If you’re planning a traditional wedding with a reception, the best advice for the bride-to-be is “book early!” If you are set upon marrying on a specific date, you may need to book your venue a year or two in advance. The same is true for brides who want to marry in a specific place, but can be flexible about the date. Popular venues often book a year or more in advance. Simply hoping to get a spot on the calendar could leave you waiting for months.
If you plan to have your wedding ceremony at a different site, you’ll need to coordinate the wedding and the reception. If your ceremony and the reception are separated by more than an hour or two, you may need to provide additional entertainment or meals for guests from out of town. You can avoid the headache by having your wedding and reception at the same location.
Early on in the planning process, work out a wedding budget. List your priorities carefully and stick to them to avoid “cost creep.” Even small changes can send the wedding budget spiraling out of control. Instead of aiming for the biggest, best, or most, figure out what will make you and your spouse-to-be happy and go from there.
Before committing to a reception venue, do a little detective work on the real cost of having an event there. Don’t assume that your per-plate or per-guest cost is the only thing you need to worry about. You’ll also pay rental for the space, and added fees for linens, table service, chairs, sound system support, valet parking, and catering support, like cake-cutting. The venue may also have restrictions on decorations, catering, and more.
Hotels are likely to offer the bride and groom a break on their room if a certain number of guests also book rooms for the wedding. If you don’t make your minimum guest limit, you could also end up paying hundreds of dollars for a room for the night.
Before signing on for a venue, ask to visit when the facility is set up for a wedding of similar size to the one you’re planning. You’ll be able to see immediately whether there’s enough room for your guests to move around with tables, chairs, a bar, bandstand, and cake and gift tables.
Finally, check the parking lot to make sure there’s sufficient space for your guests. An empty lot isn’t very revealing. Drive past the facility while an event is in progress to see if the lot has enough room, or if guests must park and walk to the site.
Keywords: Reception Venues, Weddingblog, Wedding
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