The reception is often the most memorable part of the wedding for many guests. This because the wedding reception is usually longer than the actual wedding ceremony. That’s why it’s so important that the impression you make with the atmosphere and location of your wedding reception hall reflect your personality and your fiance’s personality more than the tradition of the marriage ceremony. It’s also important to think about which types of wedding reception halls will be the best possible options for places to end your wedding ceremony celebration, as well as which places will be the most comfortable for your guests and your budget.

Some popular places that are often used as wedding reception halls are: hotels, country clubs, historic buildings with banquet halls, private gardens, restaurants, or even other outside spaces. You can be creative with the location of your wedding reception hall, but don’t forget to think about the needs of your guests. For instance, if you will be having many guests from out of the town, you should consider wedding reception halls within a reasonable distance from hotels, or maybe even within a hotel itself. Many hotels have beautiful places for wedding receptions.

You should also consider the formality of your wedding ceremony when you begin to plan your wedding reception hall location. For instance, if you’re having a casual beach wedding, a black tie reception at a ritzy hotel nearby probably won’t be the best idea.

As a general rule, the costs associated with the wedding ceremony usually comprise about half of your budget, while the reception, including the wedding reception hall rental, catering, musical entertainment, centerpieces, and beverages, often account for the other half. Keep this in mind and you can create a seamless transition from the formality and ceremony of the wedding itself to the wedding reception hall. Also, don’t forget to plan the wedding reception while planning the wedding ceremony. Many couples focus initially on the ceremony and then find themselves financially stretched when it comes time to hammer out the details of the reception (and particularly the rental fees associated with the wedding reception halls).

Here are a few ways to find locations for your wedding reception hall:

Search online for places specifically billed as banquet halls or wedding reception halls

Check city guides for your planned wedding area

Take a few scenic drives

Don’t forget to be creative and think about unconventional places (perhaps a local aquarium, museum, or rooftop bar) you could turn into a creative wedding reception hall.

Good luck in finding the perfect wedding reception hall for your dream wedding day!