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5 Tips To Select The Best Wedding Reception Location
Tim And Tammy Smith
Being
disc jockeys, we get the opportunity to evaluate many reception facilities
while having little or no bias to "sell" one location over another. Most
Brides and Grooms know where they will be holding the ceremony before they
decide where to have the reception, so we have compiled five observations
that can help you when selecting your venue.
Distance - If people have to drive a long way to get from the
ceremony to the reception, some will get distracted or decide to do
something else. Try to keep the reception within a 15 to 30 minute drive
of your ceremony. If it is not possible to get a reception hall close to
your ceremony, make a caravan. Have the Bride and Groom lead the parade,
and people will follow you to your reception.
Time - Time is just like the distance issue. If your reception is
several hours after the ceremony, people will get busy doing other things
and not show up for the reception. Try to start the reception within an
hour or two of the ceremony. If you don't want to start your wedding dance
at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, have a Meet and Greet mixer before your
reception. Serve some punch and get people to mingle. This will be one of
the few times that both families will be together. Encourage family
members to share stories about your childhoods.
Size - People like their personal space, and they have most likely
spent an hour packed into a church for your ceremony. If you let them
spread out, they will enjoy themselves more. Make sure your reception hall
has plenty of room for your guests. The people renting the location might
tell you it holds 200 people, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will
hold 200 people comfortably! Make sure to visit the venue before booking.
Climate Control - Having a summer wedding? Is your reception hall
air conditioned? If people sweat while just sitting, they won't dance. On
the flip side, if they are cold they won't dance either (who wants to
dance in a parka?). Also make sure you know who has control of the
thermostat so the temperature can be adjusted if needed. Chances are your
reception will be warm and stuffy while all the guest are there, but as
they trickle out during the night the room will begin to cool down.
Smoking - This is a hot button issue, but if your reception hall is
non-smoking, you can fully expect smoker's to leave your reception for
15-30 minutes every hour. If enough of them leave the reception area, you
may find a large percentage of your guest just hanging out in the smoking
area. This can be a big problem if you have many smokers in your wedding
party. You don't have to allow smoking, but it is something you should
consider, especially if anyone has any health problems like asthma or
allergies that could be triggered by smoke. If you decide not to allow
smoking in the reception area, how close is the nearest place for a smoker
to go? Is it close enough that you will be able to get needed wedding
party members during events like the bouquet toss or garter auction?
Facility coordinators will no doubt bring up several other factors
for you to consider when you interview them for your booking, but these
are often missed items, especially if they don't favor the potential
venue. If you keep the overall picture in mind and work with your wedding
planner or event coordinator on the decorating ideas, you will no doubt
have an enjoyable and memorable wedding reception.
Article Source:
http://www.free-wedding-articles.net
Tim &
Tammy Smith operate By Request DJ & Karaoke Company (www.byrequest.dj),
located in Fargo, North Dakota. They have been providing entertainment for
wedding receptions since 1994 and belong to several professional disc
jockey organizations. |
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