Now that you are engaged (congrats) the work really begins. You’ve got to plan this thing!
The reception is the largest part of your wedding budget, usually being between 50 and 70% of
the total. Now that you know this you will want to make some smart choices when choosing your
wedding venue.
Here are a few questions to ask when looking for that perfect Long Island wedding hall.
Can you make the room fit your style?
How much will you have to add to decorate it?
What is included and what will I need to rent?
Is there a room charge if they are doing the catering?
How do the costs breakdown?
Are there any other parts of the facility that will be available to me for cocktail hour or photo
opportunities?
Are there dressing rooms for the wedding party?
How is the parking handled? Will I need to hire a valet service?
Considering these 3 things can help keep your reception within your budget.
- Pick somewhere that is already beautiful. It may cost more initially to rent a beautifullydecorated wedding hall but not after you factor in everything you will need to make it as beautiful as you imagine. Every bit of decor and in some cases camouflage that you have to add to bringthat rock bottom wedding venue up to gorgeous is going to add to your cost. If you pick one that is already beautiful you will save on your final cost.
- What’s included? When you pick a wedding venue that is out of the mainstream, you will get
sticker shock when look at the prices to rent what you need. If your venue doesn’t provide things
like tables, chairs, linens and tableware it is you that will be paying for it. - Who is doing the catering? t may at first seem like bringing in your own caterer can save
you some money but beware of hidden costs. Many offsite caterers include additional fees. You
may even find yourself renting things like a tent for food prep. In some cases, a full service
catering hall will waive the room fee or include it in the per guest charge.
The point is, just because the base charge at one wedding venue is higher than another, that is really not all there is to it. Making sure you are comparing apples to apples before you make your final decision will save you from the trap of hidden fees and last minute charges.