The reception is traditionally the part of the ceremony that guests enjoy the most. Not only because of the food and wine, but also because they will get a chance to meet and mingle with other guests. Also, the reception is the very first party that you will be hosting as a married couple. Your desire is to have the perfect location for your perfect marriage ceremony.
In order to decide on a great place for the reception, you should think about this:
Would you like your reception to be inside or out? In order to host a garden reception, it is necessary to consider the weather. Either spring or summertime are the best choices if you are having a garden wedding, as bad weather is less frequent. Another option would be renting a roof deck area that is large enough to hold your guests. Just think of the lovely view everyone will have. If you want to have your reception indoors, many options are available to you. Almost all hotels and country clubs offer banquet halls and function rooms for wedding receptions, although you have to book early for this.
If you want to cut back on the expense, you can always have your wedding reception in your house, or your partner’s, if it is big enough. You might also consider relatives at this point, who may be willing to let you use their houses for your reception. Imagine the savings that you will have by not having to pay for the venue. Something else you can do to ease the burden on your finances is to balance things according to importance for you. For instance, it may be the best choice to go for spending more on the venue for your wedding by spending less on someting else. In this spirit, there are many gorgeous yet cheap wedding dresses, cheap tuxedos, and cheap wedding shoes that you can choose from.
Will the wedding be more formal than casual? The majority of formal weddings opt for having their receptions in the banquet halls of great hotels or private clubs. Black tie will probably work best indoors. The beach is always a great choice if you are open to having somewhat of a less formal ceremony. The casual, island feel of the beach will go well with a less formal wedding reception.
Where might your guests start their journey? If most of them will come from out of town, you might want to book a venue within a hotel where your guests can stay after the wedding. And as tempting as it is to hold your wedding in some dreamy castle in Italy, it won’t work if most of your guests will come from the US and will have to spend a fortune in air travel just to get to your ceremony.
What is your budget? Some couples go so overboard with planning for the dresses and the wedding proper, and neglect to opt for a quality cheap plus size wedding gown or inexpensive bouquet instead, that they forget to provide enough of a budget for the reception. Some venues will offer packages that include the food, the music, the beverages and decor; there are some that you have to pay for separately. To find a location that you can afford, look around the area, flip through magazines, or search the internet. There are lots of wedding sites that offer comprehensive listings of venues and restaurants that can host your reception.
Pick a unique place. Instead of booking the usual banquet halls, you can hold your reception in a local aquarium, inside a museum or planetarium. With a little digging, you’d be surprised at the places that will agree to host your reception, maybe with just a little extra fee.