:
FOOD: We are preparing a buffet for you with the equivalent of 10 crockpots of food (5 different crockpots with 1 refill each). We will have a cupcake 'wedding pyramid' for 120.
LINENS, DISHES: We will provide table covers, plates, flatware, napkins, serving utensils, dessert dishes.
DRINK: We are providing beer/wine bar service (prepaid for 80 drinks). We will have beer, wine, and selected mixed drinks (such as margaritas) for individuals to purchase at $3/drink. We will stock the bar with a selected repertoire of favorites.
OFFICIANT: We are booking your officiant. We will coordinate with them. You will pay the officiant directly.
REHEARSAL: You have chosen to have a small private rehearsal party/photo shoot on a TUESDAY 2.5 weeks before the event. We will provide private food and pre-paid bar service for 3 hours (from 5 to 8 pm). You will bring 30 people (including your officiant, wedding party members, stylist, and your photographer for a wedding photo shoot). You will have exclusive use of the event space during that time.
PHOTOGRAPHY: You have booked a photographer.
MAKE-UP/HAIR: You have booked a stylist.
DECOR: We will provide heart decor, and paper flower bouquets for the tables. You are arriving the day prior for additional decorating (or you can provide your decorating materials and plan earlier in the week, and we can do the arranging the day of). We will provide additional paper flowers for guests and the wedding party.
CHAIRS & TABLES: We will provide 80 chairs with tables for party seating. We will coordinate with you on room layout, and make plans for rainy day/ sunny day alternatives.
MUSIC: We are booking you a MAJOR regional band at your expense ($1000-$1500). We will coordinate with the band. THIS REQUIRES 3-6 MONTHS ADVANCE PLAN. We will find out band availability first, then you will book the band and set the date for the event at the same time. We will coordinate this for you.
CHARACTER GUESTS: We are booking SPACEPERSON from Kennedy Space Center and COSPLAY characters from Orlando. You will pay their fees, and pay us a fee for handling the arrangements.
PHOTOBOOTH: You are using the 'digital party mode' for the photobooth. You have chosen a CUSTOM digital party frame for the photobooth images. Guests will take unlimited photos in the photobooth, but the printer will be off. You will receive a USB stick after the wedding with all of the images shot in the photobooth.
SCHEDULE: Your event will be from 5 to 12 pm. We will prep before 5, and clean up after 12. Guests can start arriving at 5, and stay until 12. You have chosen a SATURDAY for this event, so you booked 3 months in advance, allowing us to reserve that time for you (and thus we will not book our usual live music event for Saturday).
SUMMARY OF COSTS:
$900 Space
+$500 Food
+$200 Linens & table settings
+$240 Bar service pre-pay
+$300 Cupcake wedding pyramid
+$200 Custom paper flowers
+$600 Rehearsal party & photoshoot
+$150 Photobooth: Digital party mode, with post-party delivery of Zip folder of images. Custom digital commemorative frame.
+$100 'Character' handling fee
=$3190 TOTAL EXPENSE TO US
+$800 Security deposit (refundable two days after event, if all goes well)
=$3990 CASH TOTAL (including refundable security deposit)
PAYMENT SCHEDULE: $900 upon booking event. $600 on day of rehearsal party/photo shoot. Remainder due two weeks prior to the event. Security deposit returned 2 days after event, if all went well.
NOTE: Really, your LGBTQ wedding party package may be no different than any other. But we made this separate entry to make this very clear: You and your clan are welcome here. Now let's get down to party business...
Here's an EXAMPLE of a party plan, and what it would cost:
FOOD: You are bringing or catering the food for buffet service. We will provide buffet tables. We will make a cupcake 'wedding pyramid' for 80.
LINENS, DISHES: You/your caterer will provide table covers, plates, flatware, napkins. We can provide serving utensils. We will provide dessert dishes for the wedding cupcake pyramid.
DRINK: We are providing beer/wine bar service (prepaid for 80 drinks). We will have beer, wine, and selected mixed drinks (such as margaritas) for individuals to purchase at $3/drink. We will coordinate with you on preferred bar supplies.
OFFICIANT: You have booked your officiant. We will coordinate with them.
REHEARSAL: You have chosen to have a small private rehearsal party/photo shoot on a TUESDAY 2.5 weeks before the event. We will provide private food and cash bar service for 3 hours (from 5 to 8 pm). You will bring 30 people (including your officiant, wedding party members, stylist, and your photographer for a wedding photo shoot). You will have exclusive use of the event space during that time.
PHOTOGRAPHY: You have booked a photographer.
MAKE-UP/HAIR: You have booked a stylist.
DECOR: We will provide heart decor, and paper flower bouquets for the tables. You are arriving the day prior for additional decorating (or you can provide your decorating materials and plan earlier in the week, and we can do the arranging the day of).
CHAIRS & TABLES: We will provide 80 chairs with tables for party seating. We will coordinate with you on room layout, and make plans for rainy day/ sunny day alternatives.
MUSIC: You are booking a band at your expense. We will coordinate with them.
PHOTOBOOTH: You are using the 'digital party mode' for the photobooth. Guests will take unlimited photos in the photobooth, but the printer will be off. You will receive a USB stick after the wedding with all of the images shot in the photobooth.
SCHEDULE: Your event will be from 5 to 10 pm. We will prep before 5, and clean up after 10. Guests can start arriving at 5, and stay until 10. You have chosen a SUNDAY for this event, so you booked 2 months in advance, allowing us to reserve that time for you (and thus we will not book our usual live music event for Sunday).
SUMMARY OF COSTS:
$700 Space
+$240 Bar service pre-pay
+$150 Cupcake wedding pyramid
+$300 Rehearsal party & photoshoot
+$50 Photobooth: Digital party mode, with post-party delivery of Zip folder of images.
=$1440 TOTAL EXPENSE TO US
+$500 Security deposit (refundable two days after event, if all goes well)
=$1940 CASH TOTAL (including refundable security deposit)
PAYMENT SCHEDULE: $500 upon booking event. $300 on day of rehearsal party/photo shoot. Remainder due one week prior to the event. Security deposit returned 2 days after event, if all went well.
AND A FINAL NOTE: We do have one feature that may be appealing to some wedding participants or guests on your special day... privacy. We own this building, and we love our guests. You will not encounter any haters on your beautiful day. If you book on a Sunday, even our gym will be closed (that's the front half of one of our buildings), so the dressing rooms (and all those full-length mirrors on the gym walls) are yours to use in peace and quiet. Our big tropical garden is gated and fenced, and we can close the gates as you wish. On the other hand, you may wish to turn your event into a public party--we're game for that, too! Bring it! It's your day. We're just here to help make it work.
We can host your party, reception or reunion in our lounge and gardens. You may know we have live music every weekend (most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays)--consider that a rehearsal for your party!
We have a beer/wine bar, a commercial kitchen, fantastic tropical garden, photobooth, antique pool table, and a great repertoire of area bands and musicians.
We are open to all.
Larger and non-refundable deposit required if booking weekend evenings (Friday-Saturday-Sunday). With advance planning, we would considering coordinating with our musicians to reschedule their weekend performance so we could host your event instead. (Or you may want to book them for your private event!)
We can provide private workspace with two 10 x 12 projection screens (one indoors and one outdoors for evening projection) for your corporate event. Take your meeting breaks in our tropical garden. We can provide lunch, snacks or other refreshments from our commercial kitchen and bar for an additional charge, or you can cater in.