You’ve found the perfect groom. You’ve bought the perfect dress. You’re expecting a perfect wedding. Now all you need is the perfect wedding venue. Most Brides and Grooms know where they will be holding the ceremony before they decide where to have the reception. So FaithConnections.net has compiled 9 tips to select the best wedding reception venue that can help you when selecting the location.
1. Distance: If people have to drive a long way to get from the ceremony to the reception, some will get distracted or decide to do something else. Try to keep the reception within a 15 to 30 minute drive of your ceremony.
If it is not possible to get a reception hall close to your ceremony, make a caravan.
Have the Bride and Groom lead the parade, and people will follow you to your reception.
2. Time: Time is just like the distance issue. If your reception is several hours after the ceremony, people will get busy doing other things and not show up for the reception. Try to start the reception within an hour or two of the ceremony.
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If you don’t want to start your wedding dance at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, have a Meet and Greet mixer before your reception. Serve some punch and get people to mingle. This will be one of the few times that both families will be together.
Encourage family members to share stories about your childhoods.
3. Size, Size, Size: People like their personal space, and they have most likely spent an hour packed into a church for your ceremony. If you let them spread out, they will enjoy themselves more.
Make sure your reception hall has plenty of room for your guests, keep these 9 tips to select the best wedding reception venue in your mind.
So before looking for a wedding venue you must at least have a rough idea of how many guests you will be planning to invite.
Be as precise as possible.
The people renting the location might tell you it holds 200 people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will hold 200 people comfortably! Make sure to visit the venue before booking.
4. Climate Control: Having a summer wedding? Is your reception hall air conditioned? If people sweat while just sitting, they won’t dance. On the flip side, if they are cold they won’t dance either (who wants to dance in a parka?).
Also make sure you know who has control of the thermostat so the temperature can be adjusted if needed. Chances are your reception will be warm and stuffy while all the guest are there, but as they trickle out during the night the room will begin to cool down.
5. Trust your instincts: As soon as you arrive in a particular venue you will automatically have a certain feeling towards it. If you feel a certain positive vibration to the venue then that’s a good start.
In the same way, you will know automatically if a certain venue is not right for you and your wedding. This doesn’t mean though that you should not be logical in choosing a wedding venue.
It’s the place where you will share your special day with family and friends, so it has to feel right.
You have to trust your instinct.
6. Take your time: Don’t ever rush in choosing the perfect wedding venue. A wedding is a very important event so take time to get the venue right. Ideally, you should start looking for a venue at least a year before the wedding date. This would give you enough time to make the right decisions and change the venue in case anything happens.
7. Check the parking space: One of the complaints of people who have attended weddings is the lack of parking space. Be sure that the wedding venue you will choose has ample space for all of your guests.
Parking may be a minor consideration but it can spell the difference between a happy guest and a dissatisfied one. Again, keep these 9 tips to select the best wedding reception venue in your thoughts.
8. Draw a layout of your wedding venue: Have a layout of your wedding venue, before choosing a wedding venue, you must already have a layout (either in your mind or drawn out on paper) of your wedding guest. You must know where you want guests to sit, the reception area, the dining area, etc. Then check if the venue fits your layout.
9. Know the restrictions of the venue: Be sure to ask about the restrictions of a wedding venue if there are any. There may be restrictions about noise so you might not be able to employ a band or even a sound system.
Some venues have time restrictions while some would allow you to party all night long.
There are even venues with decorations restrictions. Check if the wedding venue would allow you to bring your own caterer, florist, decorator, etc because there are venues that have preferred contractors and suppliers.
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Facility coordinators will no doubt bring up several other factors for you to consider when you interview them for your booking, but these are often missed items, especially if they don’t favor the potential venue.
That’s why you should treat finding a wedding venue as if you are buying a new house. It is, after all, where you will receive and treat your friends and relatives in probably the most memorable night of your life.
May you have the best of weddings and don’t forget to have fun! If this article gave you a great Wedding Tip, please share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
