Wedding and Special Event Facilities

EVENT PLANNING HOME

Wedding and Special Events Facilities - Tips

WEDDING RECEPTION AND SPECIAL EVENTS FACILITIES

WHEN TO START
Planning well in advance will minimize a lot of the pressure when selecting a facility for your wedding reception or special event. Depending upon where you live there may be a shortage of facilities which means that you should start looking early and book your selected facility atleast 1 year in advance to make sure you have a location for your event.

In major metropolitan areas Saturday availability at some popular facilities is booked over a year in advance and some dates are reserved even up to 2 years in advance. If you are planning for a wedding or special event date less than a year away, it may be easier to find a facility available for Friday evening or Sunday afternoon rather than Saturday evening. Some facilities also offer discounts for Friday's and Sunday's to fill the space. You may also be able to find discounts available from suppliers since those days are in lower demand.

WHERE TO START
There are numerous resources to be found in the local yellow pages, on the Internet and in local publications as well as during discussions with potential suppliers. Start making a list of facilities that are in the vicinity of where you would like your wedding reception or special event to be held.

HOW TO START
Assuming you have selected an approximate event date, call the facilities to determine the availability for your selected date(s). Inquire about seating capacities, parking, catering policies, and facility rental pricing as well as other factors that may ultimately affect your decision. Also, ask that a brochure or information packet along with a floor plan be sent to you. You can also make an appointment to tour the facility at that time if that location interests you.

TOURING A FACILITY - GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
Try to schedule your tour appointment at the same time of day and on the same day of the week as your planned event. Bring a notepad, a pen, a tape measure, and a list of questions. Be prepared to make notes so you can refer to the information later.

When you arrive at the facility the first thing to notice is the parking situation and the entrance to the facility.

Is the building/entrance to the parking area readily distinguishable or will guest pass it by?
Will parking be adequate for the number of guests you intend to invite? If not, is there overflow parking close by?
Is parking free or is there a parking fee?
If you are having an evening event, does it appear to be well lit in the evening for the safety of you and your guests?
Are there local businesses that use the lot for overflow parking? Will this be a problem on the date/time of your event?
Does the entrance appear to be well lit?

Once you have answered these questions it is time to take a general tour of the inside of the facility. Once inside, look at the general condition of the facility.

Is it clean and well lit? Check the floor in the entrance and main room and also check the bathrooms to get a feel for how detailed the facility is about cleaning. While you are at it, note the color of the floor or carpeting and the general color scheme of the facility.
Is there sufficient space for tables and chairs for your guests as well as a cake table, buffet table (if needed), bar area, dance floor plus the band or d.j. without being crowded?
Can the lights in the dining area/dance area/bar area be controlled or is it simply an on/off option throughout the entire area?
Is there air conditioning and/or heat available? More importantly, could it be controlled during an event? (Older heating systems are not always easy to adjust.)
Are there a number of steps either up or down to any area that elderly guests may have difficulty with? If so, are there ramps or elevators?
Are there adequate electrical outlets for a band or d.j.?
Is there an adjacent reception area where another event might be held simultaneously? If so, what is the soundproofing between the rooms like? If there is another event, is there a common entrance to the two areas or will entrances be separated.

SMART QUESTIONS
Your meeting with the facility coordinator can create a wealth of information for you when it comes to finding the better suppliers and caterers. Simply ask the coordinator which companies have serviced events at that location and jot down their names for later reference. The coordinator may also have planning tools like floor plans, seating charts, etc. to make the job of coordinating your wedding reception much easier.

Assuming the literature you have read about the facility has not answered the following questions, here are a few other questions that should probably be asked...

What is your catering policy? Some facilities will allow any caterer to service events at the facility while others have a "preferred" or "approved" list. If the facility has a catering resource list, ask for a copy. If the facility has an "approved" list and you have a specific caterer in mind that you would like to service your wedding reception make sure that your caterer is able to provide service at that facility. Tip: Some facilities would rather allow a caterer who is not on the list to serve the event than lose a booking.

What is your alcoholic beverage policy? (If you plan to have alcoholic beverages available.)
Some facilities are licensed to provide alcoholic beverage service while others who are not licensed will allow you to arrange for the service through your caterer, beverage service company or other source.

What is your smoking policy? Some facilities have a no smoking policy while others have specific areas designated for smoking.

How have you seen the facility set up for a group of this size? This will give you some insight and probably a few new ideas about how to set up the area to make it work well for your size of group. The coordinator can assist you with the proper placement of the food service, bar, and dance areas as well as determine the best table arrangement to accommodate your size of event.

What is the rental cost and exactly what is provided in the rental cost? Don't take anything for granted.

Some facilities require that you rent everything, including the basic items like tables and chairs.
Some require that you "hire" security while others provide it as part of the rental charge.
Some charge for the set-up of tables as well as teardown of tables and clean up of the facility at the end of the event while others include it as part of the rental charge.
Some provide a dance floor while others require that you rent one.
Some require additional insurance coverage to be paid by the client while others do not.

Hey, it is not stupid to ask questions. You simply want to learn everything there is to know about that facility so you can make an informed decision. If they don't want to answer your questions, look for the door you came in.

What are the hours of rental? The price you are quoted is usually for a specific period of time. Some facilities will allow early set up the evening prior to the day of a party or wedding reception while others may allow as little as an hour prior for set up (which is not a good thing). You will need to know when you can have access to the facility so you can advise your suppliers and you will also need to know when everything has to be out of the facility so you don't get charged for extra rental time.

Do you charge the caterers a "catering fee" to service this facility? This can be an important question to ask if you are trying to get the best value since some facilities charge caterers a "catering fee" which can end up being passed along to the client in the form of higher catering costs.

***In one instance (and this is not an uncommon instance) we found that catering costs from caterers on the "Approved List" at several facilities were 15% to 25% higher than at other facilities because those facilities with "Approved Lists" charged a 15% - 25% of sale "Catering Fee". And you thought you were only paying for the facility once? Think again!

Is there a noise curfew?
Some facilities require that the music volume be reduced at a specific time due to local residential housing.

Will a facility contact person be on site at all times from the beginning of set up to the end of breakdown? You would be surprised how many little unexpected "things" can pop up during the set up and during the event. Bands and caterers can blow fuses or trip electrical circuit breakers and black out the entire room, doors can become accidentally locked, a sink in a restroom may become clogged and overflow, the dining room may be too hot or too cold or too bright or too dark, etc. all of which will require someone who is familiar with the facility to remedy the problem.

Is there refrigerated storage on site for leftovers?
This comes in really handy especially after a buffet style dinner service. Check to make sure the temperature is at 40 degrees F or below for safe food storage conditions.

DETAILS
Ask the coordinator for a floor plan of the facility so you can take it with you to diagram the layout. If they don't have a floor plan, use your notepad and tape measure to diagram the area so you can make sure everything will fit.

If tables and chairs are provided as part of the rental, look at them. Some provide only rectangular banquet tables while others provide round tables. The sizes and shapes of the tables are a major consideration when diagramming the area, determining seating requirements, ordering linens, etc. If china, silverware and other table items are supplied , look at those as well. Also, ask for a copy of the rental agreement so you can take it with you and so you have time to fully read it before you make any decisions.

CONTRACTS
Once you have decided that you want to book a specific facility, it is time to reserve the date with a contract (and most likely a deposit as well). Try to read the entire agreement very carefully before you go into the facility to sign on the dotted line. Be sure that all of the important details you previously discussed with the facility coordinator are memorialized in the agreement, especially a date guarantee (since some facilities have been known to drop smaller parties for larger events). Everything from access times, to an itemization of what the facility is providing, to deposit refunds should be covered even if a 2nd page needs to be attached to the agreement. If owners or personnel at the facility should change prior to your wedding date a detailed document will help to make sure there is no confusion about the details of your wedding reception.

Have a tip that you would like to share?
Let us know!
If your tip is selected and published we will list your name and/or company name along with your tip.

Go to the Main Site

Go to the "Tips" Index