On this week's episode of 52 'Til I Do, we're joined by industry expert Liz Hake from Salon 61 in River North to talk through all of the points to cover during your final venue walkthrough, specifically how to make your venue feel personal, intentional, and uniquely yours. From the placement of your dance floor to how guests flow through cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing, we’re sharing tips to make every inch of your space work for you!
A venue sales manager is going to be one of those first vendors you connect with after your planner. Once you find that perfect location, they’re there to provide you with all the information you need to make the planning process smoother, from pricing and capacity to food and beverage options. They’ll also help coordinate walkthroughs with your outside vendors so everyone knows the space and understands how everything will work on the big day. Their goal is to make sure the venue is ready for you and that all of your vendors are on the same page.
There are so many small details you can use to transform your reception space and make it feel completely your own—and that’s the fun of planning!
However, one of the biggest things we recommend is choosing a venue that already somewhat matches your aesthetic. If you want a dark, elegant, moody reception but choose a venue with light colors and lots of windows, it’s going to be much more difficult (and expensive!) to bring that vision to life. We love a good Pinterest board, and they can be super helpful when it comes to figuring out exactly what you want your space to look and feel like. Use your inspiration to guide your venue choice, decor, lighting, florals, and other details so everything works together to create the reception you’ve been dreaming about.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when planning your reception layout is how many guests you’re expecting and where everyone will sit. While your guest count may change throughout the planning process, it’s important to stay in touch with your venue and keep them updated. You’ll want to make sure your space can comfortably accommodate all of your guests, tables, and other reception details. Planning your layout with an accurate guest count will help make sure everything fits and flows smoothly on the big day.
Almost every venue has a recommended floor plan, depending on where the stage, bathrooms, doors, and other structural features of the building are located. But the first question you should ask yourself is: “What are the things that are most important to me?” For example, if it’s really important to you to have a long table for your bridal party, start there. Where can we fit this large table? Or maybe you want a massive dance floor. Figure out where that will work best and build the rest of your floor plan around it. Think about what works best not only for you and your guests, but also for your vendors. Once you have those larger, more important elements in place, it becomes much easier for everything else to fall into place.
Pro tip: Put yourself in the headspace of one of your guests.
The people who will be using your reception space the most are your guests, so think about what will make the space easiest for them to navigate. If they’re carrying a gift, consider placing the gift table near the entrance so they can quickly drop it off. If you have elderly guests or grandparents attending, think about placing their table closer to the entrance so they don’t have to walk as far. A good floor plan isn’t just about making the space look beautiful, but it’s about making sure the space works well for everyone!
When you’re creating your floor plan, it’s important to think about how your guests are actually going to use the space. You want people to be able to move easily from cocktail hour to dinner to the dance floor without having to walk around tables or squeeze through crowded areas. Think about where people will naturally gather. If the bar is in one corner and the dance floor is on the other side of the room, is there going to be enough space for people to move between them? Is the gift table easy to find when guests first arrive? Are there clear paths between the tables?
You don’t have to plan out every step your guests will take, but thinking through the general flow of the room can help you catch problems before the wedding day.
Your floor plan also needs to work for the people who are actually setting up and working your reception. Your caterer, DJ or band, photographer, florist, and other vendors all need to have enough space to do their jobs.
When you’re finalizing the layout, ask your vendors what they need and where they need to be set up. Make sure there’s enough room for the catering team to move around, that your DJ or band has a good setup location, and that your photographer can move through the room without getting in the way of guests. This is also a great reason to review your floor plan with your planner and venue before the wedding. They can help you catch any layout issues and make adjustments before everything is set up on the big day.
Your reception layout doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with the things that matter most to you, then build the rest of the space around them. Keep your guest count, guest flow, and vendor needs in mind as you plan, and don’t be afraid to make adjustments along the way. Your venue and planner are there to help you figure out what will work best in the space, so use them! A good floor plan should make sense for everyone using the room—not just look good on paper. Taking the time to work through these details ahead of time will make your reception run much more smoothly on the big day!
Be sure to listen to Episode 48 of 52 ‘Til I Do on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to learn more about planning your wedding reception layout.
Have more questions? Send us a message at hello@marryment.com or get in touch on our social media—we love helping couples navigate this part of wedding planning!
Photo Credit to JNA Visuals
Marryment proudly serves couples all across Chicago and the surrounding Chicago Suburbs including popular areas such as Schaumburg, Elmhurst, Naperville, Evanston, Joliet, Oak Park, Skokie, Barrington, Downers Grove and Northbrook, to name a few. We also love destination weddings. We'd love to be a part of your wedding day! Schedule your free planning call with us today.
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