Once I went to a wedding reception, and I barely had room to keep my elbows in! What do I mean by this? Well, there was hardly any room to walk or pass between tables, because the reception hall was crammed with far too many tables and chairs than could comfortably accommodate the number of guests.
The end result? Grumpy guests, waiters who spilled drinks more than once, and very little opportunities for anyone to socialise! This brings me to the topic of today's column, and how important it is to do a thorough site inspection and analysis of your guest list, before you choose your venue.
A few guidelines for site inspection are as follow:
�2 Take a note pad and pen, as well as a digital camera, with you on your first visit to your venue. This way you can jot down the "good and the bad" you see, hear or smell at the site! You can take photos so that you can view them later and discuss them with your fianc�(e) and also with your decorator.
�2 On first entering your reception site, look out for parking and security facilities and overall cleanliness and organisation of the area. Also, inspect the washrooms and observe the attitude of staff at the venue.
�2 Examine the quality or flexibility of lighting. Are the lights on dimmers, or is there track lighting available for you to highlight your cake, d�cor, or your stage? This will determine if you need to hire a lighting specialist, or have any other type of special effects.
�2 Ask about things that may crop up in an emergency. For example, does the site have a generator, in case of power failure, and smoke alarms, in the event of fire? Also, find out where the emergency exits and muster points are located.
�2 Enquire about whether the venue has "exclusive arrangements." This means that the venue might work solely with particular service providers. Locally, the most common types of "arrangements" are with rental companies, sound system services, decorators, or with food and beverage providers.
�2 Site restrictions: be sure to ask what limitations you have at the venue.
For example, some venues will not allow guests to walk on certain grassy areas or will not allow you to adhere decorations to certain areas. Most sites will also have regulations for when your event will start and finish.
�2 Look for physical elements that may impede the view of guests who may want to see the head table. These elements can be: pillars, walls, chandeliers, sculptures, etc.
�2 Look for an adjacent and easily-accessible water supply, in the event that you will be having any water features in your d�cor, or if your florist will be arranging your centrepieces at the site itself.
�2 Be sure that your site is well-ventilated for the comfort of your guests! If you find that the area is stuffy, consider renting some portable cooling units or opting for an air-conditioned venue.
�2 Be on the look out for any aesthetic challenges. For example, a site that is covered in a particular colour carpeting, brightly-coloured walls or patterned wall paper, may make you consider changing your colour scheme in order to avoid a clash of colours!