Pros/Cons - Reception Venue only VS. Hotel all-inclusive Reception (HELP!)

After reading your pros/cons, I say go with A!

Clearly Option A has more character!

However, we are doing an Option B for our own wedding for the following reasons:

* ceremony in the hotel atrium & then walk to the reception - no transportation needed & all indoors

* there is a hotel-to-airport shuttle for OOS guests

* WI=drinkers=potential for drunk drivers...it's held at a hotel (along with uber) = no excuses!

* 2 less vendors to deal with (food/bev included)

* we are getting a complimentary room the night of our wedding & also a room for gift opening the next morning

* includes table linens/tablewear

CONS - it's a multi-event venue, so you can't avoid walking past other events...

I read all the posts so here's my 2 cents :

- "A" has the bones

- "A" is inconvenient for the guests

- "A" comes in 2nd for catering

- "B" is convenient for the guests

- "B" has the better food

- "B" is not your ideal space with regards to vision

IMO, it comes down to pictures Once you get to the reception space, will you and FH have any alone time to utilize space A for romantic/Pinterest type shots? If not and if all your images at space A will be the "traditional" images (grand entrance, 1st Dance, candids), my vote is to go with a space that is more convenient and offers better food. To compensate, I would make sure that you and FH and your photographer carve out at least 30 minutes and get the garden style, romantic, rustic images of just the 2 of you. This can be done as 1st Look or in between ceremony and reception. ???

A. It has more personality than the typical hotel ballroom.

Initially i commented option A... which i editied because after reading more and thinking.. option A is beautiful, but has alot of rules.. option B would offer more in terms of flexibility in budget and you may he able to pull off your theme more.. ugh thats a tough decision.. good luck. I am sure whatever you book will be amazing.

@Kathleen that is such a good point!! Pictures really are huge for me as have a love for photography (hobby). So having the venue look good though pictures is crucial lol...but you make a really good point of talking to my photographer and getting outdoor garden-whimsical pictures so I don't have to rely so much on my reception venue for all the good pictures. And I feel like if I don't have to go through all the vendors and extra expense of Venue A, I can expand my decor budget a little in Venue B.

A lot to think about, but you brought up a really good point!! Thank you!

A is beautiful, but I vote B for ease of planning and you get the day you always wanted!

I vote for B. We're doing everything at a hotel and planning has been a breeze. The convenience of not having to do all the rentals and catering, so nice. And my coordinator is included. And the hotel rooms being upstairs, the biggest reason we chose it. I hate going to weddings where the logistics of getting home is not easy. The hotel is 20 minutes away? No, I would hate that as a guest. I've been to weddings like that and I don't drink as much, aka, don't have as much fun

@Kim .... That's exactly what I'm thinking, so thank you for saying that! I love A, but the thought of people not being able to drink as much simply bc of transportation is such a downer. Having the rooms within walking distance would be so, so nice....so even thought A is beautiful and different, I'm leaning towards B. And you're also right, the hotel venue comes with an included wedding coordinator, whereas if I go with A I'll either have to outsource one or go without.

A

I opted for the brick wall and wood floor and we decided to pick everything on our own for venders. That has its pros and cons. Pro is you have way more options than what's included at the hotel but that's also a con because it makes deciding things so much harder! :/

I agree that although A is beautiful, the convenience of B outweighs it for me. We are getting married in a ballroom (although it has walls of windows and it overlooks Lake Michigan), and has a hotel attached. It's also the most inclusive venue that we looked at, so I feel like we won all-around. The other venue we loved was at a country club and had no close hotels and wasn't as inclusive, it was gorgeous, but we wanted our guests to be able to stay in the same place and not have to drive or worry about taxis or shuttle services. We also don't have to worry about paying for a limo or other transport to move around our bridal party since everything will take place at the one venue. The carpet is hideous but nobody will notice or remember it once the tables, dance floor, dimmed lights/uplights are up. I agree with asking if you can see the ballroom all glammed up for a wedding. A friend of ours who got married last year did a garden theme in a ballroom not to different than your option and it was beautiful, I couldn't tell you if there was wallpaper on the walls or what the carpet pattern was. Nor if there were even chair covers for that matter.