Selecting the Wedding and Reception Venues

Deciding on the venues

If you are having difficulty making a decision, or even knowing where to look for a wedding reception venue, online wedding directories can offer excellent insights into a range of possible venues that suit your criteria.

You can browse through the Internet and find endless list of sites for various wedding receptions that you can lease on your wedding day. This includes a great selection such as gardens, hotels, restaurants, parks, yachts, museums, wineries, and private homes even for a civil wedding. With more than a few options, your decision depends on your budget, location, and the capacity to accommodate the people you have invited.

Once you have narrowed down your list of possible venues, you will have to check out their availability dates and what wedding/reception facilities they offer.

When choosing the proper reception venue, your pick should complement the theme of your wedding. On the other hand, private homes are not the perfect choice if you want a more festive atmosphere. Usually, if you choose to have your reception in clubs, hotels, and restaurants, they take charge of the catering as well. Although if reception will be held in parks, yachts, gardens, and private homes, you need to have a separate plan for your food catering.

Moreover, enquire with the venue manager if the place is allowed by the law to hold such rites like a civil wedding.

Negotiate a Deal

If you can, try to negotiate with the manager when inquiring about a price package. It won't hurt to ask for a discount but you have to get in early and equip yourself with as many facts as you can. Get quotes and special deals extras from all competitors before you approach the venue you truly want, and ask the manager to match or beat their price.

Negotiate about what comes within the quoted price, and track down all hidden fees such as cake preparation and costs for unused alcohol. Always remain polite of course, but by being firm during these negotiations you should be able to bargain your way down to a reasonable price.

Remember that every cent truly counts, especially if you have other things to think about such as the wedding gown, catering, as well as the ceremony itself.

Catering

When it comes to catering, the reception venue may provide their own or have restrictions on who you may hire. If they provide their own, request for a sample of their menus and discuss any possible menu changes you would like. This is also the time to ask about their special menu options such as vegetarian meals. You should also clarify with the management if they allow liquor to be served, and if they do, until what time.

However if you are able to hire a caterer then you should do your homework for who has a quality reputation in the industry within your budget restraints.  Enquire with potential caterers about the cost-per-person (and get it in writing), their menu options, what cutlery etc they provide and what services are included in their fee.

Sample questions for a potential wedding caterer include:

• Do you charge for beverage service?
• What deposit amount is needed to hold the date, and when will the rest of the money be due?
• Do you provide discounted meals for vendors (ie photographer)
• How many other weddings are booked for that date?

Consider a Wedding Planner

You may want to consider employing the services of a wedding planner, if you are finding the organizing process too overwhelming or you are working to a strict deadline.  Although this may take a toll on your budget, it will be worth your money if you need the wedding to be organized quickly without sacrificing on quality. Should certain problems or concerns arise before or during the big day, your wedding planner can provide all the help and assistance you need.

Other Details for Preparation and the Reception

While we have covered the main concerns of booking a place for a wedding, there are several smaller concerns that should be addressed before you officially decide upon a venue for your reception.
Start by visiting the place and ask the manager to show you around the venue and area you are considering.

Be on the lookout for any place of scenic interest within the venue. Not only will these provide good photo opportunities for you and your guests, these scenic views may also inspire the mood and setting of the celebration. The manager can also recommend a good musical performer, a DJ, or even a pack of in-house magicians to provide some good entertainment.

You should also go into the meeting with a clear list of questions for the venue manager, including:

• Room hire charges and grounds photography fees?
• Is there a PA system available for speeches?
• What indoor facilities are available if it rains (and you have reserved an outdoor space)
• Are drinks included in the package and if so what type of wine is included? Are guest able to buy drinks outside the alcohol set list?
• Will you have exclusive use of the venue or will they allow other people to be going through the grounds
• What are their minimum guests numbers for the date you are thinking of booking
• Do they provide decorations including chair coverings
• Are there any noise restrictions with the music?

Other aspects like the capacity of the venue, parking spaces, or even a heliport, must be cleared with the management so you can accommodate your personal needs as well as your guests'.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Not only are there issues of the venue itself that needs to be address but also of the surrounding area. For instance, if the venue has very limited rooms available, is there a nearby hotel? Should some guests decide to take a quick tour of the place or shop downtown, are there cabs to take them back and forth to the venue?

Questions like these, if properly addressed, will help make the guests comfortable and satisfied.
Meanwhile, if you intend to hire a videographer or photographer for the reception, you may arrange a tour or a visit so they can become familiar with the space and the best vantage points on the day.

The choice of the wedding reception venue is an important part of the preparation process as this will be the setting for the majority of the wedding. Therefore it is fairly important to ensure that you have covered most bases from the setting, seating arrangement, to food service. Yet it is also necessary to leave room for last-minute changes and have back up options.

What's important is that you make your fantasy wedding turn into reality. Even without the fancy orchestra to entertain your guests or a buffet for fine-dining specialties, the event will be more meaningful if you make everyone around you feel comfortable and well-served.