Guest Blog by Brian Peterson.
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I’ve been involved in weddings professionally since 1989 and one of the disappointing things about our local area has been the lack of a facility that can bring the big city feel to a wedding reception. If you ever have been to a wedding in NY, Chicago, LA or Atlanta, you know what I mean. We have fantastic locations like Palais Royale, Windsor Park, Knollwood Country Club, Marriott, etc which are top locations for a wedding. But they are products of the midwest small town feel, lacking the big city type ambiance, attitude and pomp of a Four Seasons, Ritz, Drake or Marriott banquet hall in downtown Chicago. And this has been detrimental to how people look at what can be done when it comes to a wedding in the local area. I cringe every time I hear a guest comparing the wedding they are at locally to one they attended elsewhere and I hear them say “But you couldn’t do that in this town…” or in at a wedding that came close to pulling off that big city feel “I didn’t know they could do that here…” I know full what that you can do anything here that you can do in the big cities, our professionals in the various industries are just as good as anything Chicago can dig up, but that lack of a certain “ambiance” for lack of a better word has perpetuated this attitude that we are in some way “less” than the big cities.

Well ladies and gentlemen that is about to change!

Tonight I had the honor of being invited to an Open Plate at the new Hilton Garden Inn on the Saint Marys Campus and the Fleur de Lis Ballroom (the banquet hall’s name may change before they open so from here on out I’m just going to call it the banquet hall or Hilton). An open plate is where a banquet or catering facility invites the professionals they interact with on a regular basis in to show off their capabilities or inform them of something new. Unfortunately Amy couldn’t attend so she left it up to me to write up this report on this new facility.

I’ve been involved in the wedding industry for 18 years and honestly having worked in downtown Chicago, traveled to Las Vegas, NY and Atlanta for jobs I’ve become somewhat jaded and honestly it takes a lot to impress me. Well tonight I wasn’t just impressed I was blown away! General Manager James and his management team of Nicole and Leanne (I’m bad with names so forgive me that I can’t remember their last names) are some of the sharpest, friendliest and have a can do attitude that I have not encountered in a long time! They love what they are doing and it shows. Also how open they are to ideas and feedback was very refreshing.

The banquet hall is still under construction and they’ve barely begun decorating but this is going to be the it place in town. The hotel itself has a bright urban feel to it that will continue into the banquet hall, a major contrast to the “country club” feel that we have in most of our higher end banquet facilities in the region. The hall itself is spacious, open with a large entry area that wraps half way around the hall which will be a fantastic place to hold cocktails before entry into the main hall for dinner and dancing. Of most benefit to someone like me at the Hilton Gardens vendors will no longer have to enter through the same doors and disturb guests trying to get our equipment in. The new facility supplies a hidden side entry where we have direct access to the hall, without cutting through public areas.

Another thing that has me excited about the facility is the lighting opportunities. No banquet hall in town till now has really had the ability to light the hall like many do in the big cities. If you wonder what I mean look at the picture below. While this is very basic and was done at the Bridal Spectacular for the Hilton’s booth, this is an example of what can be done. As a videographer this makes me very excited because frankly a hall light entirely like that and then some, makes really pretty pictures. And I like making pretty pictures. So I can’t wait to see someone hire Michaelangelos and let them go to town like they’ve never done locally.

Outside decor. By summer a beautiful garden area will be constructed in front of the hall where they also intend to hold outdoor weddings. From the plans we were shown this is going to be one killer garden.

All of this will be finished soon, their first wedding reception will be held there on February 9 so there is less than a month till it opens.

For me though, the true test of a banquet facility, no matter how pretty the interiors or friendly the staff is the food. When you are paying $30 and up per person to hold a reception and you are served crappy food, well that’s not a hall I’m going to refer. So it is always with some trepidation that I have approached a new hall and it’s cooking. I’ve been shocked by how bad some places are. If you’re wondering I have nothing but praise for Palais, Windsor, Knollwood and the Marriott listed above and St Hedwigs for it’s west side Polish dinners… After a look around we were invited into the kitchen by Jim, Nicole and Leanne to enjoy a dinner from their Chef Kirk Dixon.

We were of course given a run down of the Chef’s accomplishments and while many the one that stuck out to me is he was once in the employee of Chef Puck at Spagos. Okay that’ s impressive, but how was the food? EXQUISITE! Anyone planning a wedding at Hilton Garden Inn has to have, without a doubt the Crab Cake with remoulade and roasted corn relish, you will be in absolute heaven! These are a regular item on their Bistro menu inside the hotel, so if you get a chance try them, if you are having a wedding there you have to have them!

The whole seven course meal we were served knocked my socks off. Even the Tuna Sashimi was fantastic and it takes a lot to get me to eat sushi and usually that has to be in a rice roll before I’ll even contemplate it. Also of note was Chef Dixon’s creamy stilton Blue Cheese soup with Granny Smith Apples. Everyone in attendance was all a twitter about this dish. It really tasted like nothing I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating, it was just fantastic. Unfortunately it is not a regular item in their Bistro, but if you ever get the chance, you’ll be begging for more, like most of us were.

The big city has finally come to South Bend, the biggest small town in America as I heard someone refer to us today. If you have not found a banquet facility for your wedding reception yet, then my advice to you is to set up an appointment with Nicole and check out the Hiton Garden Inn’s banquet facilities, I’m sure you will be as impressed as I was.

Brian Peterson
River City Productions