The Press Room

"If I discount the following major things that happened, I had overall a good experience with our wedding at the Press Room. The good mostly outweighed the bad until recently we found out from guests who were irked they didn’t receive thank you cards for their generous cash gifts, that wedding cards were stolen or misplaced. Normally I believe in most cases this is the responsibility of the couple or a hired coordinator but this situation seems much different. One of the features of the venue is an old timey mail box with a big lock on it that I was told Linda had access to and would give us the cards at the end of the night. My husband and I were present for the entirety of the cleanup and weren’t present when the box was open. They were added to our pile of wedding gifts and we trusted that it was the entire lot but at least 4 cards with cash were taken (that we know of but suspect more.) Linda told us during the venue tour that the box was secure and she was to be trusted with the key. My guests were 100% sure they put the cards in the mailbox and we found that the cards that were missing were all put in around the same time. It sucks and it’s over $500 missing (that we’ve become aware of) as well as awkwardness of not knowing who didn’t gift and who did and had their gift go missing. Linda does not know who she gave the key to at the end of the night or who gathered the cards and says she left to go to another event. I was a bit shocked because I never met anyone else who would run things in her absence and had something dire gone wrong I don’t know who I would have turned to. There were just staff from Jonz catering and they were all strangers and I didn’t meet any of them. I still don’t know if they were the ones responsible with the key or not and Linda did not say. I was also bummed that my guests weren’t allowed to get seconds and the to-go containers I brought remained empty at the end. This was confusing as I had a decent amount of no shows and children and paid $120 a person for (food and alcohol) which seemed like there should have been more than enough food especially when I was told to bring to-go containers. It was awkward when the DJ got through all the tables and offered anyone to get seconds and the food was literally just gone. Communication could have been better. Due to change in staff I was emailing a dead email address of someone who quit, for about two months before I called and was given a new contact I paid a lot for hors d’oeuvres and asked that they be passed around the cocktail hour but they were put in the back corner of the room and most guests didn’t try them while some guests filled up on them. They were put up stairs so anyone elderly had no chance at all. This lead to guests being hungry and then they were scolded for sneaking chocolates but then we went home with ten pounds of desserts. The buffet line took an hour and a half and threw off the timeline. I thought there’d be someone serving? But it was self serve only on one side of the table so it took an hour and a half for the 100 people to get food which shortened our timeline immensely. Hopefully a future couple gets to enjoy my light up wands for dancing as they never got brought out and are still at the venue. They were cheap but another reason I’d recommend a day of coordinator. The positives is that the space really is beautiful and I felt like the venue was worth what we paid at the time. Linda once I got her correct email was responsive and did let us tour twice. It was easy to decorate because it’s pre-decorated pretty much. I absolutely hate leaving a negative review on a day that was so special and a place that feels very special but I feel like I have to put it out there especially in case it’s happened to someone else and so it doesn’t happen ever again. Stealing wedding gifts is the perfect crime because you usually just assume your friends and family didn’t give a gift. All of these problems would have been solved if I’d just gotten a day of wedding coordinator."

"This venue was more than words can describe! The style and decor is incredible. The staff is amazing and so incredibly helpful and kind! The owner is top notch and so flexible and helpful! They made our wedding a day a day we will always remember and cherish! Our day went off without a hitch & the staff at this amazing venue is one of the reasons why! Thank you so much to everyone at the Press Room!"

"What a great space! Located in downtown Tacoma, this hole in the wall space offers excellent intimate space for events. Recently, a work committee held an event here and it was so much fun! There was a great platform for a short presentation with slideshow as well as a mixology lesson upstairs (yes, there's an upstairs lol). The are also located right next door to Devil's Reef. The share a main entrance. Turn right for the Press Room and right for Devil's Reef."

"My Husband and I just had our wedding reception here and we couldn’t recommend it more. The historic, eclectic, and intimate feel of the building really gave our wedding the unique vibe we were looking for. Everywhere you go there is something fun to see. The cherry on top was working with the venue owner, Linda. She was responsive, positive, and very knowledgeable about the wedding industry. She helped us with so many details, and really helped make the whole experience feel so personal. The catering company that works with the venue, Jonz, was fantastic as well, we got so many compliments on the food and drinks. 100/10 would party here again!"

"Best new wedding venue in Tacoma!!! The owners are amazing, helpful, responsive and wonderful to work with. We love the whole vibe and historic building. We can't wait to get married there in October!"