Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Wedding Reception Venue

Once the “I do’s” have been exchanged, it’s time to celebrate! And who doesn’t enjoy a good party? Your best bet is to decide on the following points before even looking for a reception hall:

1. How many guests do you realistically believe will attend? Many out of town guests may not make it so although you invite 200, you may end up with 150.

2. When you dreamt of this day, what images were conjured up? Did you always envision your reception in a historic inn, at an art gallery, on a boat or on a campground? Are a cozy fireplace, glitzy chandeliers and gothic columns important to you? Are you willing to rent a more generic-looking venue and bring in a decorator to create the atmosphere?

3. Do you care about the (city, lake, ocean, mountain etc) view from the reception venue?

4. Do you want an outdoor reception or indoor? Do you prefer to have an outdoor reception but want a banquet facility that can accommodate you indoors as well if it rains?

5. Do you want to have your cocktail hour in a separate area/room than the reception? Some brides prefer to have cocktails on a balcony or patio.

6. Do you want indoor smoking areas available? Some legions still allow smoking indoors – it just depends on the laws in your state.

7. Do you know what kind of serving style you envision? You may prefer plated meals, Russian style, French style, family style, food stations, buffet style or passed hors d'oeuvres.

8. Do you have a caterer you specifically want to use? That will definitely limit your choice of venues, as most either won’t allow outside caterers or have a short list of caterers they’ll allow to work at the venue.

9. Do you want ethnic or kosher cuisine? This could limit your catering and venue options.

10. Do you want your guests to all eat at the same time? You may consider setting up a separate area with a buffet/food stations and tables where maybe 20-25% of your guests eat at a time (the venue will take care of managing that process). This is a great option if you don’t want the party to stop and don’t have room for a seat for everyone.

11. Do you want a band or a DJ? A band can obviously take up considerably more room.

12. How important will dancing be at your reception? Do you want a dance floor for the entire reception or just after dinner when tables can be cleared to create room?

13. Do you prefer a hotel so your out-of-town guests can stay right at your venue?

14. Do you want a one-stop shop, so to speak, who is able to provide the catering, liquor, tables, linens, etc or do you want to rent a reception hall where you bring in your own vendors and items?

15. Do you want to be able to bring in your own liquor? This can be a definite money-saver but some brides would prefer for someone else to take care of these details.

16. Is it important to you that there is parking onsite? Is there a parking fee for your guests?

17. Do you need to accommodate any disabled guests?

18. Do you want a facility to specialize in a certain type of cuisine or are you flexible on your menu?

19. Are you concerned with finding a place that is close to your ceremony site, or easy to navigate to? You will want a place within a 15-30 drive of your ceremony site. Will most of your guests know where the hall is?

20. Do you want a place with multiple events going on at the same time? Or do you want the catering staff to be completely focused on you?

21. Do you want to be able to get in and set up the day before?

22. Do you want a place that can accommodate the rehearsal dinner and/or guest brunch the day following the wedding?

23. Do you need a place that is air-conditioned?

24. Is it important to you that there is a dressing/prep area for the bride/bridal party?

25. Do you want a venue with a certified wedding coordinator on staff?

26. What time do you expect your event to end? Some venues have noise restrictions so their events have to end by 10 or 11pm.