The Columbus Athenaeum

I had my reception at the Columbus Athenauem and worked with Ann Clark. The Athenaeum was perfect for my wedding - the Olympian Ballroom holds up to 400 or so people, and with just over 300 attending, this was the perfect size.I was not a very creative bride, so the Athenaeum was great because they already have linens, centerpieces, and decorations for rent/upgrade. They have their own cooks, so I did not have to deal with a caterer. The entire night ran so smoothly - Ann was there to help make sure everything moved along according to my timeline. Also, you can BYOB to this venue which saved us tons of money!

Gina was great! The service at our reception was wonderful, we never had to get our own food or drinks! Thanks to the staff! Our room was hot while getting ready but it was ok after a while

We loved the spaces. Ann worked with us and made sure we had everything we needed. Their rules and regulations were a bit much, but everything worked out well. We only had a 4 hour reception, and let me tell you it was not long enough. Everyone absolutly LOVED the food, especially the turkey! They only had one bartender for my wedding of 90 and some people said they had to wait a little while, but it wasnt bad. I highly recommend the stations package, great food, plus people didn't have to stand in long lines. My husband and I had our own waiters and we never had to get anything ourselves. Also, our cake topper split in half on top of our cake and the staff was quick to put buckeyes (the candy) on top (which was the toppers to the cupcakes we also had), so it ended up being perfect! Everything went off without a hitch and was beautiful. Great experience for the price, compared to anywhere else in columbus!

I had my wedding on Aug. 20, 2011, and I was extremely impressed with the final product! I had fallen in love with the large theater long ago, and the Staff is always helpful and kind, but on the day of the wedding, everything was more perfect than I could have imagined. I worked mostly with Gina, and she is AWESOME! The Athenaeum does have some strict rules and they aren't too flexible on them (only 30 mins to unload, rehearsal is only 30 mins, early on Fridays for Saturday weddings), but in the end these were small things. Their food is VERY good - even though their method of doing tastings is a bit off-beat, we weren't disappointed in the least, and we got lots of compliments from guests! At first I was a little bummed that the latest the Reception can go is 11PM, but then that also afforded us time to "after party" at a local bar, so that ended up being perfect :) Just read all the deadlines carefully, we ended up having to pay extra for last minute changes. Overall, I think the atmosphere and service and BEAUTIFUL venue is well worth it - a unique and fun venue with excellent client service! :)

I had my ceremony in the priory and reception in small theatre. It was wonderful and wouldnt have changed a thing!! Highly recommend!!

My husband and I got married at the Columbus Athenaeum (large theatre) on July 9th 2011. We worked with Trisha Morris who was always on top of her game, and literally thought of every detail. If we missed each other I knew I would have an email or voicemail within a couple of hours. Our day went beautifully and every detail was thought of - we felt like "royalty" being waited on, and Trisha went above and beyond to make our day special - she even surprised me with my "diet tonic" drink which was served to never have an empty glass all night! The theatre was very special, we were announced in the balcony to all of our guests suprise! The staff was very attentive and I'm still getting comments on how excellent the food was! People couldn't believe that we didn't hire an expensive caterer...I'm so happy with everything! If I had to make one negative comment it would be at the end of the night we had a guy harrassing my family to get out of the theatre (you have 30 minutes to get out after you event) - it wasn't a big deal but he made our vendor and parents very stressed. That was seriously it - my whole experience planning with the Athenaeum, working w/Trisha, all the details being perfected - was amazing. I would recommend our friends to go there! Everyone there is so nice, but ask for Trisha, she's awesome :) We LOVED working with her!

I had my wedding here this past July! Everything was perfect! I worked with Ann Clark and she was amazing!! She did everything for us to make sure that day was very special. The rest of the staff was also so nice and just made me feel so excited and so special. I didnt have to worry about a thing that weekend. They set everything up just the way we wanted! The room looked so beautiful and everyone had a great time! Thank you!!!

I could not have planned my wedding without Trisha from the Athenaeum. Everyone is so well organized it makes planning your big day less stressful and more enjoyable. On the day of the wedding, I felt so calm knowing that Trisha would take care of everything. I can't imagine my wedding at any other venue!

Absolutely the most fabulous place to have a daughter's wedding...it was magical and it turned out to be the FairyTale wedding of our daughter's dreams come true!! Trisha Morris was above and beyond, the food was delicious...our guests were commented all night long on how impressed they all were with the staff and the location and how they were treated!! Trisha and the entire staff must love their jobs and where they work because they were all amazing!!Thank you again Trisha and the Columbus Athenaeum!!

When we first went to tour the Athenaeum for our reception we fell in love. We worked with Gina throughout the planning process who was wonderful to work with. The service at the Athenaeum is impeccable and totally make you feel like royalty. Our reception turned out looking even better than I could imagine and there is not one thing I would have changed about that night from the venue. Our food was amazing (even better than the tasting) and we had so many compliments.

Tricia and the team at TCA were great to work with, and much more flexible than I had originally been led to believe. The venue was beautiful and it was so nice knowing all the details would be taken care of by their staff, so my family and friends could enjoy the day with us. We had a lot of picky requests, and they took care of them all. My only real disappointment was the food. It was just okay.

The Atheneaum provided wonderful service for our wedding! We had our personal wedding coordinator who helped us choose linens, menu items, centerpiece setups, ect. She also helped us with our budget, and suggested great vendors for us to consider, from the officiant to the flowers to the cake! I was slightly disappointed at first that there would be a charge if we chose not to use certain vendors for cakes, flowers, and a DJ; however, they preferred vendors we used were fantastic!

From the minute we walked into the Athenaeum I knew it was the place. We held our reception in the Olympian Ballroom and it was everything I could have wished for. Their pricing was very inexpensive compared to all the other venues that would hold the amount of people we needed it to. Also, they allow you to bring in your own alcohol which save thousands of dollars! The original person we were working with was very nice, but was a little pushy on things we didn't want to do or felt we needed. She ended up not being able to make the event and the new person we worked with was amazing!! She was so helpful and made me feel like our event was going to be very special. The food was delicious and we attended two tastings. During the reception two of the coordinators took my husband and I and plated our food for us so we wouldn't spill on ourselves (which is something I probably would have done!) I really loved my reception there and wish I could do it all over again because the room was beautiful!

Beware the Columbus Athenaeum. When my fiance originally got a tour of the Athenaeum, we were promised the moon. Whatever we needed, they would provide for us. For instance, my fiance and I planned on having and outdoor ceremony and an indoor ceremony and the Athenaeum originally told us as long as we let them know 3 hours prior on the date of in case of weather. And as it got closer they kept telling us they had to know a week in advance. And then continued to go back and forth as it got closer to the wedding. Luckily the weather held out and we didn't even have to worry about it. Keep in mind if you book with them they are INCRIDIBLY strict. Not only with brides, but with any vendors you bring in, especially if your vendor is not on their preferred vendors list. They are very short, only give the vendor one area to park while loading in (which is very often taken up by other vendors as there are usually multiple weddings happening at once) and if your vendor doesn't park there or is there for too long, the Athenaeum will have their car(s) towed. More than anything else, MAKE SURE YOU GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING. Then double check, triple check, and quadruple check. It didn't matter how many times we confirmed something, some part of our reception or information was lost or forgotten. We didn't end up with any major/noticable problems, but we arranged for an open bar with all kinds of liquor and as soon as I arrived, they told me they were only serving beer and wine because they didn't have it in their files and charged us an upgrade even though WE provided the booze. They also served dinner a half hour late because they had the wrong time in their paperwork even though, we, and the DJ had priorly confirmed it with them. We also signed up for chocolate covered strawberries with our hors d'vores, but never ended up getting any the entire reception.I will say our reception was beautiful and for the most part, everything went off without a hitch. All of the important things happened just as they should. Just again, make sure you double check everything with them multiple times.

My husband and I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Athenaeum. It was worth every penny. The ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. The staff was so professional and friendly that our guests were actually commenting on it. They treated us like royalty. They even walked us through the buffet and plated our selections and then waited on us throughout the dinner service. All of our ideas and overall vision for the wedding was perfectly carried out through our Coordinator, Ann Clark, and her team. I would book another event here in a heartbeat and I will recommend them to anyone looking for a venue. Exceptional service, atmoshphere and overall experience. Thank you so much...Andrea & Anthony Horning

For the last year I've had the pleasure of planning our wedding with the fantastic staff of the Columbus Athenaeum. My assigned on-site coordinator was exceptional and answered all of my questions within a day or two. From the beginning of our planning, she provided honest perspective and helped us think through all of the little details so they wouldn't ruin our day. I was worried that living in Cleveland and planning a wedding in downtown Columbus would be hectic, but the Athenaeum's staff has seen it all and helped me plan every detail with ease. Choosing the Columbus Athenaeum as our ceremony & reception venue is the 2nd best decision we've ever made - the 1st being our decision to marry each other!

We had our wedding reception in the Large Theater and it was beautiful. The food was delicious and everything went off without any issues. Planning was a pleasure. Our coordinator was quick to respond to any questions I had ahead of time (and I had a lot!) and I was able to meet with her in person many times. We saved a lot of money, compared to other venues, because they allow you to bring in your own alcohol. Also, others have mentioned issues with the preferred vendors but we chose our own vendors (most not on their list) and they just charged us a deposit (in case our vendors did damage to the venue) and we received it all back a couple weeks after the wedding. We really loved The Athenaeum and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a wedding venue in Columbus.

The athenaeum is simply gorgeous. There are a lot of different spaces to choose from to serve different tastes and space needs. We choose them for both of these reasons. I'll start with the amazings: 1. The food turned out even better than I could have imagined, YUM. 2. The decor looked amazing, we rented the Priory for our ceremony and the Small Theater for the reception. 3. The day of we were well taken care of and things went fairly smoothlyThe not so amazing. 1. I was given a different time line than the coordinator had for the day of, and we had to rearrange when our first dance was because they were insistent that dinner was starting late. 2. Our coordinator was next to impossible to get in contact with for basically the entire month before the wedding, I ended up doing my final changes and communication with an entirely different person and she was very helpful. 3. Our original coordinator quit her job to spend more time with her family about 8 months before our event and it took until 2 months before our wedding and me initiating things to get a meeting with our new coordinator. All in all the location is amazing, but our particular coordinator was not really all that helpful or good at communicating

The Athenaeum worked with me being that I was planning from out of town.Their e-mail responsiveness was GREAT!! Its often easier for me to check e-mails and respond through my computer or phone (during grad school classes), and I would always get a response in a matter of hours! They are more flexible than reviews let on from previous years -- there are still hidden costs but that's why the venue's prices start off a bit lower. It was amazing that we were allowed to bring our own liquor and beer as this made the prices way cheap! Gina was great to work with -- she answered my e-mails quickly and gave information in great detail. There were a few things that were confusing that ended up working out perfectly - for instance, when shown the ideas for how to tie the chair sashes, I was originally told we could not have bows. The week of the wedding i was sent an e-mail PDF that had that listed as an option, which I was happy about! The reception went flawlessly, although we requested and paid for a vegan meal, and the guest that was vegan did not get this, as well as we were told we would have an attendant for my grandmother, and my father ended up assisting her.Besides this -- everything was beautiful! The food impressive -- and the room set up elegantly. They listened to our requests with getting rid of the lighted trees and lowering the overhead lights, and it was awe inspiring!! Check out the venue, especially the small theater! It was PERFECT for 150-200 guests

We had our ceremony in the priory, and reception in the small theatre! It was a beautiful day! The staff took care of everything! As people have already said they do have alot of rules and have extra fees, but they do have to keep up the standard of tr building. If you decide to go there you need to be organized because of all the rules and drop off times etc. But other than that they are great! Do Not be afraid to go off the vendor list, we did, just make sure your vendors are familer with the athenaeum and their rules, if they are then you are golden! Ps. The in house chef is amazing and even though I could barely eat the day of our wedding because of stress everyone raved about it and we loved every bit of it at the tasting!!!!

The day of the wedding went off without a hitch. My representative was there and kept everything going smoothly. The building is beautiful! Only downside is they are very strict about several things. Vendors and rental times were a big deal, especially the amount of time we had for the rehearsal (30 min.) and the time to be out at the end of the evening. You have to use their "recommended" vendors or pay an extra "deposit". However, the vendors we used were great! The food was excellent and their waitstaff was professional and courteous to everyone. I would definitely recommend this venue but be prepared to be more flexible then they are about certain things.

We held our daughter's wedding reception in the Grand Ballroom this past Saturday (4/17/10). From the moment we walked into The Athenaeum back in July, 2009, we knew that this was where we wanted the reception to be held.From the very beginning, everything was made so easy and the staff (especially Gina) was always gracious, understanding, helpful and professional. The quality of service we received Saturday night was above anything that I have ever seen. I am still receiving phone calls from our guests telling us how much they enjoyed themselves and that the wedding reception was second to none.The food was fabulous and the tastings that they offer prior to your event allows you to make sure you like what you are going to have served.I only have one daughter, but when my son is ready to get married, if this is the type of wedding/reception he and his bride want - I'll be going right back to The Athenaeum!!!

We absolutely loved our venue. We had an amazing time at the ceremony and reception. Food was really good and we were able to sit back and relax. The staff too care of everything!!!!!!!!!!!! The only issue I had was how several of the policies were not flexible. But I understand they have so many events they have to have rules.We had a beautiful day I would not change a thing!

Gorgeous venue. Very clean and very well organized. Staff was great in being sure that everything was exactly how we wanted it, down to the smallest detail.

The Columbus Athenaeum was an awesome place to have a wedding! I used the Priory & Large Theater for my Feb 20 wedding and couldn't have been happier with how things turned out. It's such a gorgeous place for a wedding & impressed so many of my guests. The food & service were both GREAT and everything looked amazing! The staff at the Athenaeum is a great bunch of people to work with - especially Ann Clark. She made it so easy for me to plan my wedding and I really appreciated her patience throughout the process. She is very easy to get in touch with during the planning phase and is very professional and efficient. Manuela was also a pleasure to work with and we enjoyed having her part of our day. I highly recommend this place to all future brides! Good luck.

Beautiful Venue!! We had a huge wedding and they were very accommodating for our numbers. Tiffany was a wonderful event coordinator, she was always on the ball. The day went so smoothly.

Love it! The small theater has very soft lighting that makes for beautiful pictures. We only had a 5,000 dollar minimum which is great since most places are 15,000. There are plenty of parking spots and is handicap friendly. Located a block from hotels it's perfect if you don't want to worry about a shuttle. PLUS you get to bring in your own alcohol! You don't have to pay them for to provide a 6 dollar bottle of vodka for $14 or worry about getting back what everyone didn't drink. No hassel at all and the food is amazing. We choose $29.95 per person buffet, but it comes with tons of great food. I'm so happy we found this place.

i was going for a very "old world" feel and they really delivered! i had so many people come up to me during the reception and say that it was the most beautiful place they'd ever seen a wedding take place in. im so happy with their services and would recommend them to everyone!

The Columbus Athenaeum was wonderful. We were able to have both our wedding ceremony and reception in one location which was conveinent for our out of town guests. They were easy to work with and helped me with a lot of the little details that go into a wedding. They even allowed our dog to be apart of the ceremony. We received a lot of compliments on not only the location and deco, but the food as well. The day of my wedding was very relaxed and I did not have to worry about the set up of the ceremony or reception. The service I received was fantastic, I would definitely recommend them to any bride.

The Columbus Athenaeum was an amazing venue for our wedding and reception. Throughout the planning process our coordinator, Ann, was very helpful in answering our questions and scheduling our meetings around our busy schedule. Once our wedding came everything went so smoothly in part to the staff they had. They set up all of our spaces and the wait staff at the reception was amazing. The food was also amazing! Everything tasted and looked great! I would definitely recommend this place to others.

Had a wonderful reception at the Athenaeum. It was beautiful. The Athenaeum is an old building so there are restrictions, like what vendors can come in. Which limits your choices for flowers, cakes, DJs. However, you can bring in your own alcohol which helps save money. Great locations downtown close to hotels. (Don't stay at The Renaissance) Parking lots are a block away to rent for the evening.

When we started to look for wedding reception venu's I checked out several places. I had narrowed down my top choices and spent a Saturday with my mom and fiance looking at the top 4. I already knew that the Athenaeum was my first choice, but wanted to see what others thought. We went last to see the Hellenic room and my mother and fiance loved it too. We met with Tiffany who was very professional and very helpful. The entire planning process was effortless and I never had a worry. Walking in to the reception was perfect and exactly how I'd hoped it would be. The food was great (from what I was told... I was too busy to eat!) and all of our guests had a wonderful time. I couldn't have been happier.

The Athenaeum was a wonderful, downtown location for our wedding reception. Gina was fantastic at helping us plan everything, especially with timing! Our food was great, the Oak Room was the perfect size for the number of guests we had, and it looked fantastic when we got there. I will agree with another reviewer, however, that it does seem like they nickel and dime you for everything. For example, my now husband and I laughed when we were asked if we wanted the light-up ficus trees as an "enhancement" - we didn't think they were necessary (and declined). However, looking back at the photos, the trees are there! The only major thing that we got that wasn't included was the chair covers, which really did make the place a lot nicer. Overall, we had a good experience. Don't be afraid to choose vendors that are not on the preferred vendor list! We didn't go with the list, and we would have regretted it if we had gone with the preferred DJ and cake person over the DJ and cake that we had really wanted.

The Athenaeum is a beautiful place. However, their service is what makes them really stand out. The staff is all incredibly professional and helpful, from the planning process to the wedding night. My husband and I were so impressed by their thoroughness on the night of our wedding and their willingness to help us with everything. They made setup and cleanup so easy. Weddings are their business, and it shows--they know what it takes to make a wedding great. Would highly recommend to anyone!

As "first timers" in planning a wedding, my daughter, husband and I needed to be able to put our trust in a vendor for both the ceremony and reception. We were immediately impressed with the professionalism of the event coordination staff. Her suggestions were appropriate and never did she try to sell us on anything that we hadn't already expressed an interest in. We felt that we got a great value for the money. Our daughter's wedding/reception was perfect in every way, and that is largely in part due to the detail-oriented planning that we experienced at the Athenaeum. During the reception, the wait staff was exceptional! And, many of our guests commented for days to come that the food we served, catered by the Athenaeum in-house chefs, was the best they had ever had at a wedding! From the initial meeting to the final hours after the last dance, our every need was taken care of. We also received our damage deposit back in a very timely manner. The Athenaeum offers different "enhancements" that can be added into the package, and these are reasonably priced. We hold a very high opinion of the Columbus Athenaeum and would definitely recommend it to someone who wants to have an elegant affair at a beautiful location, surrounded by competent people.

We would definately recommend The Columbus Athenaeum to any bride and groom looking for a beautiful venue to house thier big day. The service was exceptional -- leading up to and on our big day. Any quesitons I had, the team responded quickly, constantly making me feel assured and comfortable. Our guests were treated so well by the staff the night of the reception and it looks SO beautiful inside our room. Also, the food was so delicious!! 100% yes recommendation to anyone!! I can't express it enough!

They were very helpful in the planning process and had several suggestions. While they could provide many different creative products, we felt that they were "nickel and diming" us. Every extra service was at a price, and while we were very happy with the services, not every venue operates like this. Some venues have a strict package where everything is included, and the Athenaeum provided all of the extras but all had a cost attached.

The Columbus Athenaeum is truly a beautiful facility. The historic qualities this venue offers are absolutely stunning! You can have your ceremony as well as the reception all in one place so there is no extra travel for your guests. The staff is extremely knowlegeable and eager to help you customize your special day!!!

You just can't beat the professionalism and service from the Columbus Athenaeum. I have delivered cakes to many venues in the Central Ohio area and The Columbus Athenaeum is the only venue about which I have not heard even one complaint. The most often heard compliment is that "they remember the the details that we never even thought about!". The value for the money is exceptional. It is classically beautiful, clean and well maintained.