The overall cost of the alcohol was pretty reasonable considering our reception was 5 hours long with a full, open bar. Gina was helpful and attentive and always kept things moving. You will not be disappointed! I liked the beautiful look of the venue, and we got many, many compliments on the Priory Chapel and Small Theatre reception areas. I highly recommend this venue! The Athenaeum will make a magical start to a wonderful future, complete with memories to last a lifetime. I cant recommend this venue enough! Equally as lavish, the various small and large rooms can comfortably hold up to 900 guests. My wedding planner had warned me of the tricks they like to pull and how much they would charge us for each little thing and I still decided to give them a chance. Being located downtown is another added plus!! kie Kelley, to the customer relations manager, Lori Fiske, to the executive chef, Lynn Kirch and the GM, Susan Cassidy,and all who made this a night to remember, our many thanks go out! We had originally gotten married in a microwedding in February and, on a whim, decided to have a large reception in August. The only con I would mention is that the chicken was on the dry side, but that is such a small detail in the grand scheme of your big day. They did not try to work with us to reschedule. She returned later after checking the hotel and with other party-goers and begged them to please check the reception one more time. The staff was so friendly and easy to work with, meetings were timely and anything you could dream of My new husband and I got married at the Athenaeum this weekend, and we are so pleased that we chose them for the venue. If you choose a non-preferred vendor, my advice is to choose someone who is at least familiar with the Athenaeum. I am a very Type A person, and she was so organized, always responding to my emails within hours, answering any and all of my questions, and going above and beyond and match our vision of what we wanted our reception to be! A lot of time and planning went into each event and, without a doubt, each event was a huge success because of the TCA staff. A lot of my guests did not even receive an appetizer. With her helping me plan the reception, there was no need for an outside wedding planner/coordinator. We received RAVE REVIEWS about the food and pie from our guests (get the brisket!). They were very helpful and worked with us to meet our needs. (However, they have several unique spaces.) Experienced staff, alongside the venues executive chef, prepares sophisticated cuisine and takes care of each careful detail. We received many compliments from our guests about the beautiful set up. The Columbus Athenaeum was the perfect venue for our classic, glamorous, art-deco wedding. I was looking for a unique space that would feel elegant and special and couldn't find any others to compare. The donuts were a huge hit - would highly recommend! After the ceremony things went downhill. We absolutely fell in love with the Large Theater. My guest are still raving! The staff was so helpful to keep us on track with the evening's events and were very friendly. I cannot thank you enough! Theater and they help advise me so that everything would look perfect and it did. The service staff were wonderful too! My wedding planner Natasha was absolutely amazing!!! I was looking for the Vintage/Rustic feel and this venue gave me just that! Part of the reason for going back each time was the unbeatable price and more importantly, our guests raved about the atmosphere and the customer service. The staff lost our cake knife & server, and we had to use theirs. erful to work with and very responsive to all of our inquiries leading up to the wedding. They even had an in house florist I could use, Tracie, who did an AMAZING job. 1. She's been really helpful with recommending vendors, day of timeline, and pretty much anything else wedding related! The best part of booking our reception at TCA was its location our ceremony was at the Columbus Museum of Art (maybe 6 blocks down the street from TCA) and our hotel room block was at the Renaissance Hotel, which was right across the street! Eliot Press/MEGA via Newscom. No empathy at times either. That would have been great, except she was flying out of state the following day (sunday). This saved us a huge amount of time and stress! David's Bridal runs the gamut, so you'll find prices as low as $70 on sale and as high as $1,500, but there are tons of options under the $200 mark. understanding when we had to postpone our wedding twice due to COVID. Rentals for wedding ceremonies at the Hall of Philosophy are limited to three hours per rental. The coordinator left out the part that she WAS NOT a part of the rehearsal, and it was on us to do it. Also, all of the events occurred on time and all of our guests seemed to get where they needed to go without any issue. They set up all of the dcor I brought in, all I had to do was drop it off and leave a few written instructions! The spaces themselves were stunning- such beautiful architecture and character that not much additional decoration is needed. We could not get ahold of them and they would not return our calls. The food is amazing - our guests keep raving about it! According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding ceremony and reception in 2020 was $19,000. With a long tradition for wedding receptions, the Athenaeum offers just the right space for small, intimate events or large, extravagant affairs. We had a vision with the food, linens, flowers, decoration, etc. Gina was our rep and she was so sweet, thorough, and prompt. Highly recommend, our wording was unforgettable. The food was very good; guests raved about the meatballs and goat cheese & honey filo dough for hor devours and the prime ri We LOVED working with The Columbus Athenaeum for our wedding this fall! Jackie was our coordinator and she was absolutely phenomenal. None of the above kept us from enjoying our day! We were married in the beautiful Priory and had our reception in the Hellenic room. was located under a guest table and it has happily been returned. The Athenaeum caters events in the private dining rooms on weekdays, weekends, and some holidays. It was so nice to have TCA handle the food, decor and alcohol so I didn't have to find any outside vendors. One of the many awesome things about the Athenaeum is its a one-stop-shop for many wedding essentials, including food, linens, table & ceremony dcor and alcohol. The cake was delicious, and so was the food! They more than exceeded our expectations! Below you'll find a complete wedding budget breakdown, based on the average total costs of UK wedding suppliers. Large Theater. The weekend of our wedding, I've never felt more calm. We worked off of their list of preferred vendors and everyone they recommended was exce Jackie was amazing!! We had our reception in the Grand Ballroom. You and your guests can enjoy a special art exhibit amidst one of the few remaining examples of neo-classical Greek Revival architecture in Alexandria. From the initial tour to the actual day-of, everything went smoothly and seamlessly. I also liked that she explained why she liked and didn't like things! he vendors drop offs went smoothly. They were great to work wi We cannot thank Gina and the rest of the amazing staff enough for all of their hard work! The food was We got married in May and held our reception in the Athenaeum in the Large Theatre room, and we couldn't have picked a better venue. The ladies were excellent in helping with each stage of planning and the day of couldn't have gone any better. Everything we wanted was done and THEN SOME - she made finishing touches that literally brought tears to my eyes. We just had a NYE at the Athenaeum and utilized both the Oak Room and Grand Ballroom for our event. It was a beautiful venue and they made planning easy. The food was wonderful, not to mention the great bartender. We had our ceremony in t Gorgeous Venue for a great price. They were very helpful in getting us carts etc. Definitely go to the tastings in order to decide on your menu. We followed TCAs guidelines for ordering and were pretty close on the spirits. Just a few things that I would call out: From the stringed lights overhead, to the character of the older building, to the perfectly set tables, it was stunning, elegant, and sophisticated without being stuffy or over the top. From the moment we inquired about having our wedding at the Athenaeu Had our ceremony and reception in the large theater, and it was the best decision. The room was beautiful, and I loved that the food was in one area (not seen in the main area where we ate) and that there was a separate area for cocktail hour. The room was decorated beautifully, the food was delicious, and it was the perfect space for my shower. She's truly wonderful. We u Lori, Gina and the rest of the staff at the Columbus Athenaeum were nothing short of incredible. The day of the wedding, everything flowed very smoothly. She was very honest, and upfront. The Athenaeum was our first choice for venue and we were so happy that it worked out. We had so many compliments from the staff - from the head chef to those helping us load carts into the service elevators to take to our cars at the end of the night. Everything was absolutely beautiful, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. In the intimate photos, the 26-year-old Olympic gymnast wore a four-tiered Selfie Leslie dress as she celebrated her courthouse wedding with the 27-year-old NFL player. They do have rules and the price is not the cheapest, but it is absolutely a value for what you get- a beautiful, perfect day. We never had an issue, but only because we always asked Ann about dcor, our cookie table, flowers, etc. I even requested a childrens meal to be delivered to the groom (because hes obsessed with chicken tenders) and they pulled it off. The bride and groom had not requested this. Overall, I would still recommend this venue but just think there is room for improvement when it comes to communication. Thank you for everything! Through the 18 months that I worked with Gina Cristofani, she was nothing but To the Columbus Athenaeum and Gina, our wedding planner: Thank you for making Jess and Larry's wedding very special. (716) 357-6389. We looked at several different rooms, but knew instantly when we entered the Large Theater that it was "The One." We had a lot of beer left and some wine, which was fine since we were able to keep it. If I did my wedding over, I would choose The Columbus Athenaeum 1000 times! They were so helpful during the whole planning process and always giving us timely responses to any questions that we had. Lois was amazing at getting everything planned for us and the food and service at the reception were wonderful. From the beginning, Lois and the team at the Athenaeum made this an incredibly easy experience. The staff was organized and took all of the stress out of the small details of planning, and had everything covered for us. We recommend TCA to any bride who is looking for an elegant, spacious, and easy to plan venue. She answered questions, offered suggestions, and kept us in the loop every step of the way. All the staff are very friendly and you can tell they are compassionate about what they do! I can not say enough about the Columbus Athenaeum- what an exceptional venue! We had our reception in the Small Theater. 1 - the most judgey bartender I have ever had the pleasure of trying to order from works here. They also provide a great packet of information and instructions but then look at you confused when you actually follow the instructions. Pre-mixed signature drinks, various program and favor placement, a specific order of events, and of course the food. We would like to say thank you to Mark, Susan and Gina, they took wonderful care of us and our guests. Natasha was great to work with and helped ease the stress of the many details required to put together a wedding! Gina was great to work with, explained details, asked the right questions, and remained very calm throughout the wedding planning period. Situated in the heart of Beacon Hill, our unique and historic atmosphere make us a splendid setting for weddings, corporate receptions, private dinners, and the like. The staff at the Athenaeum is incredibly helpful and made the process so easy (Jackie is amazing)! Everything went so smoothly at our reception the staff really did an amazing job of making our day perfect! Not only was she not going to be upstairs for it for questions, she avoided us completely. We rented the small theater for our ceremony. They helped to give my husband and I the best night of our lives! The cocktail hour space in the balcony is incredible as you can look down on the main reception floor. Overall - unprofessional a Im sorry you had a bad experience here at the Columbus Athenaeum. With all of the uncertainty and anxiety we experienced planning a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was great to know that the Athenaeum staff was there for us and had our backs the entire time! The venue is beautiful and a great value! Difficult to fully appreciate, this venue is akin to being plucked from the present and transported within a moving fresco, from the classical art of ancient Greece to medieval mosaics. We were finally able to hold our reception at The Columbus Athenaeum on June 26, 2021 in the Large Theatre. Our reception was in the ballroom. The food was great and we even got to meet the chef who helped us in our selections. The food was good and the service the day of was good so that is why I am giving it a 3. had to plan a wedding in just under 6 months, with him on the other side of the country and me with a full time job and graduate school, so I needed a full-service venue that would make this process as painless as possible. We were first attracted to the Athenaeum because of its convenient location downtown and pretty pictures online. was the best. They went above and beyond to make the day more magical than we could even dream! TCA has a pretty long and detailed contract, and they have many rules about anything and everything you could think of, so just make sure you read through everything prior to signing the contract and ask as many questions as you can think of!! It was truly everything I could have wanted! I cant say enough good things about Gina and Natasha! (My MOH who went to the tasting with us raved about the mashed potato martinis, even though we didnt choose them). The Athenaeum has multiple different rooms available to use on your day, and they all have different features and architecture. And we did the mashed potato martini bar that was so worth the upgrade! They ran out of several juices and fruits during the event, and that was irritating since we didn't choose how many to order. All I can say is that this venue is amazingly beautiful, stunning, and a lot of fun! For a genuinely swoon-worthy moment, pose for a stolen kiss in the vintage theater booths overlooking adoring guests. The food was great - highly recommend the mashed potato martinis! We finally had to sue t My daughter had her wedding /reception at the Athenaeum on Oct. 24th 2020. If we had one complaint it was that the night went too quickly! Jackie graciously worked around my ever changing work and nursing school schedule when planning and showing off the venue to my out-of-state family. and everyone had a blast at our wedding and reception! I am hoping this was a one-off experience and the staff was just having themselves A Night. trying to help fix any of these problems, they were repeatedly very rude, including the manager that I spoke with. From our initial visit to leaving at the end of our reception, everything went so smoothly and beautifully. She had not misplaced it - they had moved it, then refused to help and apparently communicating with each other to solve this problem was just too much effort. Natasha and the owner (whose name I unfortunately forget) mitigated the damage to my dress by pouring club soda on the stains as I freaked out. TCA was an awesome pick and Im so glad we had a huge party there! It's also a great location, right downtown and easy to find, with a parking garage nearby. Our total guest count was 350 and everyone had enough space. I cannot say enough good things about Gina and her staff! (reasonable) - I got lectured about how I didn't want to be that girl at the wedding. Sofia Richie wore not one, but three dresses for her wedding over the weekend. We had our ceremony in the Macedonian Room, and reception in the Oak Room (highly recommend this space as it is beautiful). We got married in the Priory and our reception was in the My fianc (now husband) and I wanted to find the perfect venue for our dream vintage, downtown Columbus wedding, and from the moment we toured the Olympian Ballroom at the Columbus Athenaeum, we knew we had found the perfect venue for our recep We loved our New Year's Eve wedding at the Columbus Athenaeum. The food was beyond delicious. She accommodated every single requ My husband and I got married at the Athenaeum on April 27th, and all I can say was that it was magical! By clicking 'Request Quote', you agree that your information will be shared with the vendor and used to create an account on TheKnot.com. Everything was perfect, and the venue was a delight to work with! Considering how much the venue does for you, the price was more than reasonable. Overall, I would recommend The Columbus Athenaeum to anyone considering a Downtown Columbus wedding. They wouldn't provide vegetarian dishes for the tasting so we had to order foods for the reception we had never tasted. I did not plan the shower my self, of course, but my family and friends that did said that the staff was very friendly and easy to work with. We used the venues baker and had multiple flavors of cake plus cake pops, macaroons, truffles, and whoopie pies that was a real hit with the guests. My husband and I went back to TCA after the wedding just to say 'goodbye'. I cannot say enough positive things about TCA. They say you're not buying a product, but you're buying the person who sells you the product (or so my friends in sales have told me;). She met with us within days of the switch, put us at ease with her expertise and knowledge of weddings and our specific wedding plans, and was always quick to respond to any questions my husband and I or my parents had. ptional. And my photos are FLAWLESS!! I will tell all of my friends about The Athenaeum when they are considering wedding venues. I would highly recommend the Athenaeum to anyone who needs to host a big event in Columbus. I worked with Gina as my wedding coordinator and I couldnt have been in better hands. They helped us figure out all the details, stay on track with our timeline, clearly communic Definitely had the best reception I could imagine! Never once did I feel like we were an annoyance to her - she truly made this our day, and all about us. It was rushed by the coordinator they assigned to me and the atmosphere was extremely unprofessional once the final payment was made. She was a pleasure to work with! We had our wedding in the ballroom and it was a great size for our 200 guests. We had many comments from guests on how delicious the food was. She was a powerhouse and helped create the most beautiful event and gave me everything I needed and wanted. are all included AND TCA provides a healthy list of reputable vendors for flowers, photography, cake, and music. We had a sparkler exit arranged with lighters and sparklers dropped off with our decor and my husband went to the coordinator to find them because they weren't anywhere around the reception space under a table or anything and they were locked up in the office and the lighters were still packaged and not ready, so he spent time on that. We were living out of town during the engagement so I was a little nervous to plan an out of town wedding, but Jackie (my coordinator) made everything so easy! I couldn't has asked for a better wedding, and the Columbus Athenaeum made it happen! They literally take care of everything for you. Every one of our guests were just raving about how cool, beautiful, and convenient our venue was (Located across the street from our hotel!). Beautiful venue. We couldnt be happier! Applicable room fees will be charged and a minimum food and beverage guarantee is required for all events. We were on a tight budget and I researched MANY venues in the Columbus area before we picked the Athenaeum. The venue was also great for us as we wanted it to have a bit of an city feel while also being "classic and elegant." We loved working with Danielle Levulis, and everyone at TCA. We didnt like the rule about the unopened spirits, but they said the Ohio liquor laws do not permit them to let you take it. Highly recommended! The pricing is very reasonable as well! If you want to pass this much judgement on young women, don't be a bartender. Everything was set up and decorated for us, so all we had to do was show up! nue were wonderful as well. smooth. This venue was absolutely amazing!!!! We also only used recommended vendors from the provided list from TCA. It also made things very convenient to work with a venue that did all of the dcor, food and alcohol themselves. The stress this caused was unnecessary and it completely ruined this bridesmaids night as well as created a lot of tension trying to find this bag with all of her information in it. Special highlights - using the theatre gallery box for a special surprise for our guests, the food and cake tastings where we got a bunch of food to try, and they managed our cookie table that our guests loved. e to life. It was 5 minutes after the rehearsal was over!! It was also fantastic that the staff really handled all set up and tear down, we only had to drop of the additional things that we wanted to include and arrange for people to load gifts, excess alcohol and decor afterwards. I wish I hadn't because my wedding day was much less than exceptional. The rest of the staff were equally as friendly and helpful - our captains at dinner were fantastic (1 saw me carrying my plate back from our stations and ran over to carry for me so I didn't spill anything on my dress! Also, during the wedding, there was an additional event coordinator present (I can't remember her name- sorry!) Jackie was our venue coordinator and made wedding planning such a breeze!
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