A Tough Decision

The last couple weeks have found me doing some serious soul searching. It felt like every time I turned around someone was telling me about the latest news – well, actually the latest disaster, to be more accurate – that was taking place at the Statler. For the past ten months, I have continued to be optimistic and take all the rumors passed along by news sources and word of mouth with a grain of salt. After a while, however, these things do start to take a toll on a person.

Dan and I made an appointment to taste Park Lane’s food for Wednesday of last week. The food was delicious, just as it had always been at the restaurant when it was opened. We took one more look at the room that we loved so much when we booked it back in September. We were a bit nervous. Some of the repairs that were promised could not be completed until after the building was sold next month. That immediately got me thinking about what would happen next.

As we drove away from the building, I stared at the signs plastered on every window and every side of the building that read “Bankruptcy Auction.” I couldn’t help but feel sorry for any couple having their reception at the Statler between now and next month’s auction. It would not be my ideal vision to have our guests’ first impressions be of these eyesores posted on every angle of the building. Dan and I are meticulously planning the reception and, to be perfectly honest, spending a lot of money. Did I want to continue worrying about the state of the building and the future of my reception?

We drove down Delaware Avenue and something caught my eye. I began calling hotels in the downtown area last week so that I could block off rooms for my guests the night of the wedding. Much to my dismay, many were completely booked. I put that task on the backburner and decided I would come back to it in the near future. Then, I saw a new hotel rising from the concrete and thought about how wonderful it would be to stay overnight at this brand new Buffalo attraction. I called the next day.

I was put into contact with a very helpful man who immediately began blocking off rooms for our October night. In casual conversation he mentioned that they do receptions as well, but assumed that we had ours already planned out. I figured it was worth a look and immediately inquired about prices, spaces, and availability. I was impressed and made an appointment to see the ballrooms and guest rooms that evening.

As I wandered around this new building with Dan and my mom I couldn’t help but feel like I was cheating on Park Lane catering and the Statler. We were in awe of how beautiful everything looked and how thorough our tour guide was. Dan looked at me as soon as we left the hotel and I knew exactly what he was thinking. I also knew that I agreed. We crunched some numbers, discussed it at length, and made our final decision: we would switch reception locations.

I will write more about our new plans in a future post when things are a bit clearer. I want to end this post by telling other couples who have booked their reception with Park Lane catering this: Don’t panic! Just because Dan and I have made this decision (and, trust me, it was extremely, extremely difficult) does not mean that you should necessarily follow suit. I am still confidant that the Statler will remain open through June of next year as they promise. I am also confident that you will be more than impressed by the service you receive there and the quality of the food. Ultimately, you will know exactly what you need to do. This was what happened to us and I am at peace with my decision. You should really just make sure you are content with whatever decision you come to, whether it is to stay at the Statler or look elsewhere.