Dating | Weddings

Wedding Reception Ideas & Venues

A location must be more than a pretty backdrop for the photos. It will have a direct influence on how many guests you can invite, the kind of entertainment you can have, and whether or not you can do a full waltz for your first dance.

For most, a key consideration in deciding on the 'where' will be your budget limitations. But that doesn't mean you can't have some fun; there is still lots of room within that for some scope.

Think bigger than the local church: what about a cathedral with spires and stained glass, a glamorous hotel ballroom, a public park, a rooftop, marrying on holiday or even your own back garden strewn with a hundred balloons? There are endless possibilities, so don't just opt for the obvious without a little research.

WHERE TO START

What will suit the kind of ceremony and reception you want? Your location should be a reflection of your overall theme. If it's formal, your local grand hotel may be a suitable location (and should be licensed for civil weddings), with plenty of space for ceremony and guests. But make sure you have free reign to make your own choices - they sometimes insist on using their own favoured caterer. And check there's enough parking space.

If you plan to hold a church wedding, you may need to book up to two years in advance for the date that you want. If you want something a little more unusual, such as a ceremony with your own vows in a ruined castle, try a quiet registry office and a second ceremony; that way you are free to make all your own style choices.

Make sure you have a dry run well in advance of the big day. You must make sure that you know which door the band will use, and that they also know which one it is, unless you want everyone moving tables to allow equipment to be lugged through your reception meal. Will the fire regulations allow for the hundreds of tea lights you have planned to dot all around your tables? Is there room for you to greet your guests? Can they make sure that there is a safe place for the wedding gifts to be left, or can they be locked away and collected the following day by your parents if you are going on honeymoon straight from the reception?

ALL THE HELP YOU CAN GET

The first question that you ask of the person who manages your venue (even if it's your mum and her back garden) is 'What exactly can you do for me?' If you are opting for a more traditional venue, there should be several resources on hand: the church might take care of the altar flowers, a hotel might have a valet who can handle the parking, a banqueting hall might have a toastmaster that they can recommend. The added bonus of following recommendations is that these people will have worked together before and already be familiar with the way things run. One less thing to tick off your list.

Hotels will sometimes offer the use of extra rooms, or even discounts on group bookings for the wedding party, so it's worth asking. Make sure you keep asking. Even if you are marrying a sports buff and holding your reception in the cricket club, they may be more than happy to string the place with bunting or put your names on the scoreboard. You will also find that quite quickly your organisational list becomes very long, so clear up the areas of responsibility early; if the venue has a great relationship with a reliable cab firm why worry about tracking one down yourself? Local knowledge is a wonderful thing.

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