Selecting a Venue to match your vision!

There are just so many decisions in planning a wedding! Selecting a Venue to match your vision and budget is one of the first decisions. Traditional weddings usually included a Church Wedding Service following by a Reception in a Banquet Hall. Today's Brides have so many additional options - we see lots of weddings at the Beach, at Residences, at Parks or Garden Settings, and even in Nightclubs!

The first question to address is Indoors vs. Outdoors or a combination of both. While Outdoor Weddings and Receptions can be absolutely stunning, there is the extra stress and possible expense of planning for inclement weather. I always advise my Bridal clients with plans for the Outdoors to have a back up plan. If the outdoor arrangements are particularly complicated, I will often suggest a Professional Wedding Planner who has experience with the site to handle arrangements which may include extensive rentals. So many of the romantic accompaniments to an outdoor wedding (tents, archways, tables and chairs) have to be rented and delivered and set up the day of the event. All of this makes for a very Special Event but many Brides are surprised to find out that the expenses of an outdoor wedding are comparable to renting a traditional Banquet Hall.

Traditional Banquet facilities whether in a Hall or Hotel do have some advantages in that they are designed for Weddings and Events. Price usually includes all tables and chairs, and the services of a Professional Event Coordinator who will assist with setting up the Party and designing the Floor Plan. When considering a Banquet Hall venue your minimal expectations are a clean, comfortable setting with handicap access, good bathroom facilities, a Catering Kitchen and ample parking for your guests and vendors. You can expect to pay more for a room with a beautiful view or chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, a large dance floor, or an expensive sound system. Many Brides cannot visualize a beautiful wedding reception while gazing upon an empty room. I advise you to as the Event Coordinator to show you photos or allow you to preview an actual event at the site to see how the room dresses up.

The big questions to address regarding a Banquet Hall are:
1. Availability
2. Rental Price
3. Additional costs such as Facility or Clean Up Fees and
4. Condition of Chairs which will impact whether you require Chair Covers which you may need to include in your Venue budget.

It is important to choose a venue with the Capacity to hold your total guest count. While you are thinking about numbers of guests, you are probably not considering the room required for the Bar, DJ, Buffet, Gift Table, or Dance Floor.

My experience is that most Brides look at multiple venues, weigh the costs but recognize what they want when they see it. When you find you perfect venue, you will want to put down a Deposit as soon as possible as popular dates book up fast and many venues can only handle one or two events a day. Phew! That's alot of information to digest but with a little bit of research and comparison shopping you can find the perfect venue especially in Tampa Bay where every day is a special day.

Best wishes for a Beautiful Wedding,
Marilyn Chapman
Bridal Events Coordinator
Delectables Fine Catering
Delectables Fine Catering, Inc.
"The Bay Area's Most Prestigious Caterer"
969 Virginia Avenue, Inc.
Palm Harbor, FL 34683

Email: info@delectablescatering.com
Web: http://www.delectablescatering.com
Phone: 727-781-1200
Fax: 727-789-3401