My wife and I got married at Court in the Square in December. The venue itself is quite lovely. It made for a beautiful Christmas time wedding with about 100 guests. I felt that the venue overall was quite good - it has lots of space, nice decorations (some leftover from holiday related events). The sound quality for our DJ was also good, and we were able to have all our guests comfortably seated for the ceremony - then up and dancing after dinner. Here are my pros and cons to consider: Pros: - inviting venue with a city, alley feel - lots of space for 100-200 people - pretty rooftop available for nighttime wedding photo shoot upon request - close to Pioneer Square / downtown - lots of solid hotels / accommodations - reasonable price as compared to other downtown venues Cons: - lack of organization - staff doesn't respond to emails about price quotes or payment - price quotes constantly change - unprofessional business practices - two months after wedding - still waiting on final bill / invoice - food was decent but not worth the price Tips - If you fall in love with the space / location, try to save double whatever you're quoted at. The venue will likely have all kinds of reasons for price increases (some of them probably relevant). Also, ask for all invoices printed in writing prior to the event if possible. I'm an uptight person when it comes to spending, so the cons listed really bothered me. If you're more laid back when it comes to spending, you might have a better experience. All in all, I'm still very happy with our wedding. And, most importantly, I'm thrilled to marry my wife who loved everything about our special night. My review is meant to be totally honest, and it doesn't mean that I wasn't happy with how things went. My hope is that the venue figures out how to improve some of their processes. This is truly a great venue, but it's just not managed very well. Hopefully folks find this helpful. Good luck out there planning your special day :-) read more

I asked for a quote for my wedding for next year. I never heard back. I love the aesthetics of the location & for the longest time it was "the" venue for me. However, if I can't even get a simple email back for a quote, imagine how terrible the planning would've been. I heard Bob is extremely difficult to work with. I'm glad I found another venue with similar aesthetics a few blocks away. read more

My husband and I got married here recently. I wouldn't recommend the venue unless you really really love it. Pros: - The space is gorgeous. - Rooftop access. - Bob was very accommodating. He was present day-of and handles set-up/tear-down of all the chairs. Cons: - The communication was just awful. We had already read a lot of comments about Bob before we decided to rent the venue, so we knew what we were getting into. Still, it was really difficult. - After the wedding, we were told to pay for things that we never agreed to and never signed on. - On a sunny day the light shines right in your eyes and it gets really hot. Thankfully, it was overcast. Unfortunately, it was also sprinkling during the ceremony and the space got muggy, so someone opened the sky lights. Guests were being dripped on and there was a "splash zone" on either side of the altar. - No access to the balconies. - Bob lost our contract. Thankfully we had a copy of an email which confirmed our date. read more

Let me start by confirming, yes, this BEAUTIFUL space, and the AWESOME man behind it, Bob, are not for everyone. This space is NOT for the Type A Bride that needs a red carpet laid out for her every time she steps into the venue for planning sessions. Bob is hard to track down sometimes, he won't remember you after the first time you meet him and they do not have a simple "I will have Wedding C for $15k" approach. I got married here in April 2013, and although I have a few regrets from choices I made during the wedding planning process.... choosing Court In The Square and working with Bob and his team is top on my list of what I would DEFINITELY do again if I had the choice! But let me start by saying I am a VERY hands off bride. I had a gut feeling that all would go well and Bob knew what he was doing... so I let him handle most of the details. We told him that we wanted an afternoon of heavy apps, wine & beer tasting & to have the overall feel of being in a French/Italian courtyard socializing w/ friends. He hit the nail on the head w/ everything. We still get compliments today on the food at the wedding. We had a pasta bar, crepe station and tons of anti-pasta, salad and other appetizer choices. It was perfect. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or needing advice on working with Bob! read more

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We had our wedding at Court in the Square in September. It was an beautiful venue to have our wedding and we were blown away by Bob and his team on the day of. They worked tirelessly to make our vision come alive and were clearly experienced in the whole process. That being said, communication up to the wedding day is a STRUGGLE with Bob. He is very hard to get in touch with and it takes a lot of time to jog his memory every time you do get in touch with him. If you can handle that, this is a great venue to get married at especially at a time when everything in Seattle is getting so expensive. The rental fee is the same any time of the year and it is completely customizable based on your budget and vision. read more

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You're looking for the perfect location to hold your wedding in Downtown Seattle, right? Admit it! That's why everyone comes to Yelp! To help plan their weddings! I had my Best Wedding Ever(tm) here! OK, so it was my only wedding... but even in comparison to my friends weddings, I thought mine was the best. Though I do have to give credit to my friends who got married on top of Crystal Mountain. That was impressive. But, I still wouldn't trade it for my wedding! Court in the Square was exactly the sort of location that my wife and I were looking for when were planning our wedding. A three story glass atrium with a retractable roof in the heart of Pioneer Square, court in the square both reflected our love of urban living, while also being more open, airy and laid back than a lot of the stuffy -yet shabby- other locations we considered. And, while price wasn't the deciding factor, it was a lot more reasonably priced than a lot of less appealing locations. In addition, Court in the Square's manager, Bob, managed to be both relaxed and attentive at the same time. And, he has a really impressive mustache. Also, I know that a lot of people are concerned about places that do their own in-house catering, but I thought the people at Court in the Square not only worked to help make a menu that matched our needs and budgets... but actually exceeded all of our expectations in quality and quantity. I know most people naively presume that they had the Best Wedding Ever(tm), but I've actually done scientific studies that proved that my wife and I did, in fact, have the Best Wedding Ever(tm). At Court in the Square. read more

Amphitryon - The General's wedding - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I just got married at Court in the Square and will give the good and the bads. The bads can easily be worked around if you communicate and plan accordingly. I had 140 people and did a 6pm ceremony with reception in mid June. Goods: Venue is just beautiful Location is great even with a sporting event going on They staff has the process nailed down and can tell you exactly what you need to do to make it a success Has an intimate feel while still fitting between 160-175 people I like direct venue owners so I like being told straight up what I should not do Was able to drop off big decoration items on Thursday/Friday so less work on day of Was able to pick up items/clean up on Sunday so less work on day of as well Bads: Getting to taste food and getting final menu/booze details. We heard food was amazing, but on day of wedding the passed appetizers were not very good (all very dry) and same with some of the items in the buffet. We even had to pull an item. We had some signature drinks that they didn't have us try prior and we had to have them changed. Sun in eyes during ceremony. Sun in June is strong between 5-7. Which is an issue if you are getting married under the arch. Wedding Party getting ready areas are upstairs and need a staff to let you up any time you wanted to get anything, which is really hard with 22 person bridal party. DJ announcements are kind of hard to hear...echos with the high ceilings so getting people to hear that they had to be in their seats or to be somewhere was challenging Just as you heard bob, can be slow on the communication, but I didn't really have a big issue with it. I had a fabulous time and the only thing I was disappointed in was the food, but I heard that was a unique situation and we only had a few people comment. read more

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It was good. I like the DJ. Treats were good. Could have offered better drinks. Camera was cute. Loved it. Wish they could have offered very good drinks. read more

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I wanted to write a quick review from a photographers point of view. I shot a wedding here a couple weeks ago, which was the 1st time I had been there. It was a ton of fun and the staff was very helpful. The complex has buildings on either side of the courtyard. I really wanted to have a shot from the opposite side into the other building of the wedding couple. The staff of Bob and Jackie were great and were able to pull off the different things I wanted to do. Shooting from any of the floors requires someone to accommodate you due to the offices being privately occupied. Someone was always ready to quickly get me up the elevator and into an office in order to take the shot I wanted to get. That's pretty good service. We were allowed to shoot some photos from the roof, which turned out great. The light towards dusk is perfect up there. The staff let me have a tall ladder to shoot down on the tables and wedding party. The only challenge was the afternoon light, around 6:30 in Sept. The light comes beaming in pretty strong and you can't help but get some heavy light on the wedding party. The Courtyard has a few good places to shoot the wedding party and family photos including the street just outside the building. It was a great place to take photos and I look forward to working there again. Rick www.ricktakagiphotography.com read more

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The location was BEAUTIFUL and VERY reasonable on price, however working with Bob was HELL!! Bob never returned phone calls, never gave me a direct answer, tried billing me extra several times, and overall just horrible customer service from Bob!!! For example I requested him to form a menu for my wedding around $15 a person with a Mediterranean theme with NO pork products on the menu. Something simply and very specific instructions!!! Bob came back and proposed a $75 a person menu with couple different pork entrees! WTF? Was he not listening to when I said that my family doesn't eat pork?? (I'm a seventh day adventist christian) A few months before the wedding I requested Bob to ask his staff to wear black pants and a white button down shirt.... he told me that he would have to charge me for that request!! Needless to say I won that battle! So beware....staff is not professional in appearance the day of the wedding! The day of the wedding was fun too...I had my florist, baker, photographer and several aunts and uncles help me set up....something that Bob had stated that his staff would do at no additional charge if it was simple task! I had my aunts set up a few centerpieces, which were small vases with water and floating candles. The only thing that his staff helped with was providing pitchers of water. At the final close of the bill, he tacked on a few hundred dollars for set up because he insisted that his staff help set up more than the agreement of chairs and tables which was not true....Needless to say...I won that argument as well and that was taken off my bill! Just beware that Bob tries every excuse not to call you back, not to give you a direct answer, and to tack on a few things to your bill at the end! Other than working with Bob...the venue is beautiful! My wedding was on September 7, 2008 read more

Am yet another bride-to-be who (albeit briefly) contemplated Court in the Square as a wedding ceremony + reception site. PROS: - Beautiful, totally Seattle. - Unique, no other wedding sites like it... can even use the rooftop for gorgeous photo opportunities. - Rental fee is quite reasonable. CONS: - Bob. I don't even know where to begin. HORRIBLE at responding to emails, phone calls, singing telegrams, you name it. It's like pulling teeth. Just getting in touch with him to arrange a tour of the space required almost five days of phone tag. NOT the kind of communication issues I want to deal with while planning my wedding. - Parking. Ew. Smack dab next to Qwest Field, may the gods have mercy on you if you're searching for parking on a game day. - Rental fee is good and dandy, but costs shoot up from there as you're required to use their catering (Amphitryon) and alcohol. And if you want to supply your own booze, the corkage fees are atrocious. - Cost of food + drinks = ???? You won't know the final cost of your glorious day until, well, the end of the day. Bob goes on and on about all the menu options and while I enjoy and welcome custom touches, he was just way too vague. Bottom line: if you're a bride like me who prefers to know and plan everything in advance, has a fairly rigid budget, and no room for surprises - this is NOT the place for you. Planning a wedding is already stressful enough, and I simply cannot deal with the lack of communication and having my wedding budget hanging in limbo. read more

I only give 5 star ratings when nothing could have been done better. Our wedding, when all was said and done, was perfect. NUMEROUS people said it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding; no small compliment. However, it came at a price and with Bob. Price: Renting the venue itself was cheap, about $1,500. We shared how much we wanted to spend on food per person, and he said that was doable, which we were surprised. But we forgot about the price of alcohol and service. That's where it really got spendy. Food was $4,000 and the drinks were $2,032. Service/Incidentals were $2,300 and the Extras (like setting up an hour early, staying a little late, etc.) were $450. Tax/Gratuity was $1,962. Total bill was $12,244. Food: We did a buffet style for 160 people. 160 people did not show up, but that was what we estimated so that's what we paid. The buffet was not "Old Country" style. It was displayed beautifully... and when we walked through alone before anyone else, our jaws dropped. He sent us a menu suggestions way before the wedding, and we made edits hoping to keep the cost down. It didn't do much, but just simplified the menu. We got a whole roasted pig, lots of sides, and a passed early service (for an extra $500). I'll just leave it there. If you want good food, you will find it here (from our experience). Drinks: That price above reflects unlimited sodas and juices, and then $1,500 of it was for our alcohol. According to his breakdown, our beer and wine equaled out to 3 alcoholic drinks per person, though not everyone drank. He gave us the option to add another $500 once the 3 drinks per person was about up, but it was well into the wedding so we said no and allowed people to purchase their own drinks from there on out. We required people to purchase there own hard drinks. Wine was good and our beers were Mac and Jacks, Guinness, and Hef. He let me choose any type of beer I wanted. Service: The price included the full staff. They were good, we didn't notice them (which is the way it should be). The price above includes them bringing in people to clean afterwards, keep in mind. We didn't find ourselves groveling at their knees for how good they were, but it was what we wanted: efficient and professional. Venue: Just look at pictures. It is beautiful there. We got married at 4:30 PM in April, and the sun did come through the window causing some squinting for the crowd and awkward shadows for pictures. But some people thought that was pretty I guess. Not a whole lot of decoration was needed, just lots of candles, some chinese lanterns, and a couple of white strands of christmas lights. Very classy, elegant, but not lavish. We have to move a few tables for the dance floor which wasn't an issue since people had finished eating by then. So you may be asking, why only 4 stars if everything the day of was so good? Bob: I have nothing against the guy, he's obviously built a successful business here. But someone else NEEDS to be handling the customer relations. Emails kept getting "lost" and it would take weeks to hear a reply of "Working on a response, will get back to you next week." To which more weeks went by. Simple questions took forever to hear back on. Multiple phone calls went unanswered even with urgent voicemails placed. There is a ton of planning that we have to do on our side, and having serious delays from our vendor makes things stall. We feel like he wasn't entirely upfront with the price. Maybe not on purpose and maybe due to our naiveté, but he needs to do a better job of assuming we don't know all the extra costs that will be incorporated. His emails are confusing, fragmented, and in all caps. His invoices were even more confusing. It took 4 grown adults to figure out what some stuff meant, where he was getting prices, and how it was organized. Our meetings were very professional and to the point when we met in person, which is the only way to really make progress (because emails and phone calls take wayyyyy too long). It was just a grind. Even now, after we paid in full, I had asked a few more questions and got no response. I've never spent that much money on ANYTHING in my entire life. We spent years saving for it. The least we could have was some decent customer service. It was a confusing, frustrating, time consuming, and emotional process. This could have all been solved with him hiring someone to manage his customers. So maybe 4.25 stars. We said during and after the wedding that it was all worth it. It went about as perfect as we could have hoped. It wasn't cheap, but there are plenty of more expensive places that offer less. It wasn't easy, but then again either is marriage. That 1.5 year process is about as good of a test as you can get as an engaged couple. Maybe Bob knew that and was just trying to help us have a successful marriage ;-P read more

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I have been fortunate enough to attend a few weddings here and see some close friends start a new life in this picturesque venue. As you can see in almost every picture, the court is indoors but it looks like its in a beautiful alley as it is sandwiched between two red-bricked walls of neighboring buildings. Sprinkle in some nice foliage, a cabana-looking stage-ish spot where the couple stands, and if Seattle cooperates, sun pouring in from the windows in front, and you got yourself a memorable wedding. A couple things to note that seem to be consistent here: 1. There is a garage next door making parking amazingly easy and accessible 2. The hors d'oeuvres are a hit-or-miss; some are great and others are bad 3. There is an employee (man) with a white handlebar mustache that is ALWAYS upset at the world; he will let you know it 4. If you're presenting a slideshow, be prepared to be underwhelmed; they provide a miniature projector screen...not great 5. IF you're doing a end of spring/beginning of summer wedding, make sure you note whether there is a Mariners' or Sounders' or both game going on; traffic...nightmare 6. If the sun is out, it gets blinding and your guests will sweat profusely through their nice threads; I've seen women's make-up melt off their face There's probably more, but I fresh out of reminders. Have a great event! read more

We attended a wedding at this place last weekend. It was one of the worst places to have a wedding. The place was cold. Too cold that we all had to wear our jackets. The staff were unconsidered. We asked to have the heat up or the fans on the ceiling on to get some warm air. They looked at us like: oh is it cold here!. we never go the place warm. Speaking of food. It was so bad that we were not able to eat it. I can not even give this location one star, but it requires you to at least select one star to have the review get posted. read more

My wife and I were married at the Court in the Square on Sat 8/8/09 and our event couldn't have gone better! The space is obviously beautiful, but for us and our guests, the food and drinks were fabulous. Many of the reviews here have to do with Bob and his staff. It's true that Bob can be a little rough around the edges, but he's clearly been doing this for a long time and knows how to pull these events off. Throughout our meetings with Bob, we were at times apprehensive, he could seem dismissive about the details of our food and presentation asking us general questions like "If you wanted to take your guests out to your favorite restaurant, what kind of food would they eat, what kind of drinks would be served, etc.?" His huge handlebar mustache also seemed out of place for someone who plans as many wedding as he must... I kept expecting to see him ride off on his Harley after our meetings. During the early stages, Bob provided a general proposal that was heavy on options, but light on price-points to help us understand how he had come up with our total bill. We went back and forth a couple times, reiterating our budget limitations, and specifically asked him to provide us with price estimates for each dish being served and different drink options. As we approached our wedding date, especially the week prior, Bob was much easier to get ahold of and iron out the final details - he sent us a line-item proposal so that we could pick and choose our dishes knowing how much we were spending/saving, and were able to pull off our event without overshooting our budget by any more than we'd expected. Our wedding ended up being beautiful, and we're still getting compliments about the delicious food! Bob packed us a huge box of samples, including cake and drinks, to take with us at our departure. His staff was courteous and very professional. We haven't gotten the final bill yet... so we'll see if that changes any of our enthusiasm at the moment, but Bob definitely knows his stuff. Ask him about local wines and beers, or about some of the horse-drawn carriage vendors - his eyes would light up while talking about feeding carrots to the horses! read more

Our perfect venue! Bob is incredibly flexible and kind. He helped us finalize not only a delicious menu but helped us think logistically when we are heads were jusy too stuffy with romance. He has an accommodating staff and Noelle was fabulous in making us feel more than just a client. They toasted us and celebrated us, but more than that, they met us outside to wish us a happy marriage. If youre a planner like me, just know that communication with him and his staff requires patience. Just know that Bob always comes through! Best times to call are 12-3pm. #sappyspavens2017 read more

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I got married here 3 weeks ago and am fresh off my honeymoon! Yes- Bob is difficult. He has a huge mustache and isn't very comfortable with computers...which was tough for me because I am an email monster. Trying to nail down a specific price tag is impossible with Bob. He will give you a price range and then about two weeks before the wedding it will get a lot closer to an actual number. If you are a laid back individual, Bob shouldn't worry you too much. If you are a type A, very particular person you might want to find another wedding venue! Jackie was the woman on the day of (Bob was there too). Jackie was fabulous. I don't know how many times I told her how awesome she was. My wedding guests all complimented me on the staff at the wedding which was so nice to hear! The venue is one of a kind. You cannot find a place like this anywhere in Seattle. It is gorgeous. They don't do any type of advertising. I happened to run by the name Court in the Square in the very back of a wedding magazine and decided to go take a look at it. I was sold the minute I walked in. One negative~ It gets dark in the space when the sun goes down. Make sure the tables near the pond have sufficient lighting as the only lights came from the ones nearer the door and from the dance floor. Lots of candles or twinkling lights will do!! The food was great. I didn't get a chance to sample much but we did serve mini burgers at 10:30pm and they were very very good! For the people thinking this place is "too expensive" think again. Yes, it's 1500 for the court rental fee, tables, chairs, linens, and if you ask Bob nicely he'll let you have any of the million candles and white lights they have in storage. Now, you don't get that at hardly any other venue in downtown Seattle or on the waterfront. Trust me. If you don't, call The Canal or the Edgewater and ask..go ahead ask. OH and by the way....you can have your wedding on that summer Saturday you wanted and the price is still $1500!!! Now tell me that isn't a good deal or what. We had an all dessert reception with apps during cocktail hour and like I mentioned before, sliders for the late night snack. So far, every guest has said that there was "SOO MUCH FOOD" which was something I was worried about. Bob said we'd be able to feed our guests with the small budget we had and he was RIGHT! I loved everything about Court in the Square. I even fell in love with difficult Bob. I wouldn't have married my husband in any other venue. read more

my cousin had his wedding here. it's a very cute space, 5 stars for looks. however, the catering sucks bc apparently there was drama among them and there was zero flavor in our food! all the guests i talked to agreed. this was due to their usual chef missing. if good money is being spent, why did they not have a substitute chef?? terrible. if you hold an event here in the summertime, it literally feels like you're being cooked alive. it's like a greenhouse inside. read more

Amphitryon - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I've considered this venue as a possibility for our wedding ceremony/reception site, but I was NOT at all impressed with the timing on the response emails from Bob. I had inquired about information and it had taken him over a month to respond. He didn't even know if he had replied to my last email and had asked "was a response received?" Couldn't deal with the lack of communication. Bummer!! read more

I was married at Court in the Square in August 2012. I cannot describe how PERFECT our event was. The venue itself is breathtaking, but Bob and his staff really made my event special. He and his staff are friendly, kind, and happy to help in any way they can. The food was absolutely delicious and I received countless emails after my wedding saying that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. We had over 200 guests which I was concerned would make the event very crowded, but with Bob's guidance, we created a floor plan that encouraged mingling, flow and everyone had an amazing time. I am an extremely organized, type A personality, and I was initially a bit hesitant to have my wedding here because of previous reviews. However, I told myself that everything would get done, I just needed to relinquish control in terms of my timeline matching with Bob's timeline. We did not have a menu finalized until about 2-3 months before the wedding, but it turned out amazing. Only twice did I have to call or email Bob a second time if he didn't call me back. He is extremely talented, helpful, and straightforward. However, he is not going to hold your hand in planning your event. You need to have a good grasp of what you want, and he will take care of the logistics. I would highly recommend this venue to any bride! Thank you Bob and staff for a truly perfect and magical night. There was not one thing I wish had been done differently! read more

My family and friends visited this venue for a best friend's wedding. It was so beautiful and the staff was very friendly. I can't think of a more beautiful and fun wedding that I have attended. Great food and drinks, great times and memories are made here! The windows, sky lighting, and water backdrop are all so beautiful and romantic. There is tons of well laid out space for everyone to move around. I would highly recommend to anyone to host an event here. read more

Just a spectacular event location! High rise red brick alleyway walls, retractable glass ceilings, and a peaceful water feature were just some of the clean venue me and my DJ partner had to look at while setting up our equipment. I would recommend this hidden oasis to all the edgy elegant couples in seattle! Thanks again for all the operational flexibility! -AmpleVibeEvents read more

We had our wedding and reception at Court in the Square on 9/17/2011 and it was perfect. We loved Bob right away, even though we had read some reviews that were a bit scary. Bob tells it like it is and does not really mince words. He can come off a bit harsh but I can say with complete certainty that his goal is to make guests happy. By the end of our experience with Court I was so happy and impressed. The staff is seriously amazing and the two on site point ladies Jackie and her mom (who's name I have shamefully forgotten) have both worked for Bob for years and years and they are the nicest most helpful people you could ask for. We did not have a lot of chats with Bob leading up to our wedding but I was not worried. I understand how some people might not be as ok with that as we were. I do want to say that we had two on site meetings where we gave Bob a budget and told him exactly what we wanted the day to look like and on the day of it was spot on and under budget. I noticed that there are a few negative reviews here but I also noticed that those reviews came from folks who didn't actually have an event at Court in the Square. I understand some of the concerns for sure, especially the fears about communication but I never had that issue. Even though we did not have a ton of conversations leading up to the wedding Bob returned all of our calls and emails within a day or two always answering any questions we had. These guys truly strive to give a couple exactly what they ask for at the price they can afford and then they worked their butts off on the day of to make sure it is perfect. A note about parking. We got married on a game day. two games actually, Sounders and Mariners, both starting within one hour before or after our wedding. You can bet it was busy down there and we too were worried about how are guests would find a spot to park but Bob handled that too and secured us as many spots as we needed in the underground lot across the street at only $5 a car. I love Court in the Square and highly recommend it as a venue. It is so beautiful and pictures taken here are so lovely. The food was great, we had a taco bar with a ton of Vegan option and everyone loved it. Really I can not say enough good things about how great we were treated and how amazing our wedding day was. I am so happy we ignored negative reviews and booked here. Good luck to all you brides just starting your venue hunt. I hope you find a space that is perfect for you. read more

Just attended a wedding at Court In the Square this past weekend. It's quite a unique space - feels really open and airy. If you want an outdoor wedding but want to be safe from the possible Seattle rain this is the perfect place. It was lovely. read more

Amphitryon - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We were married at Court in the Square on 09/18/2004, and it was amazing. We lived in New York City at the time, so we had to make all the arrangements long distance. I have to admit that Bob, the caterer, is a character. He seems curmudgeonly on the phone, and his manner can be a bit gruff. At first I thought we'd made a terrible mistake. However. Once we got a dialogue going about what kind of food we really loved, and what sort of amenities we wanted at our wedding (open bar, coffee bar with Italian sodas, a play room for small kids and a table of kid food...) Bob had excellent suggestions and helped us put together a menu for every appetite. When the day arrived, Bob and his staff were amazing. They ran everything so smoothly, and the staff was so friendly to our guests. They played games with the kids (asking for ID from one 8 year old nephew when he ordered his 6th Italian soda...) and made the whole day so lovely. At one point, our wedding planner (who turned out to be horribly strict!) ordered me into my room during a photo shoot, "The guests will be arriving in half an hour, you need to be out of sight!" The photographer wanted some outdoor shots, so Bob smuggled us down a back hallway and out through a coffee shop. We got some great shots in Pioneer Square, and it was excellent fun sneaking away from our own wedding. The food? TO DIE FOR. At the end of the reception, Bob handed us a box with samples of everything we'd served our guests. When we got back to the hotel, we realized that we were starving! We ate every bite, licked our lips, and wished for more. It may have been the best meal of my life. Perhaps we'll have our 50th anniversary party at Court in the Square. I hope Bob is still around that long. read more

I had my wedding at Court in the Square on June 13th 2009. I could not have imagined a better venue. I was a little nervous when I picked this location because of the reviews that said Bob was hard to get a hold of. Because of how beautiful this location is I picked it anyway. That was probably the best wedding planning decision I could have made. I am a fairly laid back bride and definitely wanted to make things as easy as possible. During the time leading up to the wedding I was able to get a hold of Bob anytime I needed to. The thing to remember is that you are not the only bride/wedding/event out there and the world does not revolve around your day. Every now and then it would take a few trys to get a hold of Bob but he always was able to give me the information I needed. He was very laid back and I trusted his experience. When I was choosing my menu the last thing I wanted to do was pick out every dish. I was planning this wedding with my fiance 2,000 miles away and during my senior year of college. I was able to tell Bob my price range and the types of food we liked and let him give us a few options. It was perfect. He gave me a base menu and the a lot of options to add/swap out/ or cut. Very flexible. This was also a great way to get food that they do very well. On the day there was more than enough food and the choices were amazing. We had an Italian style menu and it was flawless. Everyone was saying how great the food was. Apart from the standard location work the did, Court in the Square went above and beyond. My fiance flew in 3 days before the wedding and was throwing up the whole time. Either nerves or the flue- my money is on nerves. On the day we had gotten to the point where he wasn't vomiting every ten minutes but he wasn't 100%. Bob and Jackie (his amazing right hand woman) made sure Tyler ate and stayed hydrated. Jackie even took Gatorade out of her own lunch to give to Tyler. She was without a doubt a life saver. My flowers arrived while we were out doing pictures and they were absolutely not what we ordered. They were also half dead. Bob not only had my mom take deep breaths, but did what he could to trim the arrangements and remove most of the dead and make sure that the flowers were as good as they could have been. Because of him and Jackie my mom calmed down and the flowers, although not what we had wanted, looked great and photographed beautifully. Mom is who insisted I write them a review. During the wedding Bob handled all the food and made sure everything went smoothly on that end and Jackie stuck with me and made sure I drank enough water, had time to relax, kept us on schedule, kept crazy family members away and basically made sure I walked down the aisle without a hitch. When during pictures and playing with the "ring Man" I got hit in the jaw with his very hard head, she even made sure I got enough ice to keep it from swelling and had time to cover it with makeup. She was amazing. She even had them push back dinner 30 min because we wanted more pictures on the roof- it was no problem- and it was easy. They even gave us an exceptionally large to-go box of the great food and champagne so Tyler and I could eat back at the hotel. I will admit that I was pretty chill on the day (even with a slowly blue turning jaw) so my demands were low, but I feel like as long as you keep your wedding in perspective and remember that although it is your big day, it isn't everyone elses you can get through the day fine. AND as long as you don't need your location to hold your hand through the whole planning and aren't attempting to call them every day Court in the Square is a perfect place to choose. This location is the last thing I would change about my wedding. They made the day a success. Basics: Price was very reasonable for what you get and the ease that you will go through the day Food: Amazing Drinks: We went non-alcoholic and the Italian sodas were very good! People: Bob and Jackie were the best people to work with. I would do every event there if I could. read more

I'm giving Bob and his team 4 stars because they absolutely blew me away the day of my wedding. Everything was beautiful and Bob works alongside his staff very hard to make sure our day went absolutely perfect. A few things that i noticed in particular.. was our sweatheart table was a little wobbly so Bob personally went and grabbed something to fix it.. he also let my husband and I up and down the elevator a couple times when we wanted to go on the roof with our photographer. The FOOD was absolutely amazing too! The staff was awesome the way buffet was set up and how they served everyone. The only negative feedback is Bob's lack of communication leading up to the event. He goes MIA for a few weeks at a time and doesn't answer emails very well. He definitely is better talking to one on one when we met with him. Setting up meetings wasn't very hard either.. he's usually pretty accommodating. read more

This was the biggest mistake I made in my wedding planning process. I don't even know how to summarize everything that went wrong. Everything you've read here on yelp about Bob is true, but I think has worsened recently. Throughout my 3 consultations with Bob, it became clear to me that he is not fit for this kind of work. Every time I met with him, he had been drinking. My guests caught him drinking heavily behind the bar throughout my wedding day. He lost all of my paperwork with my information and budget not once but twice. He got my wedding date mixed up with another couple's, which led to a ton of confusion. After paying my $3,000 deposit, Bob was unreachable for over 2 months. I was lured in by the pretty space, and I loved the way my venue looked on my wedding day, but the process of working with Bob was by far the worst customer service experience I have ever had. I want to warn future brides that if you think this beautiful venue is worth the hassle of Bob, it simply is not. If you ignore my warnings and proceed with this venue, here are some tips: 1. You won't get a final quote until a week before the wedding. If you email/call him every single week for 6 months, it will make NO DIFFERENCE. Unless you are comfortable with this reality, walk away now. 2. Jackie is amazing, she will run the show entirely on the day-of. She enables Bob to be as terrible as he is, because without her, the whole thing would be a disaster. 3. Bob will probably lose all your paperwork, more than once. Be prepared to email him multiple copies. Like maybe 10 times. 4. If you want to get a hold of him, call and leave messages. He doesn't check his email, and is very technologically challenged. 5. At some point, Bob will be absent and unreachable for weeks. Maybe months. He will use the excuse that he or a family member is in the hospital. You will read other reviews here that say the same thing. When this happens, remind him that you are his customer and have already paid a deposit. Tell him he needs to hire someone else to cover his responsibilities, and maybe someday he will! 6. There is no sound system, it got very dark during the reception (table candles recommended), you will need lots of extension cords, 106 people felt like max capacity and remember to decorate the buffet area. 7. After giving Bob the budget I was comfortable with, he lost all my paperwork and gave me a proposal that was double my budget. This was panic-inducing, but after reading other reviews, this seems to be his standard practice. Not to fear, a firm conversation will put the budget back where you need it. 8. Bob has a lot of opinions and ideas about how weddings are supposed to be run, and what your guests will want. He will try to use his years of experience as a way to manipulate you into making things the easiest for him, and get the most money out of you. When I pushed back and requested he do some things differently, he would laugh at me and belittle my lack of wedding experience. Don't let this deter you! All of the ideas my fiancé and I had turned out to be exactly right, with none of the disasters Bob indicated. Trust your gut, and do what you think feels right for your wedding. It's not his day, it's yours. You are the paying customer. 9. If you bring in your own coordinator, Bob will be fussy because he will make less money. Ignore that, and do what you want. Honestly, would you trust that guy with a day that is supposed to be stress-free? 10. Since you will be in the dark about the final costs until immediately beforehand, I'm posting mine here to give an idea. I was married on March 19, 2016 with 106 guests: - Court rental: $3,000 (deposit to secure the space) - Food: $2,000 (fried chicken and waffles, gravy, syrup, apple butter, meadow greens salad, no appetizers) all very bland and disappointing. SO FAR from an $18/plate value. -Beverage: $1,471 (our hosted tab ran out halfway through dinner, and he approached me twice during the evening, trying to persuade me to raise the cap, even though we specifically discussed beforehand that this was not an option) -Service/Incidentals: $1,500 (no day-of coordinating, no help setting up, a space for the groomsmen to get ready and bridesmaids to wait before ceremony, room flip after ceremony, catering staff, cake distributing, napkin and curtain rentals, no help tearing down) -Ceremony fee: $1,000 (this pays for nothing, because you will also pay for the room flip in the service/incidentals category, so it's a completely bogus fee) -Gratuity: $520 (15% of food and beverages) -Taxes $911 (9.6% of everything) TOTAL: $10,403 You may feel this is a low amount for a city wedding in 2016, but after everything Bob put my through, I would not have felt it was reasonable even if it had been free. Honestly, do you want your wedding planning process to be fraught with stress and disappointment? Stay away! read more

Bob, who booked our wedding for us, received our deposit and the next day we called to cancel. Our reception site initially indicated they would not be able to have our ceremony there, but found a way to do it right after we booked at Court in the Square. Our wedding was still far out and Bob had literally just received our check. Hoping he would understand this very unforeseen circumstance and knowing they didn't hold back the venue from other inquiries, we thought it fair to ask for our deposit back. Bob agreed to give us part of it back and we have been calling him for four months and leaving voicemails and still no partial refund. We also actually were able to speak to him one time and he said he was sorry he didn't ever respond to our emails and that he would send us our refund the next week. Of course we have never seen it. VERY unprofessional, VERY frustrating. read more

My husband and I got married at Court in the Square on 06/06/2009, which makes this review long overdue. But I cannot say enough great things about this gorgeous venue, atmosphere, food, drinks, Jackie and Bob. I laugh at all the reviews that negatively speak about Bob's extreme go-with-the-flow, uber relaxed way of doing business. It is true: Bob is laid back and he is not addicted to e-mail (like a lot of us), and might take a day or two (or three) to respond. But my husband and I were fully convinced this was because he knew his stuff and he has taken care of a lot of weddings. When it really mattered (like the weeks leading up to the wedding and the day of), he and his staff gave 150%. I assure anyone reading these reviews that are on-the-fence or uncertain about booking this venue because of Bob will regret not having their wedding ceremony and reception at Court in the Square. I am 100% type A, very organized, and I like to plan in advance. I had absolutely zero issues working with Bob and trusted that everything would go smoothly without a hitch and that it would all work out. And it did. Here are some of the many reasons Court in the Square was a great place to get married: 1. I fell in love with the venue after doing a lot of research and looking at just about every venue in Seattle. When I happened to find a photo of a wedding at Court in the Square, I knew the space was perfect and booked it. 2. Anyone who says this venue is unaffordable should really read the contracts and fine print of the many other venues in Seattle as it is one of the MOST AFFORDABLE places to get married. The rental fee is inexpensive (a lot of venues charge $3K to $5K just for the space), the food is reasonable in price as are the service charges and alcohol. Also, we gave Bob our price range and he was very accommodating and worked around our budget. Which leads to... 3. The complaints about cost are also from people that seem to be very unaware of what a wedding actually costs, and quite frankly, cheap. If you go in and say you don't want to spend more than $1,000 to $2,000 to feed 200 people then you should probably look to have your wedding reception at a city park. 4. Bob and Jackie were AMAZING to work with. 5. Our guests (from the east coast, Midwest, west coast, Canada, and Europe) complimented everything about the evening: the venue, the staff, the food and the drinks. In fact, our guests still talk about our wedding and how great everything was (a year and a half after the event). I really hope anyone considering Court in the Square will decide to book this venue. You will not be disappointed! read more

This review is for the service provided by the management. I had an appointment w/ Bob to discuss holding my wedding at Court in the Square and I wasn't impressed at all. THIS PLACE IS WAY TO CUSTOM! It's $1500 just to rent the facilities (not bad), but your bill just shoots up from there. They only do the facilities and catering. No flowers, No decorations, No entertainment (not really a problem). Your menu is totally custom too. It's just way too confusing if you aren't a very specific person w/ a large budget. Bob's demenor isn't very friendly either. He's basically say it "take it, or leave it". The space itself isn't as great as the pictures make it out to be. If you're good at decorating you can certainly jazz it up, but it just looks like an old office complex when you first walk in. I won't be having my wedding here. read more

I don't remember how I found this place online, but I'm SO happy I did! My husband and I had a limited budget and a huge guest list, and we were trying to plan our wedding in less than six months! But we did it, and it was the best day of our life! Bob was incredible! He and all of his staff are very accommodating! We had our wedding and reception here, and it was AMAZING!!!! They are NOT wedding planners though- Bob can make your dream come true, but it has to be YOUR dream!!!! For instance, he'll ask you what you and your spouse would do to host your friends and family in a regular situation, and work with you to make your wedding reflect that.....do you and your spouse go out to bars with your friends all the time? Then would you rather have upscale bar food, or pretentious lobster and caviar? Do you usually go out for super fancy nice meals? Then why would you serve your guests sliders or chicken wings? Makes sense to me! Our guests LOVED our food, and it was totally reflective of our personalities! Bob has a lot of experience, so he will definitely give input, for instance he'll help you check on events at the stadium to work around parking headaches. We met with him in June to plan our November wedding - so he was honest about our expectation of the weather and the time(ish) of sunset, etc. He will step in to make sure the dreams don't get too crazy and unrealistic, but honestly, he wants the bride and groom to be happy and will do whatever he can to make that happen!!! Bob was very on top of things when it comes to all the details, and he was great at returning calls and emails! He'll admit that the phone is the best way to get a hold of him, but he still was able to email when it was necessary. I loved working with him and his staff - our wedding was a dream come true, and a lot of that had to do with Bob's insight and experience, but everything he did for us on our day reflected our taste! We had a day-of assistant, Jackie, who was also amazing - she was very kind and got us where we needed to go at the right time!! I loved the staff here sooooooooo much!!! :) The cost to reserve the space is now $2000, and the food cost will vary depending on your guest list, the time of day, the length of the event, etc. But in our experience, they were ABSOLUTELY comparable, if not cheaper than other venues food/beverage wise. Bob will totally give you details of your invoice - service breakdown, tax and tip, etc. It's really black and white, with no surprises, and if you have questions, Bob will answer clearly!! He was so sweet and great - when we were leaving the venue on our wedding night, he gave us a box with food, slices of cake, a bottle of champagne, and even a Diet Coke (my favorite!) to have as a "midnight snack!" :) I LOVED LOVED LOVED having my wedding here, and would highly recommend it to any bride!!! read more

We had our wedding and reception at CITS on June 20, 2015. Our experience is a blend of reviews already written. For the most part, the planning and execution were positive experiences. We live in Louisiana, so we only saw the venue and met with Bob twice before rehearsal day. It might not be the best situation for some couples, but I was happy to have someone who was blunt with the options and didn't need to be micromanaged for the small details. If you like to micromanage the small details (exactly where tables will go, food tasting, etc.), you might have a less positive experience in your planning stages. Sure, it sometimes took a couple of phone calls for Bob to respond, but it never really got to a frustrating point for us. I actually enjoyed working with him because he definitely knows what he's doing and kept everything flowing on wedding day. Have your vision in mind, he'll make it happen. We did have some difficulty with the menu, since the first version we were sent was nothing like we asked. I think we ended up with five or so edits because the cost kept fluctuating and the items weren't right. We didn't sign a contract until the week of the wedding and a month later we still haven't seen a final bill, so just beware, as others have said, you may not know until well after your wedding what you actually spent. Only a couple of disappointments, the major one being the food. We weren't around for the passed hors d'oeuvres, but our guests said they were cold (mac & cheese balls/bacon wrapped shrimp). We asked if dinner could be moved up 15 minutes since we got done with photos early and they "hurried" to get it ready...but everything was cold. I didn't eat much, but what I had was bland...and just a sidenote, I guess asparagus in the PNW is made to be cold. That was unexpected for this southerner who only eats it hot! People did say the crab cakes were really good, though. So, again, hit or miss on the food. The sun, which obviously can't be controlled, was the other difficulty. We had our ceremony at 5:30 and I couldn't even look at my husband as I was walking down the aisle because of the sun. It's brutal. But I don't recall ever feeling too hot in the venue, I believe because the ceiling was cracked open. Some people have said check for Sounders and Mariners games, but we had both on our wedding day and no parking or traffic issues. Work with Bob on the parking...he makes it easy. Since there was no event in the venue on Friday, he also accommodated us for the rehearsal. We were able to drop ceremony decorations off that day, too. Overall, we were really happy with CITS and the whole experience. You can really make the space your own. It's not one of those "you get XYZ for $15,000"...do what you want to make it fit your budget. If you love the space and aren't worried about the details, only marrying your best friend, then CITS is a great choice. read more

To other Seattle Brides thinking about getting married at Court in the Square: Do it, but only for the ceremony. The space is amazing- high ceiling, exposed brick, infintity pool, etc. We got marrried here in October 2007. Do NOT have your reception here. Bob, the main point of contact is impossible to work with. He is unresponsive via email and it took countless calls/emails to get our wedding settled. We literally came down to 3 days before the wedding before we had an agreed upon menu. They WAY oversold their kitchen's capabilities. The food was expensive, COLD, limp and not anything like what I requested and they promised. The presentation for the food was awful. Every person who attended our wedding loved every part of it, but all commented that the food was cold and bad. Please do not make the same mistake I did! How I wished there had been more reviews on the web for this venue- I would have never believed the 'whatever you want, we can do' for you story from this caterer. Have the ceremony here if you fall in love with the space as I did, but do NOT have your food/reception here. If you are looking for a GREAT wedding photographer- I recommend www.derekpearson.com. He SAVED the day - almost making up for the awful food with his gorgeous pictures and wonderful calm demeanor. Could not recommend him more. Good luck, Seattle Brides! read more

While the space is lovely, (we had our company party there this last weekend) and the servers and bartenders were fantastic, the food left A LOT to be desired. Totally gross. The salad and main courses were inedible.... desserts were great. read more

I feel like the reviews for Court in the Square are more about Bob than about the venue itself. In many ways, that makes sense as you don't get one without the other. :) However, I will say that Bob was very easy for us to work with, and his knowledge and experience in the large group party arena were very helpful to us. The tricky thing in planning your wedding is that (usually) it's your first time doing it. You're trying to piece together advice from magazines, websites, parents, friends, etc... Most of that information is pretty subjective. The fact is that your wedding is going to be unique according to what each couple likes. Bob helped us to put together a beautiful reception. We customized our menu, per his advice, selected a few of our favorite beers and wines which he accommodated without any issue. In fact, he even went above and beyond on trying to match one of my red wine requests and ordered three different kinds just in case! Our guests all complimented the food and service as well. For the record, Bob almost always returned my phone calls within one business day, and aside from a short period of time where his computer went out of whack, always responded to email within a reasonable amount of time. One thing that was really special for us was that my husband and I planned a special performance for during our reception where we would need to use the grand piano that lives there in the Court. Bob informed us that we could rehearse there as often as we needed to leading up to the reception as long as it was at the end of business hours. So we showed up there about half a dozen times leading up to our wedding date with my cello and we would practice for as much as an hour without anyone wondering why we were there! Not only would that have been impossible at almost any other venue (with the exception maybe of a church), it really helped us so much. Our impression was that people misunderstand Bob. The man knows his stuff. He will tell you things that you need to hear that maybe you don't want to hear. I was getting tired of speaking to wedding vendors who tell you "Oh yes! We can do whatever you want because it's all about YOU on YOUR day"... and the fact is, that 9/10 times those vendors are just saying things to make you feel good, and end up not delivering. Another special thing that happened: Our wedding in EARLY May happened to be a beautiful sunny 75+ degree day. The Court gets a LOT of direct sunlight streaming through and gets pretty balmy... Think greenhouse. The glass roof actually opens up and during our reception, they cracked the roof and all that hot air just dissipated... it was like magic! Oh, and while I'm giving the place compliments... the acoustics there are AMAZING. We hired the Greg Ruby Trio to play during our cocktail hour and dinner and as much as they sound wonderful all the time, the brick and concrete at Court in the Square just brought their music to life. If you have the opportunity to utilize the space for live music, I HIGHLY recommend it! OK... that's all. This is a great place and one of the best venues in Seattle. It gets a little too packed if you have 150+ guests, but it all works out and you will have a great time. We certainly did. read more

What an amazing venue!!! My friends got married here a couple weeks ago and wow, was everyone blown away by what a beautiful, unique and fun venue this was! First, as a ceremony location, it is gorgeous - from the beautiful exposed brick, the long aisle, the arched alter area, and the mirrored backdrop, there are some amazing photo ops! It was an easy transition to cocktail hour (130 guests simply moved to the side areas after grabbing a drink from the friendly barstaff) and then a perfect setting for a buffet dinner once the tables were pushed into the center. The food was delicious! The steps near the bar area provided the perfect spot for speeches amidst exposed brick and little street lamp backdrops. There was a good dance floor spot away from the tables and a side area which was perfect for the photographer to set up a photo booth area... the makings for a great party (which it was)! This is definitely a great venue for couples looking to have a fun and gorgeous wedding in the city! Definitely one of the best venues I've ever seen! read more

Court in the Square was such a perfect venue for our woodland theme...between the bricks, greenery, street lanterns, and pond, the venue is to die for. It felt so romantic especially when the lights were dimmed as the night progressed and the candles flickered. A full bar is set up right next to the atrium which created a great flow for the wedding. We were able to sneak up to the roof to take pictures and also get one across the atrium. Bob seems to get a lot of bad reviews but we did not have any problems getting in touch with him via phone or email. He does not hold your hand to plan your wedding, (as he shouldn't) but if you know what you want he'll make it exactly the way you want without much direction. He does offer helpful suggestions to make it flow more efficiently. Jackie was our DOC...she is simply such a sweetheart and our wedding progressed with perfection. It was nice to have a DOC that worked at the venue since she knew the staff, venue and how to get around easily. Our decorations were perfectly placed as instructed and taken down that night for us so we could pick them up the next day. Use her for your wedding!! Our only complaint was the food. :( To be honest it was our fault... there were so many positive reviews about it, we didn't think it would be anything but perfect. Bob worked with us to get the price right for us since we had an open full bar and didn't want to spend too much on food. However, our dinner averaged out to be about $26 a person (not including salad, appetizers, dessert or late night snack) which I thought would be plenty. The presentation was really nice, full plate and full of color however the quality of the food was mediocre. If you pay $26 at a normal restaurant, you would expect an amazing meal. Maybe that's normal for mass service or catering...but was a surprise to us. Don't let this deter you from renting the facility though, we just regret not being more specific about the food. The wedding was a blast and everything we hoped for thanks to the beautiful romantic venue, the accommodating friendly staff, excitable bartenders and the super awesome DOC! read more

Sent him what we wanted at least three times via email. Talked to this guy on the phone multiple times about what we wanted and he said we were on a long list of quotes that he needed to write up. He refuses to get back to me and it's been a couple months of me calling him and reminding him. Waste of my time. read more

My husband and I just got married at Court in the Square this past April. The space was gorgeous and absolutely perfect for what we were looking for. We immediately fell in love with it and it had the right price too. Our wedding turned out amazing and was truly the best day of our lives. I wish I could give Court in the Square 5 stars, but despite how wonderful our wedding turned out, the days and weeks leading up to that day were made WAY more stressful than necessary, primarily because of Bob, the coordinator at Court in the Square and his lack of responsiveness. Bob has a very direct style of communicating, which is fine, but while he was initially accommodating and responsive, once our $1000 deposit check was cashed, that went completely out the window. We had read some other reviews complaining about the same thing, but our initial experience wasn't bad, so we didn't think it would be that big of a deal. Oh how wrong we were... He would not answer my emails or phone calls, so I turned my husband on to him, and then it only took an email and two phone calls before we would get a response. He never once met a deadline for getting us a contract or menu revision, we had to pester him multiple times for everything and didn't even have a catering contract to sign until the day before our wedding at the rehearsal. Our in person meetings were usually productive, but make sure you have a confirmation, as we were stood up on one occasion. Bob also became agitated when we told him what our budget was for catering (a reasonable $3000 for less than 50 guests), and he seemed really put out to have to adjust things to fit within that budget (we still ended up with an over budget estimate). He was not happy that we were unwilling to spend $100 per person for a light dinner style catering. If you book with him, I would definitely be very direct and up-front in what you want in terms of catering. The day of our wedding, we were taken well care of, and everything was executed perfectly. The staff was awesome, especially Jackie, the food was great, the space beautiful. I would definitely recommend it for those reasons, but be prepared to deal with a completely unresponsive coordinator and catering manager. read more