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Just Said Yes February 2022

Church vs. Reception Hall Venue

Josephine, on November 9, 2020 at 11:09 PM Posted in Wedding Reception 0 5

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Trying to figure out what venue would be best for me and my fiance, a church with an area for a reception, or booking an actual reception venue. I come from a very crafty family, and decorations won't be a problem wherever we go. Our guest list is under 80 people right now, and not likely to grow much more. So a reception hall with a meal wouldn't be out of budget. However, I know some reception halls have a minimum amount of people in order to rent them, and we may not meet that requirement.

What do you think? What are some pros and cons of churches vs reception venues?

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5 Comments

Latest activity by Molly, on November 12, 2020 at 2:54 PM

Super October 2022
Michele · on November 9, 2020 at 11:21 PM
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Chuch fellowship room. Is included in the donation price. They can usually hold many people and already have tables, chairs, linens, kitchen items. Cons: no dancing or alcohol, limitations on decorating. Typically last 3 hrs max.

Blank slate venue: some provide furniture, others don't. Decorate how you want. Dance and stay as long as you want. Cons: rental fee
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Master August 2019
Rebecca · on November 10, 2020 at 3:16 AM
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This is absolutely a Do Your Research issue.
Consider that churches are likely to have timing restrictions, food/drink restrictions, require you to hire a caterer AND linens AND ... may restrict your entertainment, etc. So much of this depends on your church.
A venue, as you've said, may have minimums. But those can often be negotiated, and some venues are designed for smaller affairs. They often have all the things you need, in-house caterer, linens, etc, or at least contacts and leads for those.
Try the "Venues" and "Planning Tools" tabs, above, to help with this.
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Master April 2021
Mrs. Spring · on November 10, 2020 at 6:32 AM
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It depends on the church and the reception hall. I would think churches have less restrictions on outside food and non alcoholic beverages.
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Master October 2019
Meghan · on November 10, 2020 at 10:38 AM
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I would always choose a venue over a church. Most wedding venues will allow you to decorate how you wish (within reason), they give you the space for the entire day, they are prepared for weddings and events, and you can serve alcohol and have dancing. Many churches have a lot of restrictions when it comes to decoration, timing, alcohol, and music/dancing. A lot of churches are also not as equipped to host a wedding since it is not their intended purpose.
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VIP September 2020
Molly · on November 12, 2020 at 2:54 PM
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It really depends on what you can and can't do at your church. IE if you want to have alcohol.
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