My friend had her wedding here. I'm not reviewing her wedding - duh, that was five stars - but…read morerather the VFW and its potential for events.
Months leading up to the event, there was some confusion that the venue was closing down for good, and I don't think they even bothered to call and tell my friend, since they were closing AFTER her event was held. Still, that's going to cause a damn stroke to drive by and see a sign that the venue is for sale.
When we arrived the evening of the wedding, the front door to the building was locked. Funny, the sign around back told us to enter through the front...anyway, we ended up going through a back entrance and cruising through the kitchen area, where it was obvious a volunteer and some others were scrambling to get things set up. I don't need a red carpet rolled out for me, but if you do...it ain't happening here.
Volunteers should probably wear some sort of name tag, or something that makes them look "official," since my friend's relative asked me to mop the floor after something spilled...
It was obvious from the moment I walked in that she put her blood, sweat, and tears into decorating the sh*t out of this place. She made an ordinary VFW into a tropical paradise! Beautiful, bright hues of turquoise, violet, and magenta decorated the tables which were adorned with cute, but classy, tiki barware and candles.
This VFW was well-lit, clean, and provided her with great bones to really customize her event. There was plenty of room for guests to sit, dance, and mingle.
The "stage" area made for a nice ceremony. I sat in the middle of the sea of guests, and it was nice to be able to hear the vows - and see them - even though a man bun a few seats in front of me would have ordinarily blocked my view. The American flag in the background looked a little strange in some pictures though, but it comes with the territory.
Caterers appear to be flying solo here - without a wedding coordinator on site, you need to have your sh*t together. I helped my friend set up the dessert (cupcakes), and almost immediately people began to swarm the table before the couple cut their own cake. Caterers - get some back up, because you are your own crowd control!
The bartender did a great job keeping up with everyone. I don't know how many guests there were, but it wasn't the smallest (or biggest) wedding I've attended. She held her own, and the "line" moved rather quickly. She was also willing to serve a group of us shots - something many wedding venues refuse to do.
If you love, love, LOVE the idea of customization, and calling all the shots (many banquet halls make you use specific vendors, menus, etc) then this VFW is definitely worth a look. So much thought went into her hosting a beautiful and fun event, which does make this VFW an ideal choice for someone who has the time and motivation to do the DIY thing all the way. It was nice to not attend a cookie cutter wedding for once!
