Venue

So I suppose the next thing on my agenda is to figure out how many people to invite and then where I'm going to put them. Well, we figured there will be about 100 people that have to be invited. And that's keeping it small. I have a humongous family. They just keep on reproducing, which is super cute when you get to see all the babies everywhere, but makes it hard to keep my wedding count low. But I wouldn't cut a single one of them, I love them.

So Justin's sister did a ton of extensive research and saved me about 5 hours in hunting time. Here is what she sent me (on the cutest e-stationary I have ever seen)

Phoenix parks and facilities are a great/inexpensive place to hold a wedding. Most park picnic areas are not reservable and are available only on a first-come, first-served basis, but could be great. In fact, if you look at Encanto Park Lagoon & Bridge it’s FREE! For a listing of all parks, visit the Parks webpage. (Reservable sites are available at North Mountain Park, South Mountain Park/Preserve, Papago Park, Encanto Park, Hance Park and Steele Indian School Park.) Beer permits are just $28!! For general information, call the Parks and Recreation information line at 602-262-6862. Heritage Square 115 North 6th Street (N.W. corner of 7th Street and Washington Street) Res. (602) 262-5071 Facility fee: Lath House: $ 1000 for eight hours, $ 125 per additional hour; entire plaza $1,200 for eight hours, $ 150 per additional hour; Rosson House Wedding 2 hours for $500, plus docent fees: 30 people or less only. Docent fees $10 per hour per docent. 2 docents required. Deposit: Minimum $ 250 Staff fee: $40 per hour for events over 100 Liquor is allowed 300 maximum Music is allowed/sound restrictions Off site parking Irish Cultural Center 1106 North Central Avenue (Adjacent to Hance Park) Res. 602-258-0109 Facility fee: Fri/Sat $ 1,250 for six hours, $ 100 per additional hour, Sun $ 1,000 for six hours, $ 100 per additional hour (week days are lower) Deposit required: $ 500 Staff fee: $ 25 per hour per 100 participants Damage fee (refundable) $ 150 Set-Up fee: $ 200 Security fee: $ 40 per hour per 100 participants Liquor is allowed 120 maximum/300 courtyard Music is allowed Parking on/off site Visit the center website Japanese Friendship Garden 1125 North 3rd Avenue (Located within Margaret T. Hance Park) Res. 602-228-0650 Only available for wedding ceremony/no receptions allowed. Facility fee: (FRI –SAT) $ 425 @ hour, two hour min. (SUN – THURS ) $ 275 @ hour, two hour min. Deposit: $ 300 Staff fee required No liquored allowed 150 maximum Music is allowed Parking on/off site Visit the Japanese Garden Website Encanto Park Lagoon & Bridge Outdoor Space: Ampitheather Island 15th Ave. and Encanto Blvd. Monday-Sunday from 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Free of charge (602) 261-8993 Enchanted Island - privately run call (602) 254-1200 Valley Garden Center 1809 North 15th Avenue 15th Avenue, bounded by Coronado and Holly Streets Res. (602) 252-2120 http://www.facebook.com/l/12c07;www.Valleygardencenter.org The Valley Garden Center is nestled in the historic Encanto Park neighborhood centrally located for easy access from all parts of the Valley. This lovely facility has a variety of meeting options ranging from banquet rooms to lush garden settings. There are several rate packages available to meet your wedding plans. To schedule an appointment, please call (602) 252- 2120.

Cool! Time to hunt in person...

So I checked out Encanto Park-










There are already benches! That's minus $200 for chair rentals!





So I love the spot. And I'm set on it. So I called and talked to Tracy at Parks and Recreations who told me that I will have a $28 alcohol fee plus a $10 fee if we have a sound system set up. Which yes, we will. She can't make the reservations until mid March though because the city will be making budget cuts and she doesn't know for sure if they will even be taking reservations. But what they do is close off the whole island for us. Nice! Will definitely be calling back in March. She says I'm ahead of the game, which is always good to hear! Spot down, moving on...