One of the most common venues for wedding receptions is the hotel. It is easy to see why. At hotels you have staff who are used to serving large quantities of people, and the venue is usually of a suitable quality to entertain a large gathering. Hotels are professional, efficient and large. This does not mean, however, that they are all the same.

Choosing a hotel for your reception is simple if you follow some basic guidelines. These are centred on what is needed at a wedding reception so, if in doubt; just ask yourself what you want the reception to be like. If a hotel looks like it cannot accommodate you on this, then it probably isn’t the right one for your wedding reception.

For example, once you know roughly how many people will be attending your big event, then this should sharpen your search for a hotel considerably. If there are hundreds of people coming you will need a venue that can accommodate a large number of people, both with regards to eating and drinking, as well as having a dance floor that is large enough. So you hit the larger hotels first to get a feel for room size. Staff at these hotels should be able to give you a clear guideline as regards the size of the groups they can hold.

Due to the fact that it is a hotel, there is every chance that there will be a caterer on site that the hotel uses for such occasions. This is all well and good but check out customer feedback (they should be able to supply you with this) and even ask to eat at the hotel restaurant. This way you will know whether or not the meal is to your tastes. Then, make sure that caterers know about any special dietary requirements your guests may have.

When it comes to the decorations, if your family or indeed future spouse want to decorate the reception room in a certain way (many people do this nowadays to give their reception some personality) then make sure you check with any venues you are considering. Some have clear restrictions as to what can be done to the space. It would be awful, for example, to turn up on the morning of the reception to find that you can’t hang banners.

Perhaps most vital when it comes to choosing hotels is that you know just how busy they get. Depending on which day your reception is going to be on, you need to know if they have another booked for the same day.

You must allow at least two hours for your reception. Do what most couples do if you can, and book the venue for the afternoon into the evening. This way you can enjoy the special day to the full. Check licensing too, so your guests aren’t stuck with a dry bar at eleven o’clock at night.

Common sense, and knowing what you want, should help you choose your venue for the reception. Remember, preparation is vital. If you don’t take your time over planning, there could be a reception you won’t forget, but for the wrong reasons.

Dave Matthews is writing on behalf of Shire Hotels, whose luxury spa hotels in the UK include Cotton Hotel, a premier wedding venue in Cheshire.

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