Where should we hold the reception?

Michael and I do not plan on deleting any stories or comments on this website so we are not going to delete the blog below.  Instead, we are providing you with a quick update before you spend your time reading the entire story.  Our update as of 12/8/07:  Miamisburg Opera House booked their site before even showing us!!  Germantown's bathroom and stair situation is not good either.  Please keep checking back with us to find out where our new site will be........ we are in the process of reserving even a better spot.  Though it will be a little further from the church, you will love this place!  Keep checking back....

Michael and I traveled down to the Germantown/Miamisburg area on Tuesday (11/13) to see the halls, meet with our caterer, have lunch with Mom, spend time with Kaitlyn, visiting Jungle Jims, etc.  It was so much fun to see all the places we have been reading about for so long! 

All of our dilemma questions are at the end of this article, but we thought we would summarize our day below to give you a little insight in our day….

First we met with Mom at Valley View Elementary and we were able to see her classroom (first time for me!!).  Then we went to lunch at Subway and discussed items about the wedding.  I believe Barb will be setting up hair appointments at Images in Germantown for the girl’s hair for our big day!  Barb and I are obviously thinking about the same things—I just asked Saturday’s Hair Salon the day before about hair appointments for the wedding! 

We then traveled to Middletown to meet with our caterer and wedding cake creator, Joyce, from The Cake & Catering Place.  She was able to show us pictures from her previous engagements and we decided on our wedding cake design.  She created a wonderful cake from her niece’s wedding and we are hoping get one similar.  It looked gorgeous.  Though we haven’t decided on leaves or fall colored roses or mums on our wedding cake, we have decided on a white 3 tier square stacked wedding cake.  There are designs on the side of each layer that adds a lot of elegance to it.  The picture below is similar to what we want to give you an idea.

Afterwards, we picked up Kaitlyn after she arrived home from school and traveled to Big Lots for a little shopping and then to Chipotle for some dinner (Kaitlyn’s first time). 

We then traveled to Miamisburg’s Baum Opera House.  What a gorgeous place!  After walking into the front oak doors, you are greeted with the past!  The Baum Opera House was built in 1884 and is in the process of being restored.  It offers a grand ballroom on the second floor for our wedding reception and is described below:

The ballroom highlights the mansard style with second empire inspired fabrics and warm historic colors. The plastered wall feature chair rail of Wickerwork tan and Byzantium blue wainscot. The molding blends beautifully with the restored hardwood floors and wood molding found throughout the building. Rich velvet stage curtains are complemented by the splendid brocade draperies that cover the high arched windows.  (http://www.baumoperahouse.com/design/design.htm)

The Baum Opera House offers a large bathroom and an elevator to make our guests more comfortable.  It offers a large stage, hardwood floors, and an updated velvet curtain that adds a lot to the overall look and feel to the ballroom.  The ballroom holds approximately 250 people and is a very roomy place to celebrate our wedding.

After being quite excited over the fact we could hold our event at such a wonderful place, we decided to go shopping at Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield (near Cincinnati).  What a great place to go shopping!  The diverse international food selection, Starbucks, the awesome bathrooms (the World’s Best according to Jungle Jims!), and the entertaining display of automated animals and shows, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves walking through the store.  If you have not been there—you should take time out to explore this place!  Or go visit them at least online at www.junglejims.com

Traveling back to Germantown, we visited the Germantown Opera House to see if they would be a good fit for our reception site.  With crosshatched wood ceilings and large windows that gave you an awesome view of Germantown, the beauty of this site amazed us.   It offered hard wood floors, a great light show and DJ station, and a bar/drink station.  The Germantown Opera House also offered HD projection screen for any video or slideshows we may want to share during our event.  It would be nice to hold our reception here since it holds some past with Michael’s family (I guess Dan, Michael’s Dad, used to play basketball in the ballroom) and since it is in Germantown, where Michael grew up. 

The downside to this site is the steep stairs to get to the Opera House and only one bathroom for each the guys and gals.  Though it holds up to 150 people, it would be a limited amount of space for our guests. 

What to do????  Michael and I are torn between Miamisburg’s Baum Opera House and the Germantown Opera House.  Miamisburg offers more comfort and space for our guests but Germantown offers updated lights and projection screens and comforts of home and a past.  We are literally torn between the sites—both offer the look and feel of what we desired to be a part of our special day. 

Please give us your thoughts, ideas, and stories by sending us an email .   Does either place mean something in your heart?  Help us make a decision!  And, before it is mentioned, don’t involve price—they are both the exact cost. 

Thank you for your help!!!!! 

 Response from Grandma Ratliff:  I am sure either place would be fine. You might be able to be more personal at Germantown with the screen for pictures and the lights, I think are beautiful, and would be good for dancing. The stairs as you say is the only draw back. If you are not having any more then 100 -125 people the Miamisburg one might be too big. Have you thought about what it would cost you to hire a D.J.? I thing they told me the one you would have to use at Germantown would be 250.00 must cheaper then what I have been quoted from some other places. A place in Miamisburg was asking $600. Just something to think about. Sounds like I missed a lot of fun last Tuesday. The last time I was at Jungle Jims was before they remodeled many year ago, it was sort of junkie then, I will have to visit again.

Response from Grandma Ratliff:  My sisters told me that there did not vote in the poll about your reception location because they have not seen either place. The more that I think about it the more that I lean toward Miamisburg because of the elevator. Michael could probable have the slides on a computer so they could be shown on a wall and if you decide on the DJ that Kathy told me about it would still only be $250 for a DJ.

-----------Our reply:  If Kathy's suggested DJ can host our wedding--we will go with Miamisburg.  It just makes sense when you consider all the points I made in the blog.  Plus--Germantown hasn't called me back.  I posted some pictures up of the Baum Opera House.  Kaitlyn (who went with us) and I took these photos.  We enjoyed the place a lot and forgot to take pictures along the way.  Please take a look at them--its under the pictures link to the left under Baum Opera House.  

Response from Kim Holt (Sarah's sister):  Sarah and Michael,
It is your wedding. Enjoy! Do what your hearts say to do. This is your day to remember. Go with the hall you two like. Choose the food you desire. Whatever choices you make, it will be a beautiful wedding. Because true love shows. It doesn't matter what colors you choose, or what food you serve, it is the true meaning behind this wedding that means something. Yes, you can ask for opinions, but remember this day is for you two and nobody else. Love you lots your big sis, Kim P.S. Yes you have to have a cookie table. HaHaHa!!!!