Ever since I first set foot in CityGate Grille when I was visiting possible venues, I knew it was the right choice. It is a beautiful, modern space that is relatively new and unknown, so all of my in-town guests hadn't already attended a thousa...nd weddings there. I wanted a space that was more interesting and unique than just a rectangular ballroom, and I found that here. Having the patio space for cocktails is a great bonus!
Right from the get-go, I received excellent service and attention from the then-coordinator, Nancy. She allowed me to visit the site while they were setting up for other weddings repeatedly so that I could see different layouts in actuality. This also gave me the opportunity to see the staff at work, which was a very calm and organized process, even when dealing with obstacles.
Our menu tasting was a wonderful experience. We were seated at a table in the CityGate Grill restaurant upstairs and were able to taste and savor the different options we had chosen to try. Everything was delicous! My fiance, who hates seafood, insisted that we serve the crabcakes because even he liked them! My favorite part was when I was told that, as the bride, I get to eat whatever I want. So I got tomato soup and a side of risotto (my favorite foods) while everyone else was eating the yummy bean soup and garlic potatoes.
A few weeks before the big day, I received notification from Nancy that she had accepted a new position and would be leaving CityGate Grille. As sad as I was to see her go, I knew I would be in good hands because I had received nothing but excellent service from everyone I had interacted with at both CityGate and Hotel Arista.
Fortunately, Nancy's position was filled right away again, and I was able to meet with the new coordinator, Brittiny, as soon as possible. A mere two weeks before the event, we had a wonderful, stress-free meeting to go over all the details. She was enthusiastic and eager to make sure everything we had discussed with and agreed to with Nancy would be delivered, including honoring an outdated reception package that included more than the current one.
On the big day, the entire staff was incredible accommodating. There were a couple times during cocktail hour when I needed Brittiny while she was inside getting the dining room ready, but the wait staff was great about sending her out to me. There was also some confusion about what to do with the wedding gifts during cocktail hour because the gift table was inside the off-limits dining room, and a little bit more direction was needed by the guests when it came time to move inside for dinner. People were entering through the wrong doors and bypassing the escort card table, so they didn't know where to sit, but eventually they were pointed in the right direction and everyone was seated in record time.
Overall, the evening went very smoothly. We received so many compliments on the location and the food, including the cake. I highly recommend this venue to brides who are having moderate-sized weddings (we had 75) and who want something a little bit out of the ordinary but still fairly traditional. Compared to other venues in the area, this place is a GREAT value and doesn't impose "their way of doing things" on the customer. Brittiny is a delight to work with and was willing to make anything I asked of her happen.