What to Look for When Choosing a Restaurant for Your Wedding Reception

Having your wedding reception hosted at your favorite restaurant is a great way to have a wonderful time with family and friends while being able to enjoy your favorite foods. You can worry less about catering because the meals are prepared on-site and you can have a beautiful venue with great parking to make your occasion memorable.

When choosing a restaurant to host your wedding reception at, make sure to look for a few key things.

Space

Choose a restaurant that has an event room or a private party room and make sure they have the space allotted to host all your guests. Every restaurant has a seating capacity so make sure when you call around for reservations that they have the room you need. A banquet room or private area can be decorated in advance to fit your wedding theme and make the space more personal to you, and restaurant managers are often willing to let you come in and decorate a few hours beforehand with your pre-paid reservation.

Meals

You will want to talk to the restaurant of your choosing in advance to make sure they can not only have the amount of food you need prepared, they can give you a discounted rate on your large party.

If you have any guests with special food requirements, such as food allergies or diet restrictions due to diabetes you want to ensure that the restaurant you choose can safely meet your needs. Before you bring your own wedding cake or any special foods into the restaurant make sure outside items are allowed by clearing it with the restaurant event organizer, manager, or owner.

Accessibility

You will want to pick an establishment that has plenty of street-view parking so the venue is easy to spot for your guests. Choosing a restaurant that is near the wedding venue is ideal unless you plan on having the reception a few hours after the wedding itself. Make sure that the restaurant you choose has wheelchair access and changing areas for parents with small children so everyone feels comfortable.

If you want to clear the area after dining for music and dancing or other entertainment, clear this with the restaurant first so you don't encounter any issues. The restaurant may have to put extra people on staff to help make your reception go more smoothly so you will want to be prepared to pay for the additional expense for your large party.

To learn more about your options, contact private party venues like The Cedar Door.