Wedding Receptions

Receptions were more often than not held at the bride's family house. Up until the close of World War 2 the variety of entertainment depended on the wealth of the bride's parents, who organised all sorts of events from grand evening hours balls to tea along with cake. As people grew wealthier and the quantity of guests invited grew beyond what the standard family home could manage, people used church halls, dance halls and hotel ballrooms, arranged restaurants or held garden parties. Today, the selection is vast, covering anything from castles to a marquee in the venue. Before making the final choice there's lots of factors to bear in mind. Check websites of venues near the area you intend to marry and visit for a wedding fayre or open day. BUDGET Your reception cost can be around 20 and 50% from your total wedding spend, subject to whether it's to be fully organized from the venue itself, or used for a starting point for the bride's own ideas. Perhaps it is possible to have a civil ceremony at the venue, or is the venue easy to reach from the church? Often the availability from your chosen venue will determine your wedding date and must be booked once you first decide it's right for your reception. GUESTS There may certainly be a minimum or maximum amount of guests allowed at a venue. Some guests could benefit from overnight accommodation, and often hotels will offer you a reduced rate for any guests who want to book a room ahead. CATERING Check whether the venue will supply a tasting menu of the food they provide. They should also have the capacity to help with vegetarian choices, or special diets. If they have grounds, will they offer a buffet or picnic out in the open to the guests. When necessary, see if you can actually alter the layout within the main reception room. Ask about facilities for musicians or whenever they have any restrictions on the kind of music used. If you're planning one venue for ceremony and reception, are the locations right for your group and couple portraits or will there be a park nearby? The wedding planner ought to offer advice on the top areas for photographers to operate, both inside and outside and offer advice on additional wedding professionals. BAR Discover if a bar can be provided, and if needed can they allow a night time extension. Do they allow drinks to be brought in, and in that case, do they charge corkage? Champagne and wine are the most typical drinks to have within the reception, and the venue will offer you advice on the perfect wines to compliment the meals and champagne for the toast, also non alcoholic drinks really should be available too. This Author is a prolific writer who practices regarding Derbyshire wedding photographers