Halifax Wedding - Reception & Catering

NEXT SHOW

Halifax Wedding - Reception & Catering

Topic: Types of Receptions, Food & Beverages

Timeframe: ASAP

Aside from choosing your wedding date, deciding on a reception location can be one of your earliest and most important wedding decisions. In fact, the reception decision—what kind of reception and where to hold it—may even influence your wedding date. Planning the reception requires juggling many priorities such as budget, space availability, and individual wedding tastes.

While hotel ballrooms, major restaurants, private clubs, and dedicated banquet halls offer the greatest flexibility and widest range of on-site services, the choice of where to host a reception is limited only by your imagination. Caterers, entertainers, florists, and other professionals can transform any space (museum, garden, mansion, park, etc.) into the wedding backdrop of your dreams—budget permitting, of course.

Setting the Date

Late spring/early summer and fall weddings continue to be the most popular. Reception facilities may be booked months or even years in advance for prime weekends. More and more couples are booking Friday or Sunday weddings as an alternative. Another trend is a weekend-long event, with parties, outings, and picnics. If you've elected a shorter engagement, you may need to pursue several options to find the right reception location. If you consider an off-season or off-peak day for a wedding, you're likely to discover caterers and others more forthcoming with discounts and extras.

Reception Options

Banquet Houses and Halls: These sites are created for the banquet and wedding business, and feature catering managers versed in event planning. Many facilities can accommodate both ceremony and reception. Ask about liquor. If you must provide your own, follow our suggestions listed in the beverage section.

Hotel Receptions: Hotels have flexible event space and well-trained staffs. Guestrooms allow those attending your wedding the option of not driving home. A hotel may offer you and your groom a bridal suite for your wedding night included in the wedding package.

Independent Caterers: Great for staging an at home wedding or garden reception. Special equipment is required for off-site caterers since they usually do not have access to a kitchen. Several party houses also provide these services, but not all. Independent caterers can help you plan your menu and make suggestions for table placement. Services will vary with each caterer with regard to china, linens, and table set-ups.

The First Cut

You can pare down your list of possible reception sites by asking a few simple questions.

Does the location:

Accommodate your guest list?

Fall within budget/season?

Offer the right style/formality?

Offer easy drive from the ceremony site?

Passing Inspection

After you've narrowed the list of possible reception sites, it's time for an on-site inspection.

Here's a short (alphabetical) list of major issues to investigate:

accessibility

acoustics

air conditioning

deposits/fees

insurance

lighting

menus

parking

policies

pricing

restrooms

security

set-up

space

A cooperative catering manager or banquet hall manager will gladly spend the time necessary to answer all of your questions.

Remember to:

Ask for photos/videos of hall in use.

Taste test food.

Ask to hear sound system.

Check cleanliness of kitchen and public rooms.

Talk to staff.

Questions for the Reception Location

1. Can the facility comfortably accommodate our wedding?

Consider the space needed for more than just the guest tables. Walk off the space needed for the head table, as well as a cake, guest book, place card, gift, and cookie table. The band or DJ will require set-up space. The dance f

Atlantic Wedding Showcase * 411-154 Willowdale Drive * Dartmouth, NS B2V 2W4 * 902-462-2969
info@atlanticweddingshowcase.com