Things to consider when looking for your reception location.

1 Where do you want to host your reception? Traditional banqet facility, restaurant, hotel, club or outdoors?

2 Are there stairs and if there are stairs is there an elevator? Some halls were grandfathered in and weren’t required to have an elevator. If you have family or friends who have a hard time walking up stairs, is there alternative to getting them up to the reception.

3 How many people are you inviting, put together a rough guest list for the count?

4 How many hours are can you reserve the facility for? What is their overtime policy?

5 What are the policies and restrictions that the facility has for music, food, flowers, décor, etc…?

6 Are you able to bring in outside vendors, or are you limited to their services? (i.e. wedding cake, Hors d’oeuvres , entertainment, etc.)

7 Is there room for a disc jockey or band? On thing to note about entertainment, don’t put tables between the dance floor and the entertainment! The entertainment will end up blasting your guests who are seated in the tables to get the sound to the dance floor.

8 Do you want your dinner served plated, buffet, or family style and what is the cost for those options. Plated will usually be more expensive than buffet.

9 Is there reasonable distance from the place of the wedding ceremony to the reception?

10 Are you able to have your wedding ceremony on site if you wish?

11 Do you want an open bar or a cash bar?

12 Are there time limits as to when your decorations, flowers, the DJ or band are able to arrive and set up?

13 If children are invited, is there an area for them to go if needed?

What is the proper way to introduce the newlyweds at the reception?

Shelly

Shelly, in our opinion there is no proper way for the reception, this is your reception, infuse it with your personality. The formal way to introduce the newlyweds at the reception would be Mr & Mrs Grooms first and last names. So if your fiance is named Jason Trumbell the formal introduction would be Mr. & Mrs Jason Trumbell. There is also Dr. and Mrs Jason Trumbell or Mr. and Dr. Jason Trumbell for a few variations.

However we say have fun and be yourselves. If you are a less formal type of persons, go with something like Jason and Mary Trumbell. We have even heard just first names at receptions. In our opinion there is no wrong way to introduce yourselves at your own party.