Venue Shopping: Hyatt Lodge - Grand Oaks Pavilion

Our second stop was Hyatt Lodge. Sigita was very helpful and talks very quickly with a lot of information. My recommendation is to record the conversation because she goes through so much information that it's not possible to write everything down.

image from Hyatt Lodge website

We "viewed" the Grand Oaks Pavilion. I say "viewed" because there was an event going on in the room until 3pm so we weren't allowed to really walk in and look around. Considering this was the first appointment that I booked, I don't know why we didn't make the appointment at 3pm so that we could actually view the space but regardless, we were able to briefly peek in. The Grand Oaks Pavilion was an odd triangle shape but quite lovely since two sides were all windows overlooking a bunch of trees. You get the use of the ballroom, the corridor, lobby, and the terrace (with high tables) for your event. The food/beverage minimum for Saturday is $22,000 before tax (forgot %) and service fee (22%). Tables, linens and chairs are included although there are fees to upgrade the chairs($6/each for white covers, $10 for gold chiavari and $12 for them to rent other chairs). There is no extra charge if you choose to go past midnight although you do need to pay for the bar/bartender as well as anyone else you want to stay (like the DJ).

Alcohol is included in making this food/beverage minimum and they seem incredibly flexible when it comes to the menu. Sigita said that if you don't want dessert because the cake will be dessert, then you can put the money somewhere else for your food/beverage minimum. You MAY NOT bring in outside food OTHER than dessert. Cake is included in the packages and there is no cake cutting fee UNLESS you bring in your own cake.

The ceremony area is outside by the lake and the setup fee is $2,000. It includes white lawnchairs, one microphone, 2 speakers and does NOT include decor although it is lovely outside so you don't need much. If weather is bad, they will close off half of the Grand Oaks room and have it in there. You will decide this at your final meeting the week before the event. You get 1 hour for the ceremony.

You get a complimentary king room for the bride and groom if you book your event with them.

They will hold your date for 7 days without charge. It's $3,000 deposit when you sign the contract. I believe 6 months before the event, you need to pay 50% of the food/beverage minimum, and then the final payment is due 4 days before the event.

Final thoughts: I liked the space a lot. The area is very nice and the space is very lovely. The lake and trees nearby give the venue the "nature-y" feel that I want for my wedding without the ridiculous Garden price (ridiculous like Botanic Garden price). I LOVE that I don't have to do much in terms of outside vendors and the reviews are great for this place. We will need to review our budget to see if this space is truly in our budget or not. Sigita has been extremely helpful so far.

Edit: We went back at another time to view the space.

The chairs that come with the room. It's $6 for each chair cover, $10/chair for gold chiavari chairs, or $12 to rent other chairs. The chair itself doesn't look too bad except it has a ergonomic bump on the back that looks a little strange and some of them have some stains.

I saw some images where they hung paper lanterns above the dance floor and called the AV department for some pricing. They have three sizes available: 18", 24" and 36". It's $25 for each fixture and that includes all labor, setup and breakdown. 21% service charge is additional. The amount you put up depends on how big your dance floor will be. I believe he said the average was around 20-30 lanterns? That would be $500-750 plus a 21% service charge.