Reception
Venues
By Merriam
Van Kalsbeck
The
venue for the wedding reception should be the next decision you have to
make right after you decide to marry. Is it going to be in a hotel,
restaurant, golf club or banquet hall? Popular venues are booked months
in advance so you have to make your reservation asap to get
your location. Things to consider when choosing the location are your
number of guests, parking, menu and setup.
Is there a
dance floor and space for the DJ or band? How high are the ceilings? It
may look cozy and romantic when it's empty or with a few customers but
with 300 guests standing, moving around, dancing and the DJ going full volume
with disco lights and fog machine it will resemble a cellar or basement
party.
Restaurants and
hotels charge per plate, by the number of guests and not on how large a
reception area you are assigned. Shop around before you decide. Ask to
see the place. Will it be exclusively for your party or will there be
other parties at the same time? Ask for the table arrangement. It
is not uncommon for a wedding reception to be squeezed into half the
restaurant with no access to the dance floor and stage and the other
half open to walk-in patrons. I have been to a number of those parties
and I can barely move in my seat. Forget getting up or walking
around.
