The reception is the first large-scale event you will host for friends and family as newlyweds. It can create warm, lasting memories for everyone attending and set the tone of your new life together.
But how to secure the perfect location? Take along this list of the 10 most important considerations when shopping for a site.
Have Enough Space for Guests
Figure out your guest list, and do it early—one year or more from the wedding date. The guest list will guide many of your wedding plans, especially the reception.Once you know how many people you want to participate in the festivities, you can start to plan the cost, setting, time of day, decorations and food. You can make adjustments to the list, trimming or adding guests along the way. Keep in mind, as with any event, there will be no-shows. But remember, the bigger the group, the more limited the venues available.
It’s important to find a venue that’s a good fit for the number of guests. It can’t be so cavernous that it swallows up a small party, but you don’t want to cram 300 people into Aunt Matilda’s condo, either. Plan space for tables and chairs, a buffet, bar, band or disc jockey and dance floor. Ask to see the venue when it’s set up for a wedding if you’re not sure it’s roomy enough. If you absolutely have to celebrate your nuptials at the small park or bar where you met, work backward and tailor your guest list to fit
Personalize the Place
Think about a reception that will reflect your essence as a couple. Wedding planners normally ask questions about what sort of reception the couple envisions—fun and offbeat, elegant and traditional, or intimate and romantic. Planners will ask about hobbies or interests that can be incorporated into a setting or theme.Think about what’s important to you and the groom. If you want an outdoor reception, do you like the woods, ocean, a lake or park? If you’re into classic cars, have the party at a local auto museum. If golfing is your bag, how about a golf-themed reception at a local country club? Looking for a crowd entertainer? Consider a historic home or theater for guests to wander about.
Own the Decision-Making
While it’s helpful to get input from family and friends, remember it’s your day as a couple, advises Steve Lach, catering manager for Beth Sogaard Catering in Plymouth. “Couples, especially those who are younger, sometimes have to negotiate between both sets of parents. There’s usually an outspoken aunt floating around out there, too.” Lach often lobbies for the couple, helping family members compromise.Choose One Venue or Two
Do you want a church wedding? If so, check out the reception hall. Ask about liquor, food and music restrictions on church grounds. Churches commonly give price breaks for members. Often, churches don’t supply catering, decorations or music in their social halls.If the ceremony will not be in a church, consider tying the knot and having the reception at the same site. This is especially smooth for weddings with lots of out-of-town guests who don’t know their way around. Avoid long time gaps between the ceremony and soiree if you’re having them at separate sites. And provide refreshments and entertainment for guests while the wedding party poses for pictures.
If you choose a hotel or bed-and-breakfast inn, the couple and wedding party can spend the night there, along with anyone else who doesn’t want to drive home (a nice option for out-of-towners). Venues with lodging often have wedding packages.
Decide Between an Outdoor or Indoor Bash
This decision will dovetail with what season and time of day you want for your wedding.Weather will play a part in this decision, even if you want an indoor reception. Check the venue’s air conditioning or heating system, and make sure it’s accessible in winter. If you plan to be outdoors in summer, be sure there’s plenty of shade, provide extra bottled water or fans and consider misters to cool down guests. Have a rain plan, even in summer. There should be a place nearby big enough to get guests indoors—or, be ready to rent tents, costing about $70 to $400 each.
A wedding in a park or botanical garden sounds lovely, but if it’s a public spot, be prepared for strangers to walk past or through your party. Ask if you can reserve part of the park, and ask what kind of security is available to prevent wedding crashers. If you don’t like the idea of strangers near your party, opt for a lawn on a private estate, or check out restaurants, wineries or art galleries that host private events.
For indoor weddings, some venues may book more than one event at a time, so ask what other parties are happening simultaneously. Visit the location beforehand when it’s hosting two parties to see how sound carries.
Be Budget Conscious
It’s always difficult to put money issues ahead of wedding day bliss, but the reality is, how much money you’re willing to spend will shape decisions. Money is perhaps the most significant factor when it comes to planning a reception. The venue rental, however, can be one of the cheapest parts.In Sacramento County, couples pay $2,350 for a reception site, on average. Lach says he books receptions in downtown Sacramento, at foothill wineries, in Tahoe, Auburn, Davis and the Delta. Venue prices run about $2,500 to $3,000. If that’s too expensive, there are inventive ways to get around those prices and still get the party of your dreams.
Think about renting space at a less-expensive historic home in the country, a refurbished downtown space, or a national park or foothills location. Having a wedding at home will save you money on the rental fees, but beware of the cost of getting a home wedding-day ready. You still have to hire a caterer, rent tables, linens and dishware, set up a dance floor, and set up a riser for the entertainment. Many home weddings held outdoors require an electrician to add outlets for enough light. Some home weddings will spur remodeling projects, re-painting or upgrading landscaping. Again, a rain plan must be in place for an outdoor home wedding. Dance floors can be rented starting at $1 per square foot, and small stages start at $20 per 4-foot square section. Tables can be rented from a party supply store for around $7 apiece and chairs are about $2 apiece. Slipcovers for chairs can be very pricey for larger events, with one bride’s totaling more than $2,000. Tablecloths are about $8 apiece.
Layout, Lighting and Color Schemes
Look at the site layout and determine where guests will eat, dance and chat. Where will you make toasts, cut the cake and toss the bouquet? Is there room for a receiving line? Where will the DJ or live band set up? Do you need a stage?Time of day and lighting is crucial to mood. If the reception will be indoors during the day, there should be plenty of windows. If it’s an evening affair, make sure lights are not too dim, and they can be controlled for different phases of the reception. If the event is outdoors after dusk, plan for enough lighting, and ask if you can set up candles or string mini-lights. Visit the venue beforehand at the same time of day as your reception.
If the color scheme of the room clashes with your wedding colors, it can wreck the effect you’re trying to achieve, and even ruin photos. Try to match the mood or theme of your party to the site. For instance, if you’re envisioning a spring wedding brunch, don’t choose a retro restaurant with black leather booths. A room done in neutrals or black and white usually goes with anything.
Ask Your Wedding Planner for Help
A wedding planner will be able to help you choose a venue, especially if you’re undecided or have too many ideas. Local wedding planners match clientele with potential reception sites—they know what works and what doesn’t, and they’re familiar with many regional venues.Even if a particular place has a wedding coordinator, you might want to have your own wedding planner anyway. Venue coordinators often are only focused on the facility instead of clients’ needs.
Don’t Forget the Details
This is a section devoted to all those seemingly minor, behind-the-scenes considerations that no one notices, unless, of course, you’ve forgotten them.Are there enough restrooms for the number of guests?
What kind of kitchen facilities are available? Even if you’re having your event catered, you need to know what’s in the kitchen and what you can use.
Electricity is a biggie, especially in a historic or outdoor setting, or a site that doesn’t typically host receptions. Are there enough outlets for the DJ or extra lights, and are outlets in the right spots?
Make sure there’s enough parking, either onsite, or at a nearby garage, or on safe streets where it’s legal to park. If there’s not enough parking, consider shuttle buses or vans to transport guests from the ceremony to the reception.
Is the site handicapped-accessible (important if you have any handicapped or elderly guests attending)?
If the ceremony and reception are at the same site, is there a room for the bride and her bridesmaids to get ready?
If you’re having a home wedding, check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. Covered for event insurance? If not, you can purchase it for $170 to $500.
Check into security. Sometimes emotions, exacerbated by alcohol, can get the better of guests, and you wouldn’t want your reception marred.
Get Clarification Before You Reserve the Site
Let’s say you’ve found the perfect spot. Before you make the final decision, consider these points:- Some popular sites fill up early, so don’t wait too long to book.
- Is a deposit required to reserve the venue? Is it refundable, and under what conditions?
- If you’re having the ceremony at the reception site, can you have your rehearsal there the day before?
- Are there any restrictions on the amount of time for the reception, or for setting up before? Are there decoration or alcohol restrictions?
- Does the location only allow certain vendors or caterers for food, or DJs or photographers? Do they allow live music or DJs and dancing?
- Get everything in writing!
