Sunday, May 23, 2010

The Perfect Wedding Banquet Hall

By James Keyes

The perfect wedding needs the perfect venue and what better place than an elegant and exquisite banquet hall? If you are planning a wedding and have decided not to engage the services of a professional wedding planner, then you most certainly have a lot to think of and plan: you will have to choose caterers, florists, music, photographers and most importantly - the right venue.

If the bride and the groom come from small families and don't have thousands of friends, then a smaller venue should be just fine, but for large and lavish wedding, a grand banquet hall is the ideal place. Another great advantage of most banquet halls is that they often are located away from residential areas and are surrounded by big open space or have adjacent gardens, where the wedding ceremony can be held.

A banquet hall is perfect for wedding receptions as well since it is usually very spacious and the bridal table can be placed in a way that allows it to be seen from everywhere. When planning wedding reception, the first thing to consider, of course, is the number of the guests - once you have the final guest list and have found a few places that are large enough to accommodate the wedding, it is always advisable to visit the location. No matter how many pictures you might have seen, or how many friends have recommended it to you, only personal "inspection" will convince you that it is the right place for the event that you are planning.

If you feel that you have found a banquet hall that is spacious, reasonably priced and just perfect for the wedding, then it is time to work out all the details. Sitting all the guests and finding place for the cake, the gift table and the card table is something else that has to be taken care of. Then, it is time to think about the music - whether you have decided to hire a DJ or prefer live music, you have to make sure that there is enough space for all the necessary equipment and that there is a large enough dance floor for the guests.

Choosing the food isn't an easy task either - traditionally sit down dinners are served at weddings, but buffet spreads or receptions with only cocktails, coffee and cake are also common. Always take into account the vegetarians, the vegans and the people that eat certain food due to their religious beliefs; don't forget the kids either and make sure that there are enough sweets or other fun food for them.

Always reserve a banquet hall long in advance - the most popular venues are booked months and even years ahead and you don't want to sift through dozens of venues, just to find out that the perfect one is not available at the wedding date. Organizing wedding ceremony or reception, regardless if it is small or large, requires a lot of energy, determination and careful planning, but with some help from friends, family and professional planners you can turn a memorable wedding day into an unforgettable event.

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