After working at a destination winery in the catering department I loved the idea of a hotel, but most of them were prohibitively expensive. I swear I found a place that had a deposit of $8000, which is basically my entire venue budget. I decided to email a few different places I had ruled out previously, and Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle was one of them.
I have worked at one of their sister properties, Cave B in central Washington, for the past two Summers now and had the opportunity to stay at Hotel 1000 for the employee discount once before. I loved the location, the interior, and the food and was delighted to learn that not only were they available, they fit within my budget!
Here is where the "utilizing your resources" concept that I mentioned in my profile comes in. I made sure to mention that I had worked at Cave B, stayed with them, and that we wouldn't be having alcohol at the wedding. The catering director, Kristin (who is an absolute dream to work with and will be getting rave reviews from me after the wedding is over) offered me a discount based on my employment connection and the lack of alcohol. The saving are close to $1000!
So my advice to all of you, is don't be afraid to be flexible and ask for discounts. Ask about having your ceremony and reception just a little bit earlier orwhat the slow season is. If you have a friend or family member who work at a potential location, ask if their is a friends and family discount available. For me, it made the difference in finding a location I could afford and not feel like I was sacrificing for.
Of course you are going to get a photo tour from me:
Guests step off the elevator onto the 4th floor into this room, which is almost completely dedicated to our event. My favorite thing about this space is how guests will flow from one room to another throughout the night. 
The day I took the tour a convention was happening so it was hard to get good photos of the ceremony space. It's a completely enclosed glass atrium with bars I will be able to hang votives from. Guests will have a beautiful view of downtown Seattle during the ceremony.
After the ceremony we'll walk right through this doorway from the ceremony room into my favorite room....
I can't remember if they call this the Great Room or the Library, but I think it's gorgeous and cozy. Guests will cycle through here and wish us their best, hopefully they won't stay very long because the delicious appetizers will be circulating in the next room drawing them away from myself and my new husband (I want to talk to them, but just for a few seconds, I want to enjoy my own reception as well.)
The room for dinner, and my bad attempt at darkening the photo to get some idea what it will actually look like that night :)
The decor in the lobby and surrounding areas should provide for some moody and artistic photos between the two ceremonies.
The best part about using a hotel? Being able to stay in a room for our wedding night that we never could have been able to afford otherwise. The hub fills from the ceiling, it's the coolest bathtub I'ver ever seen!
Anyone else have a venue they would have written off as impossible to afford? How did you take advantage of your resources to cut costs?
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