I am getting married next year and I'm thinking where should I hold my reception, in a hotel or rent a place.

Question

I am on a tight budget please advice which is better.

Answer 1

I would do alot of checking around and keep good notes. Then I would make my decision from there.

Answer 2

Sometimes getting a package deal at a hotel or reception hall will save you more money.

If you opt for a large open space then you have to furnish it from the ground up. You'll have to"

Rent the Space
Rent the Chairs and Tables
Rent the Linens
Rent the Place Settings
Hire a Caterer
Hire a Bartender
Buy a Wedding Cake
Hire Waitstaff
Decorate the Space

The List Goes On and On

Lots of banquet halls/reception sites, you can get a package at $60 a person. This will include rental of the space w/ all table, chairs and linens included. Also, the food and dessert will be provided. Usually a bar of some sort too.

In addition, some reception spaces will provided the centerpieces and coordinated linens. The waitstaff is also included in your package price.

Answer 3

A hotel and a rented place can be equally expensive.
You indicate you are on a tight budget--what do you want for your reception? is table service and a 'glamorous look' important? how big is the guest list? if the size is small (<150) you could rent a firehall.
*Budget
*What do both like--what do you picture in your minds when you think of your reception causual & fun? Elegant and sophisticated?
*Next, shop around for venues that fit budget and style
**A big name hotel will cost more than a non-chain hotel
many times...
**If none fit, adjust desired style and look again.
**Ask a local Wedding Planner to help find a location. Many
planners offer assistance for individual tasks, not just full
service. For an hourly rate, they can research & suggest
venues that will fit your budget & style.
*Be creative - there are no rules about where your venue should be--the backyard, outside in a public park, a museum, the list can go on...

Answer 4

PomPoms7:
You have pretty much answered your own question. Stay within budget and don't get into a bunch of debt for the wedding. So many couples do this - big one day party and then paying the bills for two or three years. It is not worth it.

The bride and groom should agree on this - a joint decision will be a good first step in your new marriage.

Better yet, if you have friends with a big house/yard, hold it there. You can cater food and have others do some cooking, like the expensive main meat dish.

Enjoy your wedding.
Jin Ju

Answer 5

You should weigh it out. They each have their advantages.

A hotel-a hotel is great if you are serving a lot of alcohol and worry about your guest getting home. Also they have their own catering so you will not have to look for additional caterers. Hotels have more experience doing this, but you also have to worry about how many weddings they do on the same day. Your time is worth money and it does take less time to go with a hotel. They do the decorating for you but if there is anything you wish to do yourself, you won't be able to get into your room until a few hours beforehand.

Renting a place- can be cheaper as you can look for different caterers and save money on alcohol and food. However you will have to spend that time searching and additionally have to rent chairs, tableclothes, silverware. One addition is when you are renting a place is if they do not have someone in on Fri, you can go in early to decorate. I know for my wedding I was able to go in and do a little of the decorating Thurs, most of my decorating on Fri so that my wedding day there wasn't much left to do. My cousin was in a hotel and we had to deliver the centerpiece items after the bride was already in hair/makeup.

You need to spend some time price comparing in your area. I decided that it was cheaper in my area to rent a location. My caterer already had a company that she worked with to rent linens, tables, silverware, glasses, etc--so I paid her the amount and she took care of that. I also noticed I had a lot less stress by renting a place. Just last week I was at a hotel that had 7 weddings going on at the same time--servers running back and forth between all 7 weddings.

Like I said--there is pros and cons to each but, while it takes more time, I found renting a place to be cheaper. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

im not quite sure on the budget but hotels are really nice to have them at because then the guests know where it is at if they stay at that hotel and can just walk back up to the hotel.
and dont take my word for it but if your guests stay at the same hotel where it is at then they might have a discount on the space cause you are bringing them buisness. thats just my opionion.

Answer 7

Please check your local firehouse, vfw, masonic lodges etc. They all will cater to a wedding. You might not get all the frills of a fancy place, but if you do your own decorations etc, it can turn out to be very nice.