Choosing Your Wedding Location, a cornerstone decision
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www.HudsonValleyWeddings.com offers an varied listing of reception
facilities. The scope and variety are extensive, so you will have
a great number of choices. Make your selection based on your personal
preferences and the style of wedding you want. Begin with an open mind
and "check out" the locations. Enjoy your visit!
We suggest that you determine parameters for where the various segments of
your wedding will be held. You might begin by with a few key
questions about the locations you will be considering:
. . . Would you like to attend a party there?
. . . How much traveling will people have to do to get there?
. . . Will there be accommodations on-site or nearby for out-of-town
guests?
. . . Do you know anyone, or can the caterer provide names of people
who have already held affairs there?
The selection of Hudson Valley venues runs the gamut from period homesteads,
classic villas and country manors, estates, historic homes, intimate rooms,
rental halls, hotel ballrooms, restaurants, private golf-yacht-country clubs,
outdoor or at-home weddings, wedding "emporiums," bed and breakfasts,
inns and wineries, to seasoned barns, parks, and gardens. Each venue offers
its own advantages and sometimes disadvantages. What follows are some
guidelines for several kinds of locations and points to keep in mind while
you look for the perfect site!
There is a hotel ballroom to fit most bridal styles and budgets.
The range varies from the more elaborate, plush ballrooms to those with a
more simple design, and from the "old" style to new and contemporary.
Hotels are practical venues because they can accommodate large groups
and because the staff is trained to handle parties. There is usually a
banquet manager who can help to guide you through the process. Most hotels
offer packages from which you may choose that cover your event from soup
to nuts. Added advantages are ease of parking, a place for the wedding
party to change comfortably, rooms (often at reduced rates) for out-of-town
guests, temperature control, and often, extra "goodies" thrown in as an
enticement.
Rental Facilities vary greatly in size, decor, services,
and cost. Local VFW halls, fire stations, and church and synagogue
"back" rooms, have long been excellent, fairly inexpensive locations for
weddings. Some of these sites are very simple, but can come alive with
attractive decorations. Some are more lavish and need few if any
accouterments. These are venues in which you can cut costs in such areas
as food preparation. Often, these locations will
allow you to prepare and bring in your own food. You will, in all
likelihood have to provide your own linens, china, etc.
Make sure to check in advance what you will need, so there will be no
unpleasant, last minute surprises. The church or synagogue location is
especially appealing to the couple who do not wish their guests to have
to travel from the site of the ceremony to the reception site.
Banquet Facilities are designed specifically to accommodate wedding and other
large gatherings and parties. The ambiance can make any event grand, and
the experience level of the catering staff tends to make planning easier.
The amenities are likely to include everything a party needs from a dance
floor to a bar. Here too, the catering manager can supply or recommend
the other services you will need to complete your wedding arrangements.
Country Clubs are a particularly delightful setting when the family or
families have been members for a number of years. Such a venue offers
a beautiful surrounding in a "homey," comfortable atmosphere. Some
clubs make the facilities available to nonmembers who can also
avail themselves of the advantages that such a site offers.
A selection of wedding packages will allow you to create your own
menu. Valet parking and coat check are often included. Best of all
are the beautiful views that are typical at such venues. Make certain
before you book that the club is well maintained and has a good
reputation for the quality and service of food. Make sure you also
check if there are any regulations or restrictions regarding, for
example, the hour at which music must cease playing or restrictions
on alcohol consumption.
An Outdoor Wedding can be most delightful, but also is especially
difficult to execute. Shelter is the key to hedging your bets.
Whether it is a tent or an indoor facility that is close by, some
alternate plans that take into consideration the possibility of
inclement weather are a must. Most couples rent a tent. Take care
to have the tent placed in an out-of-the-sun spot, so your guests
don't cook in the heat. Cooling systems may also be rented to
control temperature in less temperate times of the year.
All of your wedding professionals should be well acquainted with
the outdoor site, so they can prepare accordingly. This is a venue
that truly needs painstaking and careful planning to ensure success.
When considering the possibility of an At-Home Wedding keep in
mind that a wedding at home tends to be more intimate. It may be possible to
use friends and nonprofessional to help out. You will need to carefully
consider space requirements when you decide how many guests to invite.
Take note of how much floor space you will need for
the various aspects of the wedding. Bear in mind that accidents do happen
and you may incur some damage.
You will want your home to be in top condition and that may require some
touch-up expenses (i.e., painting, window washing). This may be just the
excuse you need. You will need to be really organized to pull this off and
your home won't be your own for a while before and after the event. You
will need to have room to park your guests' vehicles. Consider asking your
neighbors for parking privileges and hiring several people to shuttle the
guests and the cars.
You will also need adequate kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Consider ordering portable toilet facilities, especially if you are
on a septic system. Proper ventilation, heating, cooling and egress
must be considered. Also plan, if applicable for transportation to and
from the location of the ceremony. If spaces will need to be
multi-functional, there is nothing wrong with asking guests to fold
and "stack" chairs. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, remember that
there are professional party planners who will completely
orchestrate an at-home event.
Having a wedding at a favorite Restaurant is something like planning
your wedding at a friend's house. This is a location with which you
are not only familiar, but at which you have previously enjoyed the food
and ambiance.
Even a restaurant you don't know well can be a good wedding location
choice. Many restaurants offer bridal packages and some even offer
bridal consulting services. What you do in terms of floral decorations,
table decorations, and even your choice of music will add significantly to
the ambiance you are attempting to achieve. Make certain that you check on
all the same things as you would with a wedding at home (size, dance floor, etc.).
There are an ever-expanding variety of other venues for weddings.
Couples are becoming more and more creative with regard to the locations
of weddings.
Brides and grooms may, for example, select an historic site.
This can be a restored or preserved historic setting or a site decorated
in vintage style such as Victorian or roaring twenties. Most historic
sites ask for a fee that is paid to rent the location. Many do not
provide food or beverages. Ask the site manager for a list of recommended
caterers. Make certain that the kitchen and all other facilities are adequate for the
number of people and type of meal you are having.
Another lovely venue for a wedding is aboard a boat. A ship, yacht, or old-fashioned
river boat can all be charming locations. If you decide
on an at-sea wedding, you might consider a nautical theme to go along
with the location. Part of the success of a shipboard wedding is tied
to weather conditions. Large cruise ships are not significantly affected
by rough seas, but anything smaller may pose problems in inclement
weather.
Some couples have "stretched" the venue list to include museums, art
galleries and even the arboretums of large office buildings (after-hours,
of course). The restrictions here must be considered, and there will be some regarding size of party, music, and deposit (for damages). So, be
certain you are willing to acclimate to these parameters before you
book this non-traditional venue.
For the real nonconformists there are trains, and hot air balloons,
and zoos, and an endless list that stretches the imagination and tickles
the funny bone. Being creative is great, but you should know that the
less conforming a site is, the more difficult it will be to plan.
Go for it and have fun!
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