Anonymous wrote:My main takeaway from this is that destination weddings are dumb and inconvenient for everyone but the bride (and in this case, her parents).

This isn’t about that.

OP would be in the same exact pickle were the wedding in the bride’s hometown.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you seriously telling me you haven’t so much as Googled “rehearsal dinner White Sands Resort” or whatever the name of the place is?

I’m practically a professional Googler and I spent years working in restaurants in a former life, and I wouldn’t want to choose a venue this way. Recommendations from people in the party planning business and/or who know the area well would be my preference.

There’s a lot that can go wrong trying to plan a long distance dinner for 65 people. I can see how it feels stressful for OP.

It’s “stressful” to call a hotel concierge and ask for a recommendation, or even to book a hotel ballroom and a caterer approved by the hotel?

OK.

It’s “stressful” to call literally the same wedding caterer and get a quote for a rehearsal dinner?

OK.

My main takeaway from this is that destination weddings are dumb and inconvenient for everyone but the bride (and in this case, her parents).

Anonymous wrote:You don't need to make the bride and groom do this. Call around the location and see what's there. Call the hotel even and ask.

Come up with some ideas first and then talk to the bride and groom.

My inlaws did make me plan the rehearsal dinner and they paid months after the wedding. I truly had no time to plan yet another event, and no money so it wasn't a great situation. It's not normally something the bride and groom have to plan.

Ha ha sure didn’t take long for a DCUM mom to seize the opportunity to bash the in laws. This website is so predictable.

They DID give her a recommendation though. The people who know the destination and presumably something about OP’s budget told her that Chappy’s Cheeseburgers was the place.

OP came back with “they don’t take reservations, can I use the wedding planner.”

This might be the kind of destination where Chappy’s is kind of the only option. They don’t take reservations because it’s an island, or whatever. OP just needs to call them and work it out.

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you seriously telling me you haven’t so much as Googled “rehearsal dinner White Sands Resort” or whatever the name of the place is?

I’m practically a professional Googler and I spent years working in restaurants in a former life, and I wouldn’t want to choose a venue this way. Recommendations from people in the party planning business and/or who know the area well would be my preference.

There’s a lot that can go wrong trying to plan a long distance dinner for 65 people. I can see how it feels stressful for OP.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why everyone’s being so harsh to the OP. It’s not a big deal to ask the wedding planner for a few names of restaurants. If she’s worth her price tag, she’ll have a short list at the ready.

It’s “harsh” for several people saying post the place here and we’ll help you, maybe someone here knows a place? It’s “harsh” that we are literally offering to directly help OP?

OK.

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you seriously telling me you haven’t so much as Googled “rehearsal dinner White Sands Resort” or whatever the name of the place is?

I think this is why the son said the wedding planner wouldn't help. He knows his mom is helpless and this would go beyond just a recommendation.

OP, are you seriously telling me you haven’t so much as Googled “rehearsal dinner White Sands Resort” or whatever the name of the place is?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, you experted to make “reservations” for 65 people?

You should be asking for a private room/private event!

Get on the phone and talk to the hotel concierge! Get on the phone and call the wedding planner and see if you can hire them or if they can recommend another event planner. Get resourceful!

OMG, OBVIOUSLY she asked for space for 65 people. Why are people on here such idiots? It's just the word she used, you moron.

Then she would have said they don’t have a private room, or they don’t host functions.

Anonymous wrote:I'm so confused why you're so hurt by what your son said. You sound so ridiculously over dramatic. And did you call the restaurant yourself? Seems very odd they wouldn't take a reservation for 65 and would rather you all just show up unannounced.

+1

This isn’t hard, call some venues and they’ll prob book you a room with a minimum food/beverage charge and/or give you a price fixe menu.

This isn’t that hard. Unless the wedding is tomorrow or something.

You want the glory of handling the rehearsal dinner without doing the minimal work. It’s annoying.

OP's son was rude. Of course that hurt her feelings.

OP, call and see if the recommended restaurant has a private room. They should have offered this when you tried to make reservations, but whatever. If they don't and it's the only place in town, tell your son "Here’s $X. I'm going to let you handle this because I don't know the area and you do."

Or OP really doesn't get around much and it never occurred to her. She isn't back to tell us where it is, either.
OP if you are lurking call the place mentioned that doesn't take reservations. Ask to speak to a manager. Explain it's a rehearsal dinner for 65. Can they accommodate that? Fixed menu, private room, fixed menu special area, buy out..?
If NO NO NO ask them where they would suggest. Write it down.
Call the hotel. Ask. Write it down.
Go look on Google Maps for the places and reviews. Maybe some are interesting.
Ask on here in Travel and sign up for Trip Advisor and ask there, too.

Anonymous wrote:Wait, you experted to make “reservations” for 65 people?

You should be asking for a private room/private event!

Get on the phone and talk to the hotel concierge! Get on the phone and call the wedding planner and see if you can hire them or if they can recommend another event planner. Get resourceful!

OMG, OBVIOUSLY she asked for space for 65 people. Why are people on here such idiots? It's just the word she used, you moron.

Wait, you experted to make “reservations” for 65 people?

You should be asking for a private room/private event!

Get on the phone and talk to the hotel concierge! Get on the phone and call the wedding planner and see if you can hire them or if they can recommend another event planner. Get resourceful!