Wedding Accessories

The perfect wedding reception location cannot, unfortunately, simply be picked out of a magazine! Contrary to what venue advertises the world over will try to make you believe, the answer is without a doubt so personal to each newlywed couple that any article claiming otherwise is simply trying to sell something.

This decision should be the excuse for the loving couple to indulge in flights of fancy involving castles, fairytales, romance, passion or whatever subject of dreams flutters the butterflies! Twirling together on a moonlight lit mountain top to the sound of fiddling nymphs and ocarina wielding leprechauns might be in the end a far cry from stumbling drunkenly around the dance floor to the sound of Robbie Williams ruining a Sinatra classic, but indulge in this flutter of imagination, it’s very healthy!

When you come back down to earth, however, there are a few less fanciful points that need to be taken into account. Sorry to be the purveyor of the mundane, but I wish you all the success discovering that idyllic wedding reception location.

Reception Location

Factors affecting the reception location:

First and foremost, the reception location will likely be affected largely by the location of the ceremony. Ideally they will be in the same place. A nice mountain top retreat might be romantically idyllic, but the guests may be very disgruntled if they have to travel hundreds of miles to find it! Where are your guests coming from? Will it be expensive for them?

Secondly, the venue must be easily accessible for all guests. Is the venue disability friendly? Is there provision for children? Is there accommodation available? How much will this be and don’t forget to ask if breakfast is included. What time do the guests (after a late night) have to check out in the morning?

One key distinction that can be made is; city centre or outside of the city. City centre venues will probably be more expensive and smaller and there may be problems with parking for guests. There may also be issues with noise in the evening, particularly if a residential area is nearby. Outside of the city locations may have better views, cleaner air and more spacious areas, but the cost of services such as caterers and musicians might increase, if they have to travel long distances.

Being their own wedding florist is an option that many couples consider in order to keep costs down. Flower arrangements can be prepared in advance of the big day and many couples enjoy the creativity, sharing of ideas and time together that an exercise like this brings. It is also a great talking point for the day! If you choose this root (pardon the pun!) here are some considerations to get you started. Choose in-season flowers; if the flowers are in abundance they will be considerably cheaper. Select flowers that will remain fresh and maintain their colour and beauty even out of water for a long time. Buy flowers wholesale.

Florists or flower markets are usually a good source. Florists will give you lots of advice on which flowers to use and arrangement ideas even if you don’t end up hiring them. Take advantage of it and get several opinions! If you do decide to hire someone, your florist needs to be a creative person who is the source of many ideas and has the ability to capture your personal taste within their flower arranging. It is essential before hiring anyone to see examples of their previous work and preferably be able to speak to a previous client to gauge their satisfaction. You may decide to hire someone to arrange part of the overall display only. The wedding bouquet is obviously a key floral focal point, as are any flowers used on tables during the wedding breakfast. Guests will more likely notice these areas so perhaps a professional touch here, whilst flowers in the church, outside or in the reception room will usually be background arrangements.

All the attention here will after all be on the happy couple!