The Reception Checklist
If things go wrong at the reception, you might think that people will make allowances or soon forget. Don't believe it! They will talk about it for years. Make sure your wedding reception is a roaring success by consulting this checklist. Don't forget to add any points to it that are particular to your own reception.
- Book the venue for the reception early, probably at least a year in
advance if it is popular.
- If the venue is providing the food, for example a hotel or restaurant,
have lunch and/or dinner there a couple of times at least before booking
so that you know the food and service are acceptable.
- Find out how many guests the reception venue will hold and don't exceed
it because you don't want people to be uncomfortable. There can also be
issues with fire regulations if approved numbers are exceeded.
- If the venue is a hotel or restaurant or some other establishment which
provides the food, discuss the menu early. Make sure you know exactly
how much per head it will cost so that you can budget well ahead of time.
- You will need to decide whether it is going to be a sit down meal or
a buffet.
- If you choose a sit down meal, are you having a set meal or will your
guests have a selection? The second option will probably cost more.
- Make sure there is a vegetarian option - just because none of your friends
or relatives aren't vegetarian doesn't mean that their spouses or partners
aren't. Also check whether any guests have other special dietary needs,
for example, diabetes or food allergies.
- Find out if the reception venue charges corkage if you buy your own
champagne for toasts or other alcoholic drinks elsewhere. This might make
it more expensive than buying the drinks from the venue - do the sums
and make sure you are choosing the most economic option.
- If corkage isn't charged or is not prohibitively expensive, consider
going to France for the day and buying champagne and other alcohol there
because you could make considerable savings.
- If this is going to be a sit down meal with waiter service, does everybody
need to be seated and ready by a specific time? If this is the case, make
sure the principal participants (bride, groom, mother of the bride, mother
of the groom and best man) know.
- If you are having a marquee, perhaps in your garden or in the grounds
of some establishment, book your caterers early and make sure you know
that they are capable of supplying what you want to the right standard
and at the right price. Get recommendations!
With a marquee, make sure you have enough seats for everybody even if it is a buffet meal. You will probably have some older guests who won't want to stand up for hours.
- Decide what alcoholic and other drinks you will pay for at the reception. At some weddings, only the champagne is provided and guests buy all other drinks themselves. At other receptions, there is an open bar and all drinks are provided for guests. Bear in mind, though, that the second can be a very expensive option.