We planned our wedding for 15 months and for 9 of those months we had our whole reception planned at a reception site in Corvallis, OR. Then one day we received an e-mail telling us that our reception site had sold out from under us. I obviously flew into a panic, we had 6 months to basically re-plan our whole reception. During a panic moment I called up the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) and an amazing man named Kevin thankfully answered the phone. He very calmly told me to take a deep breath after I told him everything we had planned for our reception and how now everything was obliterated. He then told me that planning a reception should not be as stressful as it currently was and that he would make everything okay. And you know what? He did! Kevin helped us pick up the pieces of our reception and then even elevated it. By switching to the DAC we were able to save a bunch of money that we were then able to put into decorations, food, and even a photobooth. We were able to add Japanese lanterns that hung from the ceiling and up-lighting on the large columns of the ballroom. We also rented their projector and projected the movie "Singing In The Rain" onto the far wall that played silently in the background of our reception.
The chef at the DAC put together an amazing tasting menu that included a "Grown Up" Mac & Cheese consisting of chevre, bacon, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes!
The food was amazing. We came up with 2 signature drinks that were hosted at the bar. The "Ginger Chuckanut" which was a strawberry infused vodka strawberry lemonade and "Gin O' Clock" which was a gin and tonic.
My family is Italian American and so we requested that there be vinegar, olive oil, and focaccia bread on the tables. They set up all of the tables, placed all the centerpieces, lit all the candles, just all around made sure everything looked perfect for our special night.
The staff at the DAC went above and beyond in every single way. We went in the day before the wedding to drop off the lantern and votive centerpieces and had a chance to actually meet the staff that would be at our reception. Everybody was so welcoming and you could tell that they really cared and wanted to make our wedding very special.
During the cocktail hour the line for the bar got really long and my father found Kevin and asked if they could add a bartender or do something to fix the problem. Kevin immediately got behind the bar HIMSELF and began serving drinks! I can't think of a better example of how the DAC staff was willing to do anything to make our reception an experience to remember.
Even though our wedding is over, the staff at the DAC continue to work hard for us. For our one-month anniversary, E and I went back to the DAC to have dinner in their restaurant and the chef actually made the Mac & Cheese from our wedding especially for us (it is not on the menu of the restaurant) and I was able to order a "Ginger Chuckanut" also. They told us that we can come back anytime and they will continue to make our Mac & Cheese for us.
If you are looking for a reception site in the Eugene, OR area and want a site that is aesthetically beautiful with a personable staff who will do anything to make your wedding special then please check out the Downtown Athletic Club at
http://www.downtownac.com/.
No comments:
Post a Comment