If you are planning a wedding reception or any other large gathering, there’s no need to roam far from home for a suitable banquet facility. The Geist area offers numerous possibilities for hosting gala affairs. From breathtaking views of the reservoir to historic locales, you’re sure to find a suitable venue for your big event.
Here are a few items to consider when selecting a site for your special occasion from Geist event planner Nancy Dicks of Awesome Occasion.
- Check references of prior clients to make sure that their experience with the management and staff were great.
- Ask your vendors (ie. florist, DJ, photographer, decorator, caterer) if they like working at this location. Is the room always ready? Is the staff prepared?
- Check to make sure that the building and grounds are well maintained.
- When selecting your venue be sure to consider your guests.
- Is the location close to the ceremony, and is there adequate parking?
- Is the room large enough for your guests to be comfortable?
- Are the heating and air conditioning systems adequate?
If you are serving alcohol, make sure that your bar staff will quit serving guests that have had enough. Too much alcohol can potentially ruin your event, Dicks advises. With those tips in mind, here are a few local sites you may wish to investigate for your special occasion.
On the Water
The Indianapolis Yacht Club is available for wedding receptions, birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, graduation parties and more. Although IYC is a private boating and social club, the clubhouse is available to nonmembers, as well. MBP Distinctive Catering is IYC’s catering partner and provides a full menu of food options, from appetizers to formal meals, as well as full bar service. Contact Club Manager Bill Lorch, at 317.335.2582 or welorch@yahoo.com for more information, or visit www.iyc.bz.
“We offer a beautiful setting on Geist Lake and large, well-appointed club house with all of the amenities,” says Rear-Commodore Micheal Fisher. “During the summer, we also have quite a few outdoor weddings, with even some wedding parties arriving by boat.”
“The Indianapolis Yacht Club is a wonderful location. I have decorated for several events there, and the facility was always ready and very well maintained,” says Dicks, of Awesome Occasion. “My husband and I hosted our daughter's wedding reception there six years ago. MBP Catering prepared a fantastic meal for our guests and were easy to work with.”
The Indianapolis Sailing Club is “one of the best kept secrets on Geist,” according to local sailor Steve Staletovich, noting the 13 acres of rolling hills that provide the area’s highest point to view the lake. “The clubhouse features a large indoor reception area, an expansive deck, outside grill and full-service commercial-grade kitchen inside. The landscape is immaculate, and the view is second to none.”
Information on availability may be found at www.indianapolissailing.org. For more details, call Club Manager Jim Keisel at (317)849-1153.
If you happen to own a piece of lakefront property, you might consider hosting your event at home and hiring personal chef Nicholas "Catfish" Brown.
“He will prepare a meal to remember and take care of all the clean up,” says Mary Ellen Youngs, who recently hired him for a 50th birthday celebration. “All the guests are still talking about it!”
Nicholas “Catfish” Brown can be reached at (407)637-7402.
Historic Fort Benjamin Harrison
The Fort Golf Resort/The Garrison Restaurant provides a scenic view of the golf course at Fort Harrison State Park. The Blue Heron Ballroom, with banquet capacity of 320, offers a unique atmosphere that includes arched, glass doors and chandeliers. The doors open to a patio above the practice green, where a panoramic view of the wooded golf course awaits. Facing west, the most beautiful sunsets can be seen. The ballroom can also be divided into two smaller rooms.
Also available for smaller parties are the Gates Room, the Lawrence Room and the Bunker. The resort also offers a small, white gazebo situated alongside a small pond -- the site of several smaller weddings. For more information, call (317) 543-9592 or visit www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/inns/ftharrison/.
Fort Harrison State Park Inn (formerly the Kendall Inn) is a lovely, small hotel located next to the state park in historic Fort Harrison. Fortville business Six Feet Up recently contracted the entire inn for an event and reports that the inn is not only reasonably priced, but also “amazingly beautiful and plush.” The former Kendall Inn recently was purchased by the Indiana DNR and is now under the same ownership as The Fort Golf Resort.
For more information, contact Bev Norris at (317)638-6000.
Lawrence Parks Department offers three buildings that each hold up to 150 people:
- Louis J. Jenn Memorial Park (East 63rd Street) is a lodge-type building.
- Sterrett Center (Otis Avenue and Post Road, on Old Fort Harrison) includes a ballroom.
- Lawrence Community Center (Franklin Road/Community Park) has a large, open room.
Geist Chef Suzanne Rockwell runs a catering business from the Sterrett Center, or you may bring your own caterer. For more information, call (317)545-PARK. Booking for 2010 starts July 6, 2009.
Geist and Beyond
Fishers Hospitality & Conference Center consists of four hotels located at I-69 & 96th Street, as well as a conference center that can accommodate up to 300 guests.
“Not only are we set in a great location near to Geist, we also can only hold one wedding per day; therefore, your guests will receive our undivided attention,” said sales manager Jessica Bertelson.
With four hotels, guests also have four price points to choose from for overnight lodging within walking distance of the conference center: Hilton Garden Inn, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Call (317)577-5900 or contact Bertelson at JBertelson@DoraHotels.com for more information.
Fox and Hound in Castleton hosts events of all types from 10 to 250 people. The local eatery also caters within 100 miles of Indianapolis.
“Fox and Hound is the perfect place for parties or special events,” says Lisa Holverson. “Our private rooms have games including billiard tables, shuffleboard and English Style darts, and your guests are sure to have a good time!”
Contact Holverson at 317-913-1264 or lholverson@fhrg.com for additional information.
ARTBOX Gallery is located in the historic Stutz II Building in downtown Indy and provides a unique venue for hosting receptions and other events with up to 200 guests. Featuring contemporary art in the form of painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, furniture, and installation, ARTBOX is not your typical reception facility, according to ARTBOX’s Jason Myers. While waiting for the wedding party to arrive, guests will enjoy studying the unique artwork on display. Find more information at www.artboxindy.com.
