Weddings by Jess

Choosing a location is often the hardest part of the process. There are so many things to take into consideration. Before you start looking for a place, you need to have a budget in mind, an idea of what kind of reception you would like to have, and an estimate on how many guests will be there.

You need to have a budget for the following things: the actual rental rate of the room; the cost of tables and chairs; the cost of linens, china, and other rentals; the cost of food and alcohol; and the cost of service. Some locations will provide all of these things for you. Some will provide only the space. And some will fall somewhere in the middle. This is why it’s important to have separate budgets for these items. For example, if you have a budget of $1000 for a room rental, $3000 for food and alcohol, $500 for tables and chairs, and $500 for other rentals, then you can afford a place that provides everything for $5000. If they only provide the room and tables and chairs, then you can afford up to $1500. This makes it really easy to see if a place falls within your budget. Weddings by Jess will provide you with a budget spreadsheet with everything itemized, so you can also just plug the prices in to see if you will come out over or under budget.

The type of reception and the number of guests go together. These things will determine how much space you need. Let’s say you found a place you love that is 3000 square feet. For most people, it’s probably hard to estimate how much space that actually is! Here are some good guidelines:
For a cocktail reception (there’s not a seat for everyone, and there is a lot of mingling), you are going to want about 8 square feet per person. If you are having seats for everyone at round tables, estimate 12 square feet per person. At rectangular tables, estimate 10 square feet per person. The dance floor requires about 2 square feet per person. Estimate 100 square feet per buffet table or bar, and another 100 square feet for the band or DJ. After doing the math, we can determine that a 3000 square foot room with a band, dance floor, bar, and two buffet tables with people seated at round tables will seat about 185 people comfortably. On the other hand, for a cocktail reception with two buffet tables and a bar only, it can hold closer to 340 people. These numbers are just estimates, not a hard and fast rule. Other room features may allow for more or less people. Also, be sure to check with your venue, as fire codes could also limit the number of people allowed in the room. These tips also help in determining what size tent is needed for an outdoor reception.