Reception @ Restaurants using existing seating (CG, Bistro de Paris, Citricos, Narcoo

[disneyberry]

Okay, so DF and I originally were keen on having our reception at one of the following restaurants just based on the fact that we know and love the food at each.

California Grill (lunch buyout), Bistro de Paris, Citricos, Narcoossees

However, all of them are limited to using existing restaurant seating arrangements. >_<

How does planning seating work with these? Do the restaurants try to push some tables together to make most of the tables approximately the same size?

Would we be given seating charts showing all of the tables available to seat people at?

How about custom linens, place settings, or chair covers?

Any info people could share based on their personal experience having a reception and any of these places would be appreciated! We're keeping our options open to other places now just in case the restaurants are too difficult as far as planning go, but we'd love as much info as possible!

 

[caryndisneydiva]

i'm having my reception at living seas where we have to utilize existing seating. they are going to be sending me a seating chart closer to my date, after my rsvp's are in. i was given a choice of linens and everything else! hth!

 

[pixie08]

yeah I think there are basic ways they set up the tables, like pushing them together. You can always use chairs covers and linens though.

We were really were 70% about to use Bistro de Paris but with our guest count of 70 there is no dance floor really and we knew people would be dancing so as upset as I was we gave it up. We could have had our dancing portion in the courtyard but with the chance of rain in June we just didn't want to deal with that.

Now CG and living seas are much larger and much more accomadating. True you have to use exisiting seating (which they will provide a plan of) but you can use a dance floor which I am sure some CG and LS brides will attest (except many things are based on guest count with the CG- like a private room holds 50 but with a dance floor that is reduced, you can use the whole restaurant but it has to be before opening etc, etc).

I believe no dance floor is available at Narcoosossee's.

Good luck choosing!

oh PS what is the sixth borough? I never heard that? LI? NJ?

 

[MistressOfAllEvil]

We're using the wine room at Jiko for our dinner reception after our escape wedding. It's been fairly easy to set this up. My planner secured the location for us and sent me the menus. Originally, the email said that we had to use existing table set-up, but I asked if we could push the tables together so that all 18 of us were sitting together and she's checking into for me. She's been very helpful and accommedating which has been a relife since I though I would have to take care of all these additional details on my own with yet another contact person.

 

[disneyberry]

Thanks for the replies! ^_^

I do remember reading that Narcoossees doesn't have a dance floor, so hrm, I guess that one is ruled out. :\

Citricos looks huge based on the pictures I've seen, but I realized upon looking at the official Disney Wishbook online again that it says there is no dance floor available there! Huh? I love Citricos' food, but no dance floor? >_<

So that leaves CG lunch buyout (which seems a bit extravagant for us lol), and Bistro de Paris.

pixio08, you said you gave up Bistro de Paris because it'd be crowded for 70 people + a dance floor? o.o; Argh, is that what your planner told you? Yikes, I'd seen it listed on Mouseweddings as having capacity up to 120 guests.
Depending on how our RSVP list looks, we might have anywhere from 40-70 people (I know, the huge range is crazy... we really need to get some kind of preliminary unofficial RSVP so we don't drive ourselves nuts planning for all sorts of alternatives.). What is the supposedly comfortable maximum number of people at Bistro de Paris plus a dance floor then?
(Oh, and btw 6th borough is Hudson County, NJ haha)

In any case, I'm glad to hear they're willing to push tables together + give out seating charts and some choice of linens, etc. Any other experiences people can share would be great!

 

[pixie08]

Well we actually went on a site vist and ate dinner there to make sure. See it is set up a restaurant so all the seats are in the back. This is where the capacity was 120- no problem for seating...that wasn't the issue. They can gang the tables together and do roman tables.they turn the tables around and make bigger tables.
http://www.mouseweddings.com/wedlocbp7.html

The problem is the dance floor. It is the small area where you enter the restaurant in the front off the stairwell.Sort of here through the doors...
http://www.mouseweddings.com/wedlocbp11.html
in front of here where the camera is standing-
http://www.mouseweddings.com/wedlocbp3.html


for some people it works really well- at our wedding we had like 30- 50 people on the dance floor at all times (plus the dj needs room)so this just wasn't going to cut it for us- damn partiers I wish it would have- maybe this can work for you? How old is your crowd. We had half the crowd or more in the 20-30 year old age range so this had a lot to do with it!


Plus Bistro has many restrictions with food and wine PM if you want more info on that! Oh JJersy- I figured that...I am from LI!

 

[pixie08]

Oh PS with 40- 70 people a lunch buyout may be very possible for you at cg which also an amzing and beautiful site! If I do a vow renewal I am having the dinner there