St. Louis Wedding Reception Locations
If you haven't already 
made your plans, Divine Wedding Planners can certainly help you select the wedding rectption location that will have your guests buzzing. Whether its the Bissell Mansion in St. Louis, or your own backyard, whether thematic or traditional, our job is to take 
your wedding day to its highest level.
Often, the wedding plans of our customers do not yet include the selection of the location of the wedding reception. Our years of experience as wedding planners have taken us to many of the mo
st unique, desirable, lavish or affordable reception possibilities in the St. Louis, MO - Springfield, IL corridor. Keeping the overall picture in mind and trusting Divine Wedding Planners' decorating ideas, will no doubt result in an inmmensely enjoyable and memorable wedding location choice and wedding reception event.
Let us help you select the very best value for your budget and theme, while taking into consideration these important ingredients of the selection:.
Distance to the Wedding Reception Location
The rule of thumb is that If people have to drive a long way to get from the wedding ceremony to the reception location, some will get distracted or decide to do something else. Unless your reception location is a true "destination" location that people will go out of their way to enjoy, try to keep the reception within a 15 to 30 minute drive of your ceremony. If circumstances make it impossible to get a reception hall close to your ceremony, arrange a caravan. Have the Bride and Groom lead the parade, and people will follow you to your reception.
Travel Time to the Wedding Reception Location
Time is similar to the distance issue. If your reception is held several hours after the ceremony, people will get busy doing other things and not show up for the reception. Try to start the reception within an hour or two of the ceremony. If you don't want to start your wedding dance at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, have a Meet and Greet mixer before your reception. Serve some punch and get people to mingle. This will be one of the few times that both families will be together. Encourage family members to share stories about your childhoods.
Size of the Wedding Reception Location
People like their personal space, and they have most likely spent an hour packed into a church for your ceremony. If you let them spread out, they will enjoy themselves more. Make sure your reception hall has plenty of room for your guests. The people renting the location might tell you it holds 200 people, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will hold 200 people comfortably!
Climate Control at the Wedding Reception Location
Having a summer wedding? Is your reception hall air conditioned? If people sweat while just sitting, they won't dance. On the flip side, if they are cold they won't dance either (who wants to dance in a parka?). Also make sure you know who has control of the thermostat so the temperature can be adjusted if needed. Chances are your reception will be warm and stuffy while all the guest are there, but as they trickle out during the night the room will begin to cool down.
Smoking at the Wedding Reception Location
Should your reception hall be non-smoking, you should anticipate that smokers will leave your reception for 15-30 minutes every hour. If enough of them leave the reception area, you may find a large percentage of your guest just hanging out in the smoking area. This can be a big problem if you have many smokers in your wedding party. You don't have to allow smoking, but it is something you should consider in this health conscious day and age. Are a lot of your guests elderly or have breathing problems that will be exacerbated by smoking? If you or the reception location adopts a no smoking policy, how close is the nearest place for a smoker to go? Are the smokers amongst the most popular of your guests so that a "group smoking trip" might cause your reception to lose momentum? Is the smoking are close enough that you will be able to get needed wedding party members during events like the bouquet toss or garter auction?
Other Considerations for the Wedding Reception Location
- You might be enthralled by the beautiful view, but find out what their dishes, tablecloths, and silver look like.
- If you're having a formal wedding, you won't want heavy pottery dishes, styrofoam cups, and cheap stainless flatware. The chairs may be of the folding plastic variety and you envision delicate silver chivari chairs.
The Setting is Beautiful But the Carpet is Horrid
- When inspecting prospective reception sites, be sure to look at every detail. Is the carpet color or pattern complimentary to your color scheme? Are the chairs in keeping with your theme? Will your guests be able to dance on the floor? Is the decor heavy Spanish and your wedding is a light, airy affair?
- Will the site allow you to bring in other, more appropriate chairs, sound equipment for the band, or let you have an alcohol-free reception? If not, you might want to consider other sites that are more appropriate for your needs. If you can think clearly, you'll realize that you can save money by deciding on a site that won't require costly rentals to create the atmosphere you want.
Reserve for the Whole Day
The Divinely Perfect Wedding Reception Location
Whether your inclination is to rent a Banquet Hall, Hotel, Catering Hall, Mansion, Reception Hall, Country Club, Yacht, Loft, Museum, Garden, Restaurant, or other Private spaces, our experiences can widen your selection possibilities and elevate your wedding experience from "nice" to truly special. Whether you are planning a Black Tie posh affair, a garden wedding, an intimate gathering of 40 people, or a bash of over 500, there is a wedding reception location that is just perfect for your theme and checkbook.
Rhonda & Ashley Divine