Location and Guests

Many brides tell me that they picture their wedding down by a beautiful lake with their guests looking on while they pledge eternal love. Others want an elegant affair in a marbled Conservatory, complete with orchids and rare plants. And still others dream of a wedding on their parent’s farm, with a gentle wind blowing through the decorated and rustic barn.
All of these ceremony sites are wonderful places to speak your vows and entertain your guests until you look at just who will be coming to your event.
If you long for a lake backdrop with the sun shimmering off the water, then asking families with young children is probably not a good idea. They won’t be listening to your vows so much as corralling children from playing near the water’s edge least one should fall in. Not conducive to romantic peace!
If your heart is set on the Conservatory with its twinkling lights under the hanging plants, then you probably won’t want to invite your fiancé’s side of the family to attend with their history of allergies. And if the great outdoors is more your style complete with hay bales and a barbeque, then please don’t put Black Tie Affair on your invitations. The two are not synonymous.

Matching your guests to your ceremony & reception location just makes good sense. If your reception venue has a myriad of stairs and no elevator, then asking Aunt Jane to attend will be impossible since she is wheelchair bound. Having Uncle Bob attend your ceremony in a hilly outdoor park may be impossible since he relies heavily on his walker to get around.
Careful planning for all of your guest’s needs will ensure a well attended and wonderful event.

This is not to say that you cannot have the dream Lake wedding, just provide babysitters for the very young while you speak your vows. As to the conservatory, choose a location that is plant free: a museum or art gallery perhaps if allergies run rampant on either side of the families. If your heart is set on the conservatory, maybe you can have your ceremony there with a small gathering of friends and family and invite the majority of your allergy-prone guests to the reception. Playing a DVD of the ceremony at your reception will ensure that no one feels left out. If you absolutely must have a black-tie affair on your parent’s farm, then securing a beautifully draped tent with waiters and serving staff will fill the gap quite nicely. Just make sure to provide sturdy walking paths from the parking to the reception site; no one likes getting dirt and sand in their Chanel sandals.

Going the extra step in deciding location verses guests, will certainly help guarantee that your event will last far into the night with its celebrations and joyous atmosphere.