I cannot imagine a more perfect venue for our ceremony and reception. From start to finish, the team at Carnegie made what was a daunting process into something manageable. They responded quickly to our initial request for information, then qui...ckly found a date that we could come tour the venue. When we walked in, I was blown away by how beautiful everything was, the front steps, the columns and marble floors, intricate ceilings, etc. This architectural beauty made our pictures end up stunning and made our décor needs minimal when compared to other venues. There is such attention to detail there, I felt confident after the initial tour that it was our perfect venue. It appealed to us because it has the grandeur of a fancy venue but was a great value for all the things that you could do there. We brought in our own catering (Montgomery Inn) and alcohol (delivered by Party Source), and those savings alone made choosing there a great financial decision. There were also small things that we appreciated, such as letting us borrow some of the decorations they have there (easel for the seating chart, arch for our ceremony). We also appreciated the amenities such as having spaces for both the bridesmaids and the groomsmen to get ready. Across the street is a parking lot, which was extremely convenient. If there are concerns about accessibility, they also have a small elevator there which is a nice find in a historic building. In case you can’t tell, I loved the facility itself.
The best part about our experience wasn’t the facility though, it was the hard-working staff that made everything come together beautifully. Peggy gave us our initial tour and discussed booking with us, then Kim came in once we booked the venue and was our coordinator. Let me just say that having Kim there was AMAZING! She knew the right questions to ask and to guide you when making decisions for the ceremony and reception. She was prompt with emails and scheduling our meetings, which they recommend at 6 months out, 3 months out, 6 weeks out, and 3 weeks out (or something to that effect). It may seem like a lot of meetings, but it was amazing to be able to look at the venue so often and bring décor ideas to test out. As far as day of, all of the staff was there and did everything from making sure vendors knew where to go, to directing guests to the bathrooms, to coordinating donating the extra food after the reception. All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend booking Carnegie as your reception venue.