tiredThe wedding reception took place at Petruzzello's Banquet and Conference Center in Troy, Michigan. It looked gorgeous on the inside -- flashy chandeliers, nice couches -- but didn't live up to the first impression. The service was variable, from quite good to moderately clumsy. Most of the food was merely edible (the main courses) to okay (the side dishes), though the ice cream was excellent. The first serious flaw was the sound system: it was so loud that it actually hurt my ears, and I wound up leaving the banquet room early. (My partner came back and told me when they turned the sound down somewhat, so I was able to go back in and get at least some food.) One shouldn't need earplugs at a banquet, and one should be able to converse at a normal voice level with other people at the table. The second serious flaw was that the banquet hall seemed to be the only smoke-free part of the building that was accessible. After abandoning the cacophany of the banquet hall, I found the formerly acceptable foyer/lounge area occupied by smokers who rendered the atmosphere unbreathable. Now, I have nothing against smoking indoors -- but I expect to have access to habitable space myself, and there just wasn't any.
It's not a venue I'd recommend, and if there's another family event there, I'll insist on being left somewhere decent instead of going back.
December 13 2007, 17:50:27 UTC 13 years ago