As is the case with most things matrimonial, venues chosen for a wedding reception depend mostly upon individual tastes and preferences. Other factors, however, also have a determining role, such as numbers of guests to be invited, the time of year, booking proximity etc.

The closer you are to the intended date, obviously, the fewer chances there are of being able to book the venue of your choice for the day required. That is probably why so many couples book their chosen venue so long in advance. Although twelve to eighteen months beforehand is pretty much the norm, some couples-to-be prefer to play even safer and reserve the venue two or even three years in advance.

The time of year also plays a vital role in the venue selection process. If one is considering inviting a large number of guests (500+, for example), outdoor facilities are more often than not required. If the date chosen is slap-bang in the wintry season there is a good chance of the outdoor facilities not being available due to inclement weather. The same applies when opting for less traditional reception venues such as boats. Holding a wedding or engagement reception on a boat sometime in December or January is, quite literally, courting disaster. A reception held indoors in summertime, on the other hand, may be just as bad if the venue in question doesn’t have more than adequate air-conditioning facilities to cater for the amount of guests contemplated.

When planning in advance it’s always a good idea to determine beforehand what the approximate number of guests are to be invited. This in itself narrows your choices down to those venues that are able to suitably cater for the numbers you have in mind. Likewise the time of year.

Statistics show that a good number of the more traditional wedding reception venues are still immensely popular with couples planning on tying the knot. However a growing number of people are also looking at other possibilities for a wedding or engagement reception. These may include restaurants, boats, clubs, pubs, open-air locations, historical buildings (where applicable and with ALL the necessary permits in order) and many more.

Although the costs associated with the wedding are more often than not borne by the bride’s family, it still makes plenty of sense to make choices in unison. Consensus is of paramount importance if one wants to avoid petty resentments later on. This goes for pretty much everything related to weddings, engagements and, one assumes, matrimonial life in general.

A few tips and pointers for reception venues in general:

• Ensure that parking is not a serious problem for the venue you have chosen. No-one wants to host a reception full of flustered guests who had to walk for miles to get to the reception from their car.
• Depending on the time of year you organize the reception, make certain that the venue has a back-up in the case of the climate turning drastically. In other words, if the reception is planned for outdoors, make sure that there’s enough space indoors if the weather warrants it.
• It would also be appropriate to check that the venue has adequate facilities vis-à-vis climate control (heating and/or air conditioning) and canopies/gazebos/ umbrellas for outdoors (where applicable).
• If music is to be played at the reception – Live or otherwise – check to see if the venue has all the necessary permits and till what time does the permit allow music to be played.
• Although most reception halls and venues do have the necessary facilities, it’s always a good idea to check whether there are general purpose rooms and/or facilities for the bride and groom to change into their ‘going away’ outfits. A private lock-up room is always handy for the Best Man to store drinks (where applicable) and to keep the gifts that are presented to the couple at the reception.
• If any special arrangements are required it’s advisable to inform the venue well in advance, especially if these requirements necessitate pre-planning.
• It’s also worthwhile verifying that the venue is accessible to people with disabilities and/or special needs.