HOSTING AT A RESTAURANT
Tips for Hosting a Wedding at a Restaurant Space
Restaurants - are they right for your wedding day? We love a good restaurant space for an intimate affair, a reception dinner or any of the ancillary events - see below for some thoughts!
Since the holidays are always a time for engagements, many people are currently considering restaurant spaces for their wedding day and/or their wedding weekend festivities.
If you are considering a restaurant for your wedding day….here are some of my thoughts on restaurant spaces and what to look for:
A restaurant is definitely a great choice if you are looking for an out-of-the box option. I think restaurant spaces really lend themselves well to smaller weddings, as well as reception spaces if you are planning to hold your ceremony elsewhere and are looking for a spot for a smaller dinner
If you do want to make a restaurant the main venue for your wedding, here are some things you might want to check on:
Privacy- will you need to do a full buyout for your guest count and for the privacy you might want? And is that cost prohibitive? If you are planning your wedding on a Friday or Saturday night it can be quite costly to do a full buyout since they will be forgoing business on popular nights
Ability to have music and/or dancing - is there enough space for a band or DJ, is there enough room for dancing? Is it going to be ok with them to have amplified sound…this really depends on what neighborhood they are in and what they might be zoned for…you do not want neighbors to complain and shut things down, so definitely bring up any plans you might have for your entertainment
Flow of the space - will people be broken up in different rooms, or is there a huge open floor plan, be it a patio or central area? You need to think about speeches and how you split people up for seating. You would be surprised at the extra spaces restaurants often have available to them, sometimes they have a great parking lot space they use for events and often have the ability to completely open doors and walls to transform the space, so it never hurts to ask
Good luck planning and definitely contact us if you have more detailed questions on planning a wedding in a restaurant space!
