How to Rent a Restaurant for a Wedding in Portland
- 1). Write down in a notebook exactly what you are looking for in your reception site. Include how many guests you are anticipating; whether you want the ceremony on site or just the reception; what sort of food allergies/preferences in cuisine you have; how far the reception is from the rest of the wedding plans and destinations; and your budget. Have all this written down before you contact restaurants.
- 2). Visit a website that profiles local Portland restaurants that offer private dining options. For example, OpenTable.com (see Resources) will give you a basic rundown on price range and style of food served for many restaurants in the region, including Andina in the Pearl District and Hall Street Grill in Beaverton. Portland Food and Drink (see Resources) also offers contact information for many restaurants, including the European Bar Avignon and Cork, a wine shop that offers customizable dinner menus.
- 3). Research prices and availability dates. Call the restaurants following the listings on either the Portland Food and Wine page or a more mainstream site such as OpenTable or UrbanSpoon (see Resources). In many instances, the local pages will make restaurants more accessible, including the name of a contact person to coordinate a private reception, which can help you cut through some red tape.
- 4). Tell the private dining coordinator as many detailed plans as you can, and he will likely have you select menu options shortly after confirming dates. Pay any deposit that is due, and look into any special table set-up options, dietary requests or anything else that you need to customize your day.
Source...