Artistique Photography by Nicolette
What to Consider when Choosing a Reception Venue
What
to consider when choosing a Reception venue
Congratulations!
You're engaged, you’ve picked your
wedding date and have a rough idea of your guest numbers. Next, you’ll need to decide if you want your
ceremony and reception at the same venue and if so, what style and location
would you like, e.g. beach, garden, 5 star hotel, marquee, vineyard, historic
building, sports venue, art gallery, just to name a few. Once you have decided on the type of venue,
ask friends and family (and even your Photographer, I often give advice to brides on venues if they are still looking) for recommendations.
Reception
Style
Do you want an informal cocktail style
wedding, a buffet, or a formal sit down served dinner/dancing? Once you have decided on your style you’ll
need to ask what you want from the venue and I have put together a check list of
A, B and Cs to help you:
Availability
Firstly, check the venue is available
on the date you have chosen. You may
have already done this by checking with the venue’s website as they often have
a calendar of availability, but you still need to double check! Perhaps
find out if they are available on Fridays and Sundays and sometimes these days
are cheaper as well.
Access and Parking
Is the venue going to be easy for your
guests to find? Is it far from your ceremony
venue? It is important to keep your ceremony
venue and reception venue within a reasonable distance from one another. You will also need to ascertain whether there
is ample guest parking.
Accommodation
Does the venue have accommodation for you and also for
your guests? Is there otherwise a nearby
location which you can offer to your guests for accommodation?
Does the venue fit your budget? Only look at venues which fall within your
budget, otherwise you could fall in love with another venue and be disappointed
as it’s is out of your budget.
Capacity
You’ll need to as what is the maximum number of guests
the reception room will hold? Some
venues can be very cramped. As a wedding
photographer I have sometimes had to squeeze tightly between tables/chairs to
get the guest table photographs! Check
also if there is more than one reception room that may better suit your guest numbers.
Catering
Does the venue have in house catering
available? If not, is there a preferred
caterer list and do you have a choice of which suppliers you are able to use? Are their sample menus and will they offer a
tasting for you?
What is provided by the venue?
If you are simply renting a venue,
e.g. a clubhouse or villa and playing a flat fee, you may be responsible for
providing everything else. So you will
need to check:
Restrictions – What restrictions are
there regarding use of confetti, candles, sparklers, rose petals etc.
Ceremony – Check whether if there is
an option to have your ceremony at the venue also. This could be useful as a wet weather back up
option even if you have decided to have your ceremony at another outdoor
location.
Some Last
Points to Consider:
·
When
you visit venues it is important to also pay attention to the smaller details
such as air conditioning / heating, bathrooms, power sockets, lighting.
·
You
will need to get a full break down of costs so you can clearly see what is
included. Pay attention to whether or
not GST is inclusive or excluded.
·
If
you don’t use suppliers on a preferred list, do you incur extra commission?
·
Ascertain
staff numbers for the day and who will be your main contact person during the
planning phase and on the day.
I hope these tips have helped you in
planning your Reception at your special venue.
Artistique Photography by Nicolette
www.ArtistiquePhotographyByNicolette.com.au
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