Ovation Images » Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers

Reception Venue Service Packages For Everyone–Or For No One?

FOUR: This is our fourth and final posting related to the biggest wedding day decision you have to make—your reception venue selection.  Most wedding reception venues will offer a package of wedding services or a selection of packages to choose from. These are well worth the time to consider in detail on the basis of price alone. But don’t stop there.

Some of the packaged services come bundled in such a way that your flexibility to customize your wedding becomes limited. In other cases, the bundled food and/or liquor may not fit your vision. Check the liquor service hours. Get it into the details—like “do the bars stay open during dinner?” “Can my fiance’s Aunt have a table for the Groom’s Cake she is going to bake?” And so on.

The point is that the details will end up making a difference. It is impossible to list all the exception cases we have seen. But keep your antennas up for extra charges for customization that you want to do for your reception—even subtracting a service  or changing your schedule can result in extra charges. You simply cannot ask too many questions when it comes to your package. So have your questions ready and get some sense of how flexible your venue is going to be when the inevitable changes to the plan are necessary.

Copyright 2012 OvationImages.com, may not be reproduced in any form. These articles condense and combine all that our brides have shared with us over the years. OvationImages.com is Pittsburgh’s source for elite wedding photography:  Pittsburgh Magazine Real Weddings, 2012 Selection, 2012 Pick: The Knot Best of Weddings, 2012 Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice, and featured in Whirl Wedding Guide, 2012. 

You’re Engaged! Now What? Part 7 of 30: 150 of Your Closest Friends Are Coming To Dinner! They are counting on your hospitality.

THREE: This is our third posting related to reception venue selection (and one more still to come—do you think venue selection is important?!).  Your guest list will also help you choose your wedding reception venue. How many names are on that list? Where are they coming from?

It’s pretty clear that the facility you choose must be able to accommodate all the guests on your list. Pick a size that is a comfortable fit. At the low end, say under 100 guests, there are some lovely restaurants and B&B’s in this area with delicious banquet facilities. They will deliver a memorable wedding experience. (Slideshow time! Two of our favorites are Hyholde in Moon: http://ovation-images.com/blog/2011/02/03/wedding-and-reception-at-the-hyeholde-restaurant/ and Morning Glory Inn on the South Side: http://ovation-images.com/blog/2011/03/04/pittsburgh-wedding-reception-at-morning-glory-inn/). At the other extreme, with 350 guests and up, the number of venues in this region that can comfortably accommodate your wedding without using outdoor space can be listed on half of a single page.

Where are your guests coming from? If they are almost all local, then that is an ideal situation. In that case, every available reception venue option is open to you. But if one family is not from Pittsburgh and large numbers of your guests will be coming in from out of town, it’s time to look closely at a hotel for your wedding reception. A hotel reception has so many advantages for out of town guests that the hotel option becomes nearly unbeatable. Cost (for your guests) is among the advantages, but convenience should not be overlooked—especially for the elders of the family. With a block of rooms reserved, many hotels will break out their top-drawer services, providing you with suites for getting-ready and private moments, plus a range of “free” add-ons to your wedding package that can range from special desserts to extended bar service hours. This is an area where a good wedding planner will earn their keep. An alternative to a hotel is a banquet hall or country club with shuttle service to nearby hotels. But the convenience advantage of a hotel reception is virtually lost once a shuttle service is required.

Copyright 2012 OvationImages.com, may not be reproduced in any form. These articles condense and combine all that our brides have shared with us over the years. OvationImages.com is Pittsburgh’s source for elite wedding photography:  2012 Pick: The Knot Best of Weddings, 2012 Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice, as featured in the Whirl Wedding Guide, 2012. 

You’re Engaged! Now What? Part 6 of 30: God’s Cathedral? Or Yours?     Indoor? Outdoor? Ceremony and reception in the same location? Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

TWO: This is our second posting related to reception venue selection. There are two (more) questions you should ask yourself: 1. Can I have my ceremony and reception at the same location?, and 2. Can this location or can my reception location be outdoors?

If your family has strong ties to a local church, or if you want a specific minister who only works at one church or parish, then obviously you will want to use that church. Otherwise, having your ceremony and reception at the same location has worthwhile advantages including no limousine expense and no travel time in between. Staying in one place is also a big convenience to your guests. Many country clubs have great accomodations for indoor and outdoor ceremonies, as well as beautiful reception banquet halls. If you are not tied to a specific church, give some thought to combining your locations into one.

What about an outdoor event? The poets have referred to the great outdoors as “God’s Cathedral.” If you have ever been to an outdoor wedding under blue skies on a beautiful, sunny day, then you know how gorgeous and romantic an outdoor wedding can be. Obviously, the weather is the questionmark. But every outdoor venue will have a rain alternative—a covered area that you can use in a pinch. Equally attractive, outdoor venues are often less costly than a traditional church and reception banquet hall wedding. If it appeals to you, you should give some thought to an outdoor wedding. Here is an OvationImages.com example of how marvelous an outdoor wedding and reception in the same location can make your wedding day: http://ovation-images.com/blog/2011/02/09/pittsburgh-wedding-and-reception-at-shady-elms-farm/

Copyright 2012 OvationImages.com, may not be reproduced in any form. These articles condense and combine all that our brides have shared with us over the years. OvationImages.com is Pittsburgh’s source for elite wedding photography:  2012 Pick: The Knot Best of Weddings, and  2012 Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice, featured in Whirl Wedding Guide, 2012.