How to choose the best wedding reception venue

Wedding receptions are usually the highlight of any wedding. It is a time where the pressure and formality of the wedding ceremony is over. The wedding party can relax and enjoy time with the wedding guests. Just like the wedding ceremony location, selecting the best wedding reception venue is an important decision for any wedding couple.

When it comes to your wedding reception location, there are many aspects that need to be taken into consideration. The first consideration is whether you would like the reception to be at the ceremony venue/location or at a restaurant. There are pros and cons to both locations, and ultimately the decision comes down to which option is going to be the right one for your style and your budget.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Wedding venue receptions are as traditional as weddings themselves. This traditional reception location is typically the first “go to” choice for wedding couples. Wedding venue receptions have a good amount of advantages, however, depending on your particular needs, they can also have a good amount of disadvantages.

What are the benefits of having the reception at the wedding ceremony location or venue? The first benefit of having the reception at the wedding venue would be that the reception would be private and exclusive. Uninvited guests or members of the general public would not be allowed to access the reception. If a private reception is important to you, then this benefit cannot be overlooked.

The second benefit of having the reception at the wedding venue would be that you could have your choice of the food caterer. Being able to select your caterer would allow for budget, style and dietary considerations. On a side note, please keep in mind that some wedding venues have a preferred list of vendors so the options may be limited.

The third benefit of having the reception at the wedding venue is the fact that wedding venues typically have more parking options for guests. Wedding venues usually only have one event going on at a time. These venues have planned for ample parking which means guests will not have to search out a parking spot. Furthermore, the guests will already be at the venue location so there would be no need for guests to find a new parking spot at a different location.

What are the disadvantages of having the reception at the wedding ceremony location or venue?

The first disadvantage of having the reception at the wedding venue would be that there would be more items and vendors for you to organize. Organizing a wedding venue reception can be overwhelming since you would typically need to organize the caterer, the decorations, the music, and what facility extras you may need to rent. Many facilities require you to rent the tables, chairs, plates, etc. Furthermore, these additional rental costs can quickly add up so that cost needs to be taken into consideration as well.

The second disadvantage of having the reception at the wedding venue would be the added expense of paying not only for the reception venue rental cost but the food cost on top of that. Renting the wedding venue for the ceremony typically does not include rental time for the wedding reception. Therefore, that supplementary rental cost needs to be factored into the budget.

Let’s discover the pros and cons

Restaurant weddings have become increasingly popular in recent times. And it is easy to understand why restaurant wedding receptions have become so prevalent. Restaurant wedding receptions have a good amount of advantages, however, like wedding venue locations, depending on your particular needs, they can also have a good amount of disadvantages.

What are the benefits of having the reception at a restaurant?

The first benefit of having the reception at a restaurant is that the food quality is typically better than catered food. The food quality is typically better because the kitchen is located in the restaurant so the food is cooked on demand, which means the food is fresher and hotter.

The second benefit of having the reception at a restaurant is that the restaurant can typically offer more packages for drinks. Like the food, drinks are already located within the restaurant and will not need to be transported to your wedding venue location, so the restaurant can generally offer more drink options and/or packages that fit your style and budget.

The third benefit of having the reception at a restaurant is that there would be no need for you to coordinate vendors. The restaurant generally provides the tables, chairs, plates, music and possibly even the decorations (if you want to stay with the existing style and decor of the restaurant). This benefit can significantly lower your final wedding reception cost since they would not be additional costs you would need to consider. Furthermore, most restaurants do not charge a rental fee. The cost of the facility is typically just the cost of the food and drink.

What are the disadvantages of having a reception at a restaurant?

The first disadvantage of having the reception at a restaurant is the fact that other non-wedding guests will be at the restaurant. A restaurant is a public place, and if booking the entire facility or a private room is not an option, then there will be interactions with non-wedding guests. These interactions stem from the fact that restaurants typically have shared dining spaces and shared bathrooms. It is also important to keep in mind that these shared spaces usually means there can be no dancing or presentations that require audio visual equipment.

The second disadvantage of having the reception at a restaurant is the fact that, in general, restaurant parking can be limited. Restaurant parking not only has to accommodate wedding guests, but it also has to accommodate other restaurant patrons, restaurant employees and depending on the restaurant location, possible surrounding business patrons as well.

You can apply what you have read here to what you already know

Choosing a wedding reception location is an important decision for the married couple to be. There are a lot of variables that need to be taken into consideration. Sometimes when choosing the wedding location some of these variables can be naturally narrowed down, thus making it easier on everyone regardless of the wedding reception location choice. If you were to choose a wedding ceremony location that has ample reception options but also has ease of access to restaurant options, then it can be a win-win finding.

For decades Winter Park has been a wedding destination for millions of wedding couples, and it is easy to see why. Winter Park offers the benefit of having several wedding venue locations as well as several restaurant locations within close proximity to each other. This unique historic city layout makes for some beneficial wedding options.

If you were to choose a Winter Park restaurant as the wedding reception location, it would provide ease of use for the wedding guests. The wedding guests could park at the ceremony site and walk to the restaurant reception location. Furthermore, while guests make their way to the restaurant, the couple could have romantic photographs taken along the way. Winter Park provides some of the most beautiful photograph backdrops sure to fit any wedding style. Winter Park also offers various transportation options, including horse and carriage or limo.

At Winter Park Wedding Company, we know all of these decisions can be overwhelming and we would love to help. As a Winter Park wedding provider for over a decade, we have an extensive knowledge base on Winter Park venues and restaurants. In addition, we can also provide assistance when it comes to coordinating vendors, including the photographer and a caterer. Whatever the wedding aspect, we can help guide you through the process from start to finish. For more information on our preferred venues and restaurants, click on this link or go to our receptions tab on our website.

If you have questions call Suzanne or Cheryl on 407-539-1538.

Or fill out this quick form with your questions and Suzanne or Cheryl will get back to you.