Is the celebration of your new marriage the most important factor in wedding planning for you? Mandy McGarry, Event Coordinator at Chisholm Hills Golf and Banquet Center, has 6 things to keep in mind when preparing your wedding reception.
Booking your reception
Are you planning a wedding for the busier months – like August, September or October? Saturday dates in those months might fill up quickly, so it's recommended to book your venue as soon as possible. However if you'd like to have your wedding on a Friday or Sunday, you might not have as much of a problem booking.
"It is not as popular to get married on Friday or Sunday. If you are looking to book a venue for a reception on one of those days you have better odds of the venue being available. Saturday dates fill up quick."
Check out the venue before booking
Be sure to take a tour of a venue before booking your reception. This way you can get a feel for how you'll decorate and how you'll want the layout of your reception.
"I always suggest that people come in and actually view the facility, because when you look through you find things that you just can't capture in photos," McGarry said. "And even if you've been here before for a friends wedding or some other event, when you come in and start talking about the decorations that you want, the space takes on a whole new feel."
Number of guests attending your reception
You'll be choosing a venue based on the number of guests that are planning to attend your wedding reception. But even if you have a smaller number of guests, a venue may be able to adjust the space to fit your needs.
"We can hold up to 400 guests. But we also have the ability, if you want a more intimate wedding [reception], to partition off the room," said McGarry. "Some people tend to want the whole space even with a smaller reception size. They will use a portion of the facility for an indoor ceremony or for a cocktail hour and the other portion for the reception."
Beverage options for guests
Will you have a cash bar? Will you be providing the basics with the option of guests purchasing liquor beverages? Do you plan to serve champagne?
"It seems to be very popular right now to offer an alcoholic and non-alcoholic option for your guests. Many bride and grooms choose to offer a keg of beer, wine and soda complimentary for guests and have the ability for them to purchase other drinks if they want something that has liquor in it or if they want canned beer," said McGarry.
Menu
Will you choose a traditional set of dishes for the venue to serve? Or are you looking for something more unique? Will your dinner be plated and served or buffet-style?
"We have a basic menu that we send out to customers, but we have the ability to make whatever type of food they want," said McGarry. "We actually had a wedding this past summer that was picnic themed. So they wanted pulled pork barbecue, coleslaw, potato salad and chips. We do all of our food from scratch in-house and can cater it to fit the personality of the couple."
Decorating your banquet hall
Be aware of what time you're able to start decorating for your reception, what time you'll need to be cleared out, and when the vendors need to be completely out of the venue.
"Our hall is rented from 9 a.m. to midnight [the day of your reception]. But if we don't have an event the day before, we will usually work with the bride and groom to let them know if they can come in the day before and set up decorations," said McGarry. "All vendors have to be out by 1 a.m."
Chisholm Hills Banquet Center is located at 2395 Washington Road in Lansing, MI. For more information, please visit http://banquet.chisholmhills.com.
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