Rehearsal Dinner Location

Since we plan on having a pretty formal wedding (in terms of attire, but not in behavior!) I wanted something as casual and low maintenance as possible for our rehearsal dinner.  Side note: we're actually calling this a "Welcome Dinner" since everyone's invited--oooh the joys of a destination wedding!

Mr. M and I searched high and low prior to our 2nd wedding planning trip to Montreal back in July--we needed a venue capable of hosting at least 100 people that had inexpensive food and beverage options.  It was actually quite difficult to find a place that met this criteria, so when I finally came across a large micro-brewery in Old Montreal (which is only 4 blocks from the hotel where we're getting married--huge bonus points there), I reallly hoped it would work out. 

The bar is called Les 3 Brasseurs (or The 3 Brewers in English) and is deceptively larger on the inside than it looks from outside.  When we met with the event director there, we learned that it was actually large enough to host over 400 people!  Large venue?  Check.  The place is SUPER cool on the inside--they brew their own beers so the huge brew tanks are visible all throughout the interior.

The bar's exterior / Image via Flickr.com

Huge brew tanks / Image via HouseNumbers.ca

The upstairs bar / Image via QDG.ca

There's a perfect space available for a group of 100 in a section of the bar upstairs, so it'll be nice to have our own space within the huge bar.  We also discussed menu options with the event director and while initially we were looking in to buffet options, we realized it would cost WAYY more to feed everyone than we were comfortable spending.  So I asked if we could instead order a bunch of items a la carte and just order tons of appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages that would be enough for our group.  In doing so, the overall budget was lower than we anticipated (which made us very happy!)  We also opted for a cash bar--we'll be feeding people a fancy meal with a 9 hour open bar for the reception the next day, so we figured people can buy their own booze for this event.

For the menu, we've decided on a mix of flamms (which are like super thin-crust pizzas), poutine (fries covered in cheese and gravy, a Quebec staple), chicken wings, a few veggie plates and salads.  Also, we can order more food as the night goes on in case we run out.  

Another bonus to hosting the welcome dinner here is that Mr. M is quite the lover of beer (after all, he is from Wisconsin).  This will appeal to MANY of our guests who are also beer "connoisseurs".  While I am NOT a fan of beer, they have an awesome hard cider that was delicious and of course tons of wine.  A win-win overall! 

How many people will you have at your rehearsal (or welcome) dinner?  Are you opting for a more casual event?