Smart Tips To Choose The Perfect Banquet For Your Wedding

So, he finally he popped the most awaited question and you finally said yes!

Congratulations!

What next?

Undoubtedly the wedding preparations. I don’t mean to stress you out but it’s seriously an understatement to say that you’ll have thousands of things to look after so as to make the most important event of your life a success! So, it’s time you get working with every little detail right from your wedding dress to the venue.

Specifically talking about the wedding venue, a perfect one is crucial for a memorable celebration. For most of us, a banquet hall is a standard location for a wedding and even for corporate events. No matter whether you wish to get married in your hometown or that of your would-be hubby, a banquet hall can be the best and the most reasonable option. However, choosing the one that fits all your requirements would take a lot of hard work.

Ahan! That doesn’t mean you’ve got to worry about it. Here are the best tips to help you out with the same. You may thank us later (wink)!

Start your search well in time:

It’s all about timing.

You start well in time and you end up grabbing the best options!

You keep on delaying it and you’ll have to settle for something that is just “okay”.

So, when searching for a perfect banquet hall for your wedding, it is important to start your search early enough to grab the best offer. The reason behind this advice is that just like wedding designers or photographers, the banquets are also booked months in advance. So, if you’ve always wished to get married at one of those popular banquets in your city, you may simply lose out on the opportunity to do so!

Create a guest list:

Yes, that’s what you should start with!

Before deciding the location or venue or the banquet, prepare a guest list. Pick up a pen and a paper and jot down the names of all your relatives whom you wish to be there on the most auspicious day of your life. Also, it is advisable to start with the most important names. Creating a short list will make it easy to add on the names as and when you feel like.

Wondering how it would help?

Well, a guest list that’s prepared well in advance will help you get the other things sorted with utter ease. The list will help you get a clear idea about the number of people going to attend your wedding. Moreover, it will help narrow down your search for an appropriate banquet hall for your wedding.

Decide the location:

Already have a dream wedding destination?

Do you wish to get married in your hometown or your would be better half’s or is it some far away destination?

If you’ve not yet decided the location, sit down and have a meaningful conversation with your would-be hubby about the same. However, you need to be careful about the location you’re choosing. Just make sure that you know the location well and that the guests can reach there easily without any problem.

Other factors to be considered while deciding the location is whether it is connected to the main road and public transportation. Lastly, consider the parking and transportation cost as well.

Set a budget: 

Once you’ve created a guest list, it’s time to indulge in some serious research. Now that you have an idea about how spacious a banquet you require, you may search online or even ask your near and dear ones for suggestions.

While searching for an appropriate banquet, you may apply another filter apart from the capacity and location. Have a clear idea of how much you are ready to spend and then search for the banquets that fall in that range.

Try and explore different choices and get estimated cost of the wedding ceremony for the number of people you are going to invite. Once that’s done, compare all the available options so as to grab the best possible deal.

Choose an appropriately sized banquet hall:

The size of the banquet you will be booking matters a lot!

You ask me why?

Okay let me ask you two simple questions:

i) Do you want your guests to feel cramped and uncomfortable with little or no place to move?

Or

ii) Do you want your guests to feel ill at ease due to more than a space that’s required to accommodate all of your guests?

Your answer to both these questions would surely be a big NO! Isn’t it?

But that’s what will happen if you choose a banquet with a capacity smaller than what you need or larger than required respectively. So, it’s advisable that you keep your guest list handy and consider the number of people who will be attending the event. When you have an exact idea of how many people will be coming, you can make a clear decision about which wedding hall to hire. This will actually help choose a wedding hall that best suits the size of your party.

Check for availability:

This is yet another reason why you need to start searching your wedding banquet well in time.

As a matter of fact,  there are a number of banquets that may not be available at the time of year you hope to marry. Suppose you wish to marry in winters and the place where the banquet is located becomes isolated during those months due to heavy snowfall. Or you may wish to marry during the monsoon when some other banquet is not available due to the transportation issues due to fog.

So, that clearly means, it’s no use booking that banquet for your D-day and you should look for some other option.

Pay attention to the interiors:

A negative publicity would be the last thing you would like to get on the most important day of your life. In fact, it’s more of a nightmare for anyone! But unfortunately, that’s what you would be getting if you do not pay attention to the interiors of the banquet you are about to book.

Make sure that the banquet you choose is clean, modern, and well cared for. Though you may feel that the decorations can cover up for all the imperfections, if the venue itself is dilapidated you simply won’t have much to work with.

So, make sure that the interiors of the banquet are in their best condition so as that they light up with the decorations later.

Get a clear idea of the amenities that are offered:

As a matter of fact, most wedding halls provide basic amenities for their clients which include seating furniture and basic decorations. If you are looking for add-ons like audio/visual equipment, charging stations or free Wi-Fi, it’s best to mention it to the banquet director.

You may indulge in a meaningful conversation and talk about facilities such as ample parking, restrooms, caterer wares and other necessities. If they do not provide these additional amenities, you may have to look after them on your own.

Make sure if you can work with your own choices:

There are a number of places that work exclusively with specific caterers, bar services or audiovisual providers. Is your chosen banquet one of them?

Well, if yes, then you’ll probably have to drop the idea of hiring your favorite DJ for your wedding. In a dissimilar scenario, the management may allow you to work with your choice of caterers or entertainers but only after you pay extra for that. If you are okay with that, you are good to go!

Ask the necessary questions well in advance:

Wondering what questions?

Questions like:

i) Is the venue booked for other weddings on the same date and time?

ii) If yes, what arrangements will be made to keep your guests at ease?

You may either rely on what’s being told or simply visit the wedding hall on a night when more than one event is taking place so as to get a better idea. If you are satisfied with the arrangements, you may consider taking the booking process forward. In case, what you see doesn’t please you, you may simply move on to other options.

Ensure that the management can efficiently handle your menu demands:

Depending on the theme and style of your wedding, you may opt for a formal sit-down meal or a more casual buffet style set up.

You may wish to serve finger foods and cocktails or a daytime luncheon depending upon your decided budget. You may further have your own concerns regarding gluten-free and vegetarian or vegan options for those with dietary restrictions.

Whatever your menu requirements are, just make sure that your chosen banquet service is efficient enough in handling them. Ensure they are particular about the labeling if both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are served. Also, confirm that hygiene tops their priority list.

Make arrangements for your wee hours’ celebrations:

Your D-day is obviously the most important day of your life. You might wish to enjoy the day to its fullest, won’t you?

But what if the wedding hall you wish to book doesn’t allow that?

So, instead of being unsure of it, it’s better to make sure the venue doesn’t have an early curfew. Make sure that you are well aware of the rules and regulations of the banquet and the area around so as to plan everything accordingly.

Learn about the tiniest things that may throw your event off:

Make it a point to consider anything and everything that might throw your event off.

Ensure a transparent communication with the banquet owner. Confirm everything from the deposit fees to the final payment due dates so as to make sure that it doesn’t hurt your budget in any case.

Try and negotiate:

There’s nothing bad about negotiating! All that you need to remember while doing so is- don’t be the first to state a number!

Yes, just sit back and allow the banquet director to give you a start price. Once you’ve got a number, go on a negotiating spree. Simply tell him that you just can’t go with the range that he just specified though you love his work.

In case, the banquet director asks about your budget instead of stating a number, offer a lower price than your actual budget. Also, try to give the impression that you are considering other options as well. This will help negotiate further.

Consider visiting the shortlisted options: 

This is indeed an important thing to do. You won’t really get to know the place unless and until you visit it personally.

So, get out there and visit all the places that you’ve shortlisted and meet the managers. This will not only help get to know the place better but also let you know if the property owners are professional enough to make your D-day a success.

As an additional advice, consider observing how long it takes for them to reply to your email requests or calls. The more time they take, the more lightly they tend to take their responsibilities. So, you know what’s the best thing to do in that case, right?

Get all the terms and conditions drafted into a contract:

Once you have finally made the choice for the wedding banquet hall, it’s time to take that last step. Ask the property owner to draft a sample. Thereafter, take the time to study each clause.

There’s no harm in being a little extra sure about everything that you’ll be investing your money and time in. Go through each and every point mentioned in the contract right from the requirement of minimum food and beverage fees to the availability of an option to switch rooms. If you feel you are okay with all the terms and conditions, you may simply sign the contract and book the venue.

Here’s an additional advice for you: 

Do not forget to enjoy the most special day of your life to its fullest.

Hope this article helps you with your wedding planning and you thank us later (wink)! Congratulations in advance!

Source : Party Vapours

Wedding Planning,Banquet Halls For Wedding,How To Choose A Wedding Hall,Tips To Book The Best Wedding Banquet