Congratulations! If you are reading this then you are probably planning a reception for you or someone close to you. Take a deep breath and remember this is all about love and creating an event that will last a lifetime. Okay, is the moment over? Roll up your sleeves; time to get to work.
 
A great wedding reception takes careful planning. After all, you want everything to be perfect, or as close to it as possible. It's easy to see how a couple can become overwhelmed with the myriad of details that go into planning a memorable reception. Unless you hire a wedding planner, you want to be sure you don’t leave anything out.

Set a Date
 
You would think this step should be obvious. However, you might be surprised when people start calling caterers and halls and then, when they are asked by the representative what date they had in mind, a date hasn’t even been set yet! 
 
Logically, the date typically should be the same day as the wedding. So, get the wedding date down first, then work on seeing what options you have for a reception. Also, make sure to do so as early as possible, perhaps even up to a year or even two if you want to be married in the spring and at a popular reception venue.
 
How important is the date? Nearly every party involved will want to know the exact date of the wedding when you contact them. Like we said, many venues are booked at least a year or two in advance. Without that date, you can't move forward on anything, and everything will come to a standstill. Even the store where the bride purchases her gown – they will want to know the wedding date when you ring them. They just can’t throw it together over night. So get out that calendar and circle that date!

What are the Best Dates?
 
Largely the best date to get married is the date you want to get married. However, your choice of wedding date might have a lot to do with the cost of your reception and other variables. For example, did you know that getting married during the week is much cheaper than getting married on a weekend? In some places, getting married on a Sunday costs less money than a Saturday too. So there are all sorts of things to consider. 
 
The time of year makes a big difference as well. Catering halls are usually hard up for events during the winter months (Valentine's Day is the exception that proves the rule).
 
If possible, you might consider getting married at the end of January to receive a discount. One nice thing about a Winter wedding is you eliminate the “rain on the wedding day” nightmare you could have if you marry in the Spring. After all, in Winter, you are expecting the weather to be a little on the cold side, with snow and all that goes with it. Nonetheless, it is our hope you will have that "Winter Wonderland" experience. 
 

Set a Budget
 
Okay, here is where that gnarly “B” word rears its ugly head: Budget. You can’t get around it when planning a reception. After setting a date, determining a doable budget is your next major task. Once your budget is set, you can decide what type of wedding reception to plan and then really get to the good stuff.  
 
Naturally, a couple on a budget might want something low key with only a few guests; whereas a couple with unlimited resources might throw caution to the wind. Heck, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes spent millions on their Italian countryside reception. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have unlimited resources. 
 
Remember too, a reception is more than just a place to eat cake. When you're figuring your budget make sure you've included everything including clothes, invitations, flowers, photography, videography, favors, cake and anything else that will figure into the cost of a magnificent experience.
 

Types of Receptions
 
So what type of reception should you have? Again, the choice is largely up to you. Below are descriptions of the most common wedding reception formats. 
 
Dinner Reception (traditional)
 
Food is served as a sit-down meal, a buffet or in food stations. Meals vary, but usually several dishes are offered and a cocktail hour precedes the formal reception. These receptions begin anywhere from 6 to 9pm. This is the most common time for a reception and is the most traditional type. The nice thing is guests are often in "party mode"; ready to dance the night away. On the downside, this type of wedding is typically the most expensive.
 
Luncheon
 
Food typically includes sandwiches, salads, pasta and fruits, and usually follows a late-morning wedding. Again, this is an inexpensive option compared to the big dinner reception. It allows for driving and getting ready time and is still early enough the couple doesn’t have too much time time on their hands to get nervous.
 
Cocktails and Appetizer Only Reception
 
Food is hot and cold appetizers, passed around or on buffet tables. Reception is usually held between 4-7pm. The advantages are that it is still in the evening and can be formal or informal. Also, it is usually less expensive than a dinner reception. The big drawbacks are guests aren’t offered a full meal, even though it is dinnertime. That might not sit well with some guests and their freeloading stomachs.
 
 

Quick Tips on Saving Money

1.      Reserve your banquet hall as early as possible so they “cap the price per person.”

2.      Don’t feel confined to a banquet hall: consider a community center or church hall for your reception.

3.      Why not get hitched in the morning or on a Friday or Sunday.  Even better, do it in the Winter months. You will save a considerable amount of money.

4.      Have a cash bar instead of an open bar.  This helps if you have a lot of drinkers in the family.

5.      Instead of dinner, have a cocktail or dessert reception.

6.      Keep the guest list small. The less people you have to feed, the more you will have in the bank account. 

7.      Buy your own alcohol, if the venue allows it.  You might be able to pay a young relative to bartend for tips. 

8.      Limit the amount of appetizers. Consider three or four food appetizer tables, instead of eight or nine venue staff walking around with trays.  Somebody has to pay them – you!

9.      Reduce catering costs by avoiding seafood and beef tenderloin entrées.  An elegant alternative is to pay homage to your nationality. Pasta is always loved by a good Italian family. However, if you feel you must have seafood and beef, serve them as an appetizer.

10.  Did you find out about guaranteed numbers? Watch closely, because you might still have to pay for 250 guests even though 190 showed up.

 

Fun Fact # 1: A rose by any other name...   Gloria and Joe in Hartford , Conn. told us how they saved on the fancy flower arrangement Gloria was to hold during her ceremony and reception...   “I looked at the prices of the bouquets I wanted and I knew it wasn’t going to be cheap when the florist asked me what the occasion was…,” Gloria said.  “I told him a wedding and immediately he brought out a wedding catalogue of bouquets.  The prices were astronomical.”   Cleverly, she noted the flowers that were in the bouquets and sent her enterprising husband to a local florist with instructions to get “a surprise bouquet for his wife.”    “I walked down the aisle with that bouquet - It cost about $50 compared to $200!”

How Many Guests

Most reception halls charge by the person. So you can’t get around not knowing how many guests you will be inviting to the big event. The head count determines a lot: the price you might get per head and the size of the room. If you are absolutely not sure, try to give a rounded number for the sales person to work with. Naturally, it is better to overestimate than underestimate. The last thing you want is for everyone to feel stuffed in a room too small for the occasion. On the other hand, you don’t want a cavernous ballroom if you don’t need it. Think how airlines and hotels overbook. Try to do the same. 

Fun Fact # 2: Who stole the kishka?   In some countries, wedding receptions can last for days. A traditional Polish wedding for instance can go on for three days! Now that is a lot of music and alcohol. We feel for the lucky one that has to pay for a three-day wedding reception. Hopefully that is not you.

Ideal Venues
 
What should you look for in a reception hall? That answer differs from couple to couple but there are some general guidelines that should help you steer straight. Most everything about the place you consider should be immaculate. There are simply some areas that should never be comprised if you are choosing that venue for your wedding reception. It should be clean, safe, presentable and have a great reputation for service. Would you want anything less? 
 
Ask around. Most couples discover their reception locations from attending other weddings. Do the same: take notes when you find one that really appeals to both of you. Your married friends will tell you what they liked and didn’t like about their wedding receptions. Write down their recommendations and check out those places. 

Type of Venues
 
You can literally have a wedding reception anywhere people can gather. Here are some typical locations:
 
• Hotels
• Resorts
• Golf Course Banquet Halls
• Club (Moose, Elk, VFW) Banquet Halls
• Fire Halls
• Inns
• Bed & Breakfasts
• Fine Restaurants
• Social Halls
• Scenic Park Pavilions
• Beaches
• Indoors/Outdoors at the home of the Bride’s Parents
 
How to Find Them
 
This very website you are visiting right now contains many choices right in your own locale.  After all, that is what we are all about.  Beyond our site and Internet search engines, most newsstands carry wedding magazines and directories. These directories tend to be different for each region of the U.S. They are a great way to narrow down your choices.   
 
Charts listing all of the reception and catering halls in each region will come in handy when you want to quickly rule out possible venues. Each chart typically spells out the various amenities that venue has to offer. At a glance you will be able to see which venue is affordable to you and what the package might include as a bonus. This should speed up your selection process. Call or e-mail the places that capture your interest. Set up an appointment with a representative.

Who Should Be Invited
 
It is not always easy to decide on exactly who should be invited to a wedding reception. Typically you want to include the immediate family, but after that there is no hard and fast rule. Largely you want to work within the confines of the budget you have established. 
 
No matter what method you choose, you will likely hurt some feelings of those that didn’t make the cut.  Don’t worry though, they will get over it, and no matter how you draw the line of demarcation you must draw it somewhere. 
 
The bride and groom should maintain most control over who gets invited. Sometimes parents want certain people invited or excluded for reasons that might not have anything to do with the bride and groom. 
 

Fun Fact # 3: One man’s 5-year and yer out rule!   Matt in Pittsburgh told us of how he and his bride-to-be at the time, came up with their method of composing a guest list...   “We wanted a small, but fun reception,” he told Receptions.com. “We agreed that if we had not seen someone in the past five years, then it would be hard to justify inviting that person to the wedding. I was comfortable with this but some relatives that missed the cut were not. From what I was told, they could not figure out why some office people were invited and not Uncle so and so. Well, it was all about having a great time. Hey, it worked out in the end, though.”

Shop Till You Drop
 
There are a lot of places out there. Shop around. Call them. Ask about them. Do your homework and do it now. You want to be sure you're getting the most for your money.
 
Each venue might offer different packages and deals depending on how booked they are. Ask about extra services they provide for weddings. For instance, many venues will include a room for the bride to prepare, perhaps even a ceremony location, the food, kick in the open bar, complimentary champagne toast, servers for the wedding cake and even a discount on their DJ. 
 
Ask about how flexible they are if you want to do something yourself. You may prefer to have your own wedding singer perform instead of the one that "the house" recommends, for instance.
 
Also, don’t just look at the pretty pictures. If you really think you have a winner, do a walk-through before you sign anything. Remember our minimum specs above? Is the room to your liking? Is it safe? Is it clean? Is the staff pleasant?
 
Finally, don’t forget your checkbook. If you want the hall they will want a downpayment to secure the place, typically a percentage of the estimated final bill. This will lock in your wedding date.  Congratulations are now in order. You've just completed one of the most important steps in planning for the reception. Now there are more things to start moving on at this point.  

Who’s My DJ, and Other Stuff?
 
Once you have the venue, now it is time to fill the venue with the proper venders you will need to carry out the reception. Rest assured the manager of the catering hall is sure to have a list of recommendations for musicians, disc jockeys, florists and photographers. However, they might not be the cheapest or best vendors available for your buck. 
 
You can go with these or choose your own. Whatever you do, it's important to meet with all these professionals beforehand to ensure they truly are the advertised professional you are told they are.
 
Relax. You Can Handle It!
 
When you plan a wedding reception, you're planning what might be the most important event of your life, or your children’s. It's surely important that you and your guests have a wonderful time but don’t get hung up on every little setback.  \Yes, we all want the day to be the fairy tale the bride always dreamed it would be, but remember, we live in an imperfect world.  Little snags will happen.  
 
Maybe a bartender quits and they are short a person?  Maybe the appetizers were ordered incorrectly? Perhaps the air conditioner unit goes out?  Yes, that is not ideal but nothing should prevent you from enjoying what should be the greatest day of your life or the couple betrothed.  Maybe drunk Uncle Al falls into the wedding cake?  Maybe the sprinkler system comes on and drenches everybody?  We say laugh it about it and take them to court later.

The point is to relax and take it all in stride! 
 
Improvise if you have to and be prepared to do so every step of the way. There is already enough pressure on whoever is planning the reception. You don’t need to add even more with expectations that are unrealistic – expectations that doomed the Griswold's trip to Wally World.  Don’t be a Clark Griswold.  Keep that in mind and we are sure your wedding reception will end with a “Happily Ever After.”
 
From us here at Receptions.com, we wish you much luck in planning your memorable wedding reception!