Choosing The Reception Venue

Image via WikipediaThe reception can be the single biggest expense in your wedding. If you want to save a lot of money on your wedding, then this is the area where you can achieve that.

You need to take the time to focus on researching and planning the reception carefully to avoid unnecessary spending.

The three main elements that can have a huge impact on the cost of the reception is the number of guests, the reception venue and the menu.

Where To Hold The Reception
There are a lot of options available these days where you can hold your reception depending on the type of wedding you're planning, the number of guests and how much work you are willing to do yourself.

Some of the options you might like to consider include:

A function centre
Restaurants
Clubs
Someone's backyard
A local hall
A park or garden

Here is a guide to some of the pros and cons of each of these options:

A Function Centre
The biggest advantage is that they specialise in weddings and their packages usually include everything from the food, the drinks, the staff, the decorations and flowers, the linen, glassware and cutlery etc. The disadvantage is that they are the most expensive option. Most function centers set a minimum number of guests and a set timetable and may charge extra if they allow you to go overtime.

A Restaurant
They can cope with smaller weddings and usually have more options when it comes to the menu. They are ideal for more informal weddings. The downside is that the size of the room is often limited and so the layout of the tables may not be ideal or may be no room for dancing. Parking space may also be a problem as restaurants tend to be in more crowded areas where there is passing traffic.

A Club
Many clubs have different sized function rooms and offer low room hire fees. Clubs also tend to be less formal and more relaxed giving you a lot more choice as to how formal you want your reception to be. They also tend to have large carparks so parking shouldn't be a problem.

If you decide on holding your wedding at a club make sure you check out the quality of the food as sometimes the standards are lower than you'd expect at a function center or restaurant. The menu choices may be limited and while they provide all the crockery and cutlery and service staff, you may have to provide your own table linen and decorations.

Someone's Backyard
This option gives you free reign on what type of reception you want to have. It can also be the cheapest option, saving you a lot of money. The biggest downside is that you will have to do all the work yourself or hire in caterers and staff.

It takes a lot more planning but the end result can give you a reception that is more personal and romantic. The problem may be finding a backyard that is large enough and suitable to hold a reception. Some of the other challenges with a backyard wedding is providing adequate rest room facilities and parking for guests.

A Local Hall
Cost of hiring a hall can be very cheap and economical. They are usually big in size and have good restrooms and some have kitchen facilities. As with the backyard reception, you will need to do a lot of the organizing and work yourself or hire caterers.

Most halls lack the right kind of decor or ambiance for a wedding so you may need to do a lot of decorating to get it looking like a wedding reception.

There is usually adequate car parking but you may be limited to a set amount of time you can hire the hall, especially if it's in a residential area.

A Park Or Public Garden
You have a lot of flexibility with this option however you will need to obtain permission by the local council to hold a function on public property. You will save on decor as you will have the surrounding gardens to provide the backdrop. You will still need to provide all the catering yourself or hire caterers.

The downside is that you can't predict the weather, you will need to provide a backup plan if the weather turns bad. Not all parks have adequate toilet or parking facilities and you may have to put up with outside visitors to the park as it's a public property.

Some Unusual Options
If you would like a more unique wedding reception some other places that I’ve known people booked for their wedding reception is an art gallery, a local museum, hiring a boat and a winery. You are only limited by your imagination when it comes to places to hold your wedding reception. A lot of these options are not only unique but can be very inexpensive and so can save you a lot of money.

The most important thing you need to do is to look at all your options very carefully and then try and be flexible with your decision. You should pick a couple of options and then set out the costs for both choices to see which one will give you the best wedding at the best price. No matter what type of reception you are planning, the key to a good reception is choosing good food, having a pleasant and comfortable setting and providing good service.

Good luck with the wedding planning.

Regards,

The Wedding Fairy

Visit  weddingfairyplanner.com