Weddin' Locale - advice, please!

My fellow tikiphiles:

I've done a search, but hope this merits a new posting, as it doesn't have to do so much with invitations as an actual... wedding.

Please help me! I'm planning a small wedding of 8 - ok, I confess, yes, it's my own wedding - and need advice on a location in the Bay Area. I never thought I'd be getting married, but (long story short) it's happenning soon. If I'm going to go through with this I want a party, a celebration - hence the demand from me that it be Tiki, to match my love for the culture. Mr. Kahluagal is fine with it, luckily. It may be because he's grown used to living in an apartment with a Tiki-styled kitchen :wink:

Sooo... where'd it be:

Door #1: Tonga Room, SF
Door #2: Trader Vic's, Emerville
Door #3: Some place else, that you'll supply the name of?

I've heard good and bad about the Tonga Room - great decor, so-so food - whereas nothing but good about Trader Vic's. I've checked out Critiki and various sites, but want to know any first hand impressions. Would it be good for a wedding? The Trader Vic's has a Puka room for small occasions, but doesn't look too tiki from the pics on the Trader Vic's site (unless they're trying to mask the Tikiness - why they want to is beyond me). If you contrast it with the Critiki page, I think it would be fine, no?

I've also read the review on Tikifish's site about the TikiCrawl. Remember, I'm looking for a happy festive celebratory atmosphere - high on the Tiki decor, pretty good for the food. Heck, all I'm carrying about at this point is the drinks menu (Kahlua not manditory), but that's just me and my nerves.

I'm thinking since the Trader Vics is right on the marina, worst comes to worst if they don't let us marry in the restaurant maybe we can get married on the pier. Might even be kinda romantic.

so - any advice? You gotta help a girl out here! The family's already looking at me like I'm nutso (more so than usual)

thanks for reading this - any advice - on locations, on making it a fun wedding, whatever - is very, very much appreciated.

• kahluagal

P.S. If I could invite tikiphile to this thing I would - I'm gonna need all the help I can get...

Okay, so I know this won't help but why not get married at the Mai Kai in Ft Lauderdale and then take your honeymoon trip to the Keys? :wink:

i think the suggestions made so far (regarding the mai kai, or going to tv or tonga room) are great. i just wanted to throw in a quirky idea that we even considered when the hat and i married. there is a man-made island right off of san francisco known as "forbes island". i personally have never been there, but apparently it is outfitted with a tropical vibe. a fake sandy beach, a "tahiti room", so on so forth... it is also supposed to be rather romantic in the evening with the city lights. then again, weather is always a factor what talking about sf. :)

oh yeah, and i desperately wanted to have our reception at vic's in emeryville. they have beautiful private rooms.

On 2005-05-09 11:28, Pomaika i wrote:
Okay, so I know this won't help but why not get married at the Mai Kai in Ft Lauderdale and then take your honeymoon trip to the Keys? :wink:

Hell, since you are in California, not Florida, why not skip the Mai Kai and just go to Maui!

Thanks for everyone's replies. I do appreciate the help.

I had read about the Forbes Island, but somehow the Trader Vic's just won me over more. Reviews made it sound that Forbes Island food wasn't that good and the vibe was kind of...blah. BTW, the weather in SF has not won me over just yet.

I booked TV's and they seem really nice. Now, just have to decide if it's gonna be indoor or outdoor, and what drink I will pick off the menu first :wink:

thanks again!

Edit:

Maui would be heaven, but timing and bank account prevent that as an option right now. We don't even have plans for a honeymoon (sniff!) Ah well, there's always the 'renewal of vows' ceremony, right?

[ Edited by: kahluagal on 2005-05-10 12:17 ]