Planning a wedding can be both an exciting and a stressful experience, especially if family and friends try to tell you what you should and should not do. One of the biggest wedding-related decisions is the location for your wedding reception. When picking your wedding reception location, there are several things you should consider.
Physical Location
While your reception location does not need to be right next to the actual wedding location, the distance between the two venues should be taken into account, especially if the reception will take place directly after the wedding. Distance and actual location should also be considered when it comes to out-of-town guests. If your reception is across town or even in another town, you might know how to get to the location and avoid the worst of the traffic, but out-of-town guests might get confused.
If you have a lot of guests coming from another state, picking an easy to find location or providing them with easy to understand directions can be helpful. Yes, they can use GPS, but it does not always give the most direct route, and it is not always reliable.
Size
When it comes to the size of the location, several factors should be taken into account. If you have only invited a few guests to your reception, a huge reception hall might be overwhelming. If, though, you are expecting a lot of guests, you will want to make sure they can all comfortably fit in the reception location. When considering the size of the venue, you should also consider things such as if you will need space for a band, how much space you need for dancing, and where the caterers will set-up.
Cost
Perhaps one of the most important things to consider when picking a location is the cost. You will need to take into account how much it will cost to rent the location. You will also want to consider the cost of decorations. If you are having an outdoor reception, decorations might be minimal. With a small venue, decorations may only cost a small amount. With a larger venue, you may have to establish a larger budget for decorations. Of course, if you have hired a wedding planner, your wedding planner can help plan decorations and can work with your budget to help you decide how to best decorate your reception venue.
Time of Year
When picking a wedding reception location, the time of year may also play a factor. An outdoor venue is often perfectly appropriate when having a wedding reception in the summer. Of course, even when having a summer wedding, you will want to plan for bad weather. Rain, excess wind, or other factors can make an outdoor reception unrealistic.
When having an indoor reception, the time of year may also play a part in picking the reception location. In the summer, a location with poor air conditioning might make things unbearable for guests. If you are having an indoor reception in the summer, you may want to pick a location where you can leave the doors open, to let in some breeze, or you may want to pick a place where guests can easily go outside to get some fresh air. Quality heating in the reception location may play a factor in picking a location for a winter reception.
Significance of the Location
When picking a reception location, it is also important to think about if that place is special to you or anyone invited to the reception, particularly the wedding party. If your cousin’s reception took place there, and she is now going through a divorce, out of respect for her, you might want to pick a different location. If you have a family tradition of having your wedding reception at a specific location, consider the sentimental significance of the location before deciding to hold your reception at a different location.
Of course, where you have your wedding reception should be a decision you and your spouse-to-be make together. Often, it is best to look at a few venues and find what you like and do not like about each one. Then you can make the right decision for the two of you specifically.