Finding a Reception Venue

What do you imagine when you visualize your wedding reception? A stunning gala in a fabulous ballroom? A fun party in a casual dance hall? Cocktails and conversation on an ocean-side terrace?

Think about what features you want at the site.
♦ The view: ocean, mountain, city lights, golf course
♦ Water access: beach, marina, boats
♦ Nature: waterfall, river, ponds, gardens, trees, autumn color, open fields
♦ Landscape Features: gazebos, trellises, garden paths, bridges, fountains
♦ Building Features: outdoor terrace, pool, elegant rooms, cigar bar, piano bar, grand windows, balconies

A facility will either be "on-premise" or "off-premise." This is an indication of whether the site has in-house catering. For an on-premise site, the per-person charge includes various overhead fees to keep the facility running. Either option (hall with in-house catering vs. site rental plus separate caterer) will probably cost about the same. The problem arises when you find an on-premise site you love, but aren't too fond of the food.

You want to treat non-typical reception venues as you would treat ballrooms and banquet halls. The basic questions: What is provided at the site? What will need to be provide separately? What are the restrictions?

Things to consider:
♦ parking
♦ adequate restrooms
♦ climate control (air conditioning)
♦ handicapped access
♦ size of the room -- Hall managers will tell you the capacity, but they charge per person if they provide catering, so they might be telling you the room's absolute maximum capacity, which may not take comfort into consideration.

Approximate sizes needed for various activities:

• ceremony: 10 sq ft per guest
• cocktail hour: 7 sq ft per guest
• dinner only: 12 sq ft per guest
• dinner and dancing: 20 sq ft per guest
• dance floor and band (separate from dining area): 8 sq ft per guest

You can likely rent any small local attraction (water park, amusement park, orchard, skating rink) for an entire day of private use. If your wedding is going to be a family reunion, get creative.

As unusual party places are becoming more common, the locations themselves are becoming more suited to hosting a wedding. Many museums and similar facilities have banquet rooms, on-site caterers, or party planners. Don't hesitate to call a few in your area to see what is available. You may be abkle to scale down the entertainment if your venue *is* the entertainment. If your guests will be wandering through the museum as soon as dinner is over, you may not want to hire a full band or rent a dance floor.

If renting an unusual space, ask that it be cleaned by noon the day before, and stop by to make sure it is. Can the room accommodate a band and dance floor? Do they have liability insurance for events? Is a break room available for the band? How will tables be arranged in the room? Try to view the site during the approximate time of day that your party will be there to judge lighting conditions and the view of surrounding scenery.

For any outdoor event, including on a boat, make sure there is adequate shelter in case of inclement weather, or you will need to have a backup plan.