The Rumely Historic Event Space

cation to others. Pros: The space is one of a kind, there are several beautiful areas inside and out to take pictures, they provide staff to run the elevator, and it's conveniently located close to down town with plenty of hotel options. Cons: I was passed from staff to staff with very little communication between them so multiple times I had to resend emails or call several times before I could get an answer. During the wedding a new member of their staff was assigned to me who was incredibly rude and I had multiple complaints about her. Our coordinator for Rumely talked to me several times on the phone but I never saw her once. If you get married here during haunted house timeframe (late Sept - Early Nov) you are their second priority! I ask (several times) for the haunted house member to be out of sight until the ceremony was over, instead they harassed my guests and sat on the steps in full costume watching the wedding. They parked cars under the bridge where we were getting married right behind our arch so in every picture there are cars, a trailer, and orange cones. Overall, we made the most of our wedding but please do your research before booking here!

oximately 130. The exposed brick, original hard wood flooring, stained glass pieces and chandeliers give the space a rustic elegance. Add your flowers, decorations and happy guests and the warmth and beauty of this place will shine. Kourtney was accommodating and super quick to respond to questions throughout the entire planning process. She met with me and my vendors at the Rumely a handful of times, which was SO helpful when getting everyone on board with my wedding vision.

mmodations for a mistake that was made, and she went out of her way to make a situation that was very important to us right.

e look we wanted) and large armoire, the white curtains also provided a very nice backdrop for our ceremony. Having the built in stage was great so all of our guests could see us. The chandeliers and lighting was perfect. We used the church pews in addition to chairs so we could still have that "church" feel. I loved the entry way and we used the chalkboard as our program. The bathrooms seemed adequate on the main floor. The temperature on the first floor was great even in the July heat. The cocktail hour was held outside under the 12th street bridge. We lucked out and had great weather that day. My husband and I didn't make it to the cocktail hour, but all of our guests really enjoyed the area under the bridge. The reception was on the 2nd floor. I absolutely loved the rustic/industrial look to the 2nd floor. The tin ceilings are amazing. The main bar is very large. We had a band and the stage was perfect for them. The back area by the heart wall is great for a buffet. The bride's suite was great. The bathrooms were very adequate for our party of 250. It did get a little hot upstairs however. Only thing I would differ is they say the capacity upstairs is 400 people, but it felt tight with the tables at 250, so just beware, I would say 300 max upstairs. Overall, loved the Rumely! We got a ton of compliments on the uniqueness of the venue and I would do it there again in a heartbeat!

and the day ran very smoothly. The only downside, and why I didn’t give the space a 5 Star Review, is because I had to speak with 3 different people during the planning stages. We had set our appointment up with one person, and she had left the company, and the same had happened a second time, before our third contact person was the final and last contact person we had until the day of. It wouldn’t have been a big deal, except there wasn’t a call or email giving us a heads up, just a text from the former employees saying they were no longer with the company, so we had to investigate and find our new contact person on our own. Otherwise, the venue and staff were great to work with.

sold the downstairs space to accommodate 400 people, however, this reception ended up with 350 (35 tables) and it was extremely and uncomfortably tight downstairs. The onsite planner that we worked with was unorganized and forgot a lot of the details that we had discussed during the 30-day out planning meeting. She also did not seem like she wanted to be there the day of which was not pleasant to work with. This is definitely a venue where you should strongly consider a day-of coordinator at a minimum to help so you and your guests can enjoy the reception.

hidden gem The Rumely is! Our reception was on October 7th. For you brides wanting to use this venue but worried about the haunted houses...don’t be. When we booked a I was a little concerned but they assured me no one would know they were going on and they are correct! There were no street actors out front that day. You could not hear any noise from the haunted houses either. The street was blocked off so parking was not an issue! I encourage anyone who is looking for an antique looking space to book this venue, it’s beautiful!! We also used the lower level ballroom for our rehearsal dinner which was just as beautiful as the upper level, it worked out great! Thank you Jamie and the Rumely staff for everything!!!

so we just used the upstairs for our reception. The reclaimed wood bar is pretty awesome and I really enjoyed using the back 'nook' for our buffet. It allowed for more space and kept the food out of the way. We had about 180 guests and I will admit, it seemed a bit tight once we had all of the tables set up, but I did allow for a couple of extra tables so each seat could have a bit more elbow room ( We had about 20 tables plus 4 of their farm tables as our head table). Once dinner ended, the staff moved some of them around to allow for a large dance floor. I love the old building, but unfortunately (and understandably) it isn't very well insulated. They do have portable ac units and do the best they can to keep doors and elevators closed, but it did get pretty hot inside. So keep that in mind when looking into historic buildings. The initial contact with the staff seemed smooth as we booked the space and put a deposit down. About halfway through the planning process I got a phone call that the woman we had been working with had been let go. (Which made sense because she didn't seem to know much about details ie: said we could 'probably' come in the day before to set up, but only if they didn't get another event booked... ??...) Michelle was our next contact and she was super helpful in the months leading up to the reception. They then, set you up with a senior event specialists for the day of coordinating. I met with Jaime the week before the wedding and while she was great, I did feel like it was a bit chaotic having to meet and go over details with multiple planners for the same venue. All in all the space is great. Its a beautiful venue in a cool location. Our guests loved the uniqueness and it made for a stunning reception.

nning their wedding long-distance. Things were more-or-less redeemed the day of (coming into contact with a way-worse vendor put our encounter with Rumely in perspective) but here's a list of pros / cons: PROS: • There really aren't any other spaces like it in the city. It's such a unique venue, and I loved having the opportunity to have our cocktail hour underneath the 12th Street bridge. All of our guests loved the space, and I loved not feeling like we were having a cookie-cutter wedding. • We had an unfortunate incident (see the first con) and they continued to work with us despite never receiving payment. • We were able to come in a day early to drop off decorations. • The space functioned very well to have both our ceremony and reception there—it never felt too cramped or too big (we had a smaller wedding). • They were accommodating to a unique request: having a petting zoo as a surprise for my husband. • I really didn't have much contact with them the day of, which is great: They were handling their business, which let me handle mine. CONS: • Our money (along with other couples) was stolen by a former employee. They had no record of us, and as such, we didn't learn about it until months later when we came into town and a potential vendor told us what was going on. It took them a few days to get back to us once I contacted them multiple times, and they did honor the contract we signed, but it was a stressful beginning to the relationship. • The second contact we were connected with promised us a lot of things—most notably, that I would be able to have lit candlesticks as part of my reception centerpieces. We weren't immediately told when she stopped working there; it wasn't until my wedding planner contacted them maybe a month before the wedding that we learned that we'd have a new contact. • We learned later that we wouldn't be able to do a few of the things the previous person promised months prior. The one that upset me the most was not having lit candlesticks because they use fans along with AC to keep the old building cool in the summer. So, 30 days before my wedding, I had the stress of thinking of an entirely new centerpiece idea after I had become SUPER attached to this specific look. It was disappointing—if the second contact had told me I wouldn't be allowed to do it, I would never have the disappointment of being told I couldn't so close to the wedding date. • Poor communication was an issue throughout my experience with them, but I've been promised by Jamie, a capable member of the team, that they're working on it. • It's an old building, and it got very hot—especially in the bridal suite. They brought in an industrial cooler, but it wasn't very effective. And having the fans whirring wasn't ideal. All in all, it was a very beautiful, unique space—but there were issues that kept it from ultimately being a stress-free, ideal wedding venue for us.

I can't compliment the Rumely and their helpful staff enough!

ic charm of yesteryear that the newer buildings in the metro area simply could not pull-off. The unique and historic elevator to the second floor, where the reception took place, provided for a spectacular way for the bride and groom to make their grand entrance into the presence of the awaiting of guests. The Rumely staff worked hard to assist our decorators, DJ and MC and servers to make sure the event transpired without a glitch.

asy to get a hold of worked around our schedule. Michelle helped us with logistics of the day and the little details. She also gave great advice! The Rumely is beautiful and we loved the location. Some of my favorite parts that sold me on the venue is the bridal suite, chandeliers, the bar and the big freight elevator. It was beautiful! I would recommend for any bride to make a timeline for the day and give it to the person in charge at the venue as well as all of your vendors names and numbers. It makes everyone on the same page and everything consistent. Thank you to everyone at the Rumely that helped make our evening perfect!

ating other than table decorations needed!) but our contact at the Rumley, Anthony, was equally as impressive as the space. The whole wedding industry is a beast of its own but Anthony made this part of the process a cake-walk. He did what he said he would do, responded to all of our questions and calls quickly, was professional, went over and above to help us in any way he could and remained calm during what can easily be a very stressful time! He was pleasant, accommodating, a fantastic resource for caterers and other vendors and was an integral part in making our wedding reception a success. This space has it all and if we had it to do over, we would go with the Rumley again, no questions asked. Thank you, Anthony, for everything you and the other staff members did to help us have an amazing reception! You all are fantastic!

d any questions we had. He also gave us some great recommendations for different vendors. The space is so beautiful and all of our guests loved it! We toured over 20 different reception spaces in Kansas City, but we could never get the Rumely out of our head!

th the planning process leading up to the wedding day. Anthony was my main contact with the Rumely and was always willing to help and offer suggestions. We met multiple times throughout the year and did a lot of walkthroughs in the space. He was always willing to help and was extremely responsive throughout the entire process. On the day of the event he was there the entire evening which made me feel so much more comfortable and at ease. The space is absolutely gorgeous and has such unique characteristics. I received a ton of compliments from all of my guests. I had a little over 200 people at my reception and it was perfect. I highly recommend this incredible event space in the Historic West Bottoms!

ing job with everything. He was so flexible, easy to work with, and gave us easy access to the space for set up the day before, the day of, and also the day after the wedding to gather our items and gifts. He also was available for our vendors as needed throughout the day. I can't express what a benefit that was. Regardless how prepared, you need the extra time if you want to truly enjoy the wedding day. The event space was beautiful and we utilized the huge elevator for grand entrances during the outside ceremony and inside reception. We had approx. 220 guests and all the guests were very comfortable with plenty of room and great climate control. Anthony also arranged security for the late night block party and everything went smoothly and no uninvited guests entered the space. I would highly recommend the Rumely if you are planning a wedding. It is very unique, elegant, and the staff is excellent and helpful. Penny Mother of the Bride.

e week of the wedding as many promised building updates were not completed until 3 days prior to event. Thank goodness the AC was finally installed- It was quite hot on the dance floor, but manageable compared to what it could have been. I will say- although we had a difficult time nailing down a point of contact (multiple over the course of the year) Jaime and Anthony turned out to be very helpful at the end. Others were unpleasant, but it was very nice to wrap things up with those two. If you book here- make sure you are dealing with one of them. Jaime was AMAZING day of and is definitely one of the best assets of the venue. Our day was beautiful, but we could have used an easier booking experience.