How to find the right banquet hall for your big day
Planning a wedding is no small feat, as couples are faced with many decisions seemingly from the moment they get engaged right up until they walk down the aisle as man and wife. One of the biggest decisions a couple will make is where to host the reception.
Couples must consider a variety of factors when looking for the right banquet hall to host their reception. The wedding is a celebration, and the banquet hall is where the couple and their guests will let their hair down and hopefully enjoy a festive and memorable night. Because the reception is typically the most lengthy portion of a couple's wedding day, it's important to find a place where everyone can be comfortable and enjoy themselves. The following are a few tips for couples looking to find the ideal banquet hall to host their wedding reception.
* Ask around. Word-of-mouth is a great way to find the right banquet hall. Ask friends or family members who got hitched in the same town where your ceremony will be if they can recommend a reception site. These friends or family members can provide a behind-the-scenes look at a reception hall, from how accommodating the staff was to how flexible the banquet hall was with regard to pricing to how open the staff was to suggestions. Wedding planning isn't easy, so if friends, family members or coworkers recommend a hassle-free banquet hall, that recommendation can remove a lot of the stress from planning a wedding.
* Consider the size of the facility. Some couples prefer an intimate affair with relatively few guests, while others will desire a large wedding party with lots of guests. Couples can find a banquet hall that's capable of catering to small or large wedding parties, but find one that fits your party specifically. If your wedding party is small, then avoid a larger facility that will appear empty. If the party is large, make sure there's adequate room so guests won't feel like they're sitting on top of one another during dinner and dessert.
* Don't downplay decor. A banquet hall with an attractive decor is not only aesthetically appealing but can appeal to a couple's finances as well. Such a hall likely won't need any additional decorations, while a banquet hall that's unadorned and lacks embellishments will, and those decorations can dip into a couple's overall wedding budget. Compare the costs of the more decorated banquet hall with the one that's more plain in appearance, factoring in the cost to decorate the latter, and you might just realize the one with more aesthetic appeal is more affordable in the long run.
* Prioritize privacy. Few couples would be open to strangers having easy access to their wedding reception. When shopping for a banquet hall, look for one that gives you and your guests all the privacy you need. Many couples have taken to hosting the entire ceremony at a hotel, which may handle the bulk of the planning and remove the hassle of transportation for out-of-town guests. However, couples considering a hotel should look for one that can promise privacy from other guests at the hotel who aren't there for the wedding. The reception room should be secluded from the rest of the hotel so other guests walking by aren't tempted to walk in on the festivities.
The banquet hall is where couples can expect to spend most of their time on their wedding day, so couples should exercise their due diligence to ensure they find an inviting and festive facility.