The venue that deserves its own post...

So I was in love with this venue that is a big deal here. It would have been the most amazing thing to be able to use it for our reception. However, said venue... well, it's didn't really love us back. The price was right, the dates were right, the food and event coordinator... terrible. But let me back up.

[picture]

Keeneland Racetrack is quintessentially Lexington. It's very sweet, small without being tiny, and it's where hundreds of thousands of people (some from all over the world) come to enjoy a bit of horse racing (and alot of alcohol). There are two months in which racing occurs- the April and October meets (meets = racing season!). My parents always come up for it and stay for a weekend. Lots of pretty dresses, boys in ties... before you get all excited, the fancy hats are for Derby day! First Saturday in May; Keeneland does throw a Derby party where people wear hats. But I digress.

[3 pictures from Keeneland file]

Anyway, we usually eat in the Phoenix room. It costs alot ($35) more than general admission ($5) but you get a buffet lunch and a great view of the paddock from the room and a great view of the track from the balcony. But their food is... well, to put it nicely, not very good. And they put bacon in everything and since Mr. KM can't eat meat, well, you get the idea. Oh, and you absolutely must use their caterer. No outsiders allowed.

[Keeneland picture]

But I emailed them anyway, asking if we could come in and talk about a different menu and maybe do a tasting. They had dates available, and we could have the two rooms overlooking the track that usually get snapped up by groups. And got promptly rejected. The email said something along the lines of, "Thanks for your interest. You're more than welcome to come during a meet and try our food [in April] but we don't do tastings." A possibly April tasting for food I'd already had (and wasn't very good) for a wedding in July or August? No, thank you. The dates could get booked, the food could be even more terrible... too many things could go wrong, and I wasn't about to sign a contract for food that I knew to be not up to my standards.

It was the ultimate wedding planning disappointment and I'm still a little bitter about it. But ultimately, we got a venue that was so beautiful it made me cry, the staff is super accommodating and price, while steep, wasn't enough to make my parents say "heck no"... they were actually pleasantly surprised that it was only half of their friend's son's wedding venue.