One stop shop your Wedding!

Your wedding day on average will consume over one thousand hours of time (yes that searching on the Knot does count) and you will spend more money than you will ever care to admit.  Here is a little secret that will save you time and money…have your ceremony and reception at the same location!

It’s convenient!

Whether your friends and family are driving 1 mile or 500 miles to attend you big day, getting to the ceremony on time and then to the reception always seems to be feat.  It never hurts when the timeline of your wedding flows seamlessly and there are no cars, buses, planes or trains in between.  We are spoiled in Chicagoland with innovative reception sites who adapt to the ever changing trends of weddings.  Many venues boast of gorgeous gardens, altars with golf course views, and unique indoor spaces as well.  You don’t have to sacrifice the most important part of the day (yes Ladies that is the ceremony) by having it at the same location as your reception.  Bottom line…your guests will thank you.

One Coordinator, One Timeline= One happy bride

Those of us who had two locations for our ceremony and reception will agree you feel like you are planning two separate events.  It will save you so much time to coordinate both together.  When working with a reception/ceremony venue you will most often be assigned to one coordinator.  The best part about that is you have someone else doing it all for you!  Your on-site contact will be familiar with both the ceremony and reception and can help you create timeline that works perfectly.  One of the best things for my clients is the flexibility and adaptability to the unexpected changes that can occur.  If a ceremony goes longer or shorter we are in constant contact with the kitchen and bar so that the minute the guests exit the wedding or walk in the reception hall doors the hors d’ oeuvres are being passed and the bar is open!

It is budget friendly!

Most venues do charge for having your ceremony at their location.  Their prices are probably not any more or less than you might pay at a church or other rented ceremony site.  The saving is mainly in the areas of music, florals, rentals, and transportation.  If you are having a DJ reception often they can come an hour early and do your ceremony for a nominal fee.  Your florist will not have to set up at two locations often helping out your bottom line.  Even better, all of your ceremony pieces can easily double to your reception.  Recently a bride of mine had a beautiful indoor ceremony with tall vases going down her aisle.  Ironically there were 12 tall vases with floral and a floating candle and she had 12 guest tables…perfect use of her budget!  If you are planning on covering your reception chairs or renting Chivaris, some sites will even let you utilize the same chairs for your ceremony as well.  Talk about getting more bang for your buck, it is well worth your money and it adds elegance to your ceremony as well.  Finally, without having to coordinate transportation for the bridal party, family, and your guests you stand to save over a thousand dollars if not more.  You can easily get dropped off by a family member prior to the ceremony and do not have to worry about going home until the DJ plays the last song.  This allows you to enjoy every moment of your day and save a mountain of pennies in the mean time.

A few final tips when planning your ceremony & reception at the same venue

- Ask about your venue’s rain plan if you are considering an outdoor ceremony

- If the site is outside or in another area make sure it is handicap accessible for all of your guests

- Make sure you meet personally with the coordinator at the venue

- Always ask about hidden fees (set up, delivery, tax, and service just to name a few!)

- Ask about rehearsal conditions and set up time restrictions

- Make sure there is adequate parking close to or near the ceremony/reception location

- Ask your venue about vendors they like to work with.  When orchestrating change over, and movement from a ceremony to a reception it always helps when they know each other and feel comfortable working together.  Best part…often these vendors give great prices to clients of the venue and will take care of most of the behind the scenes coordinating without you even knowing about it!

Written by Kristina Nemetz, Catering Manager at Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton, IL

www.arrowheadgolfclub.org