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Steffany
Just Said Yes September 2021

Tacky to have reception during museum open hours?

Steffany, on June 19, 2020 at 7:01 PM Posted in Wedding Reception 0 12
Hi all!
I’m exploring options for a 40 person wedding and trying to keep the cost at $8k. I really love my local art museum, but renting the entire venue is very expensive. Also, you don’t actually get access to the exhibits, just the lobbies- which takes all the fun out of it.

However, the museum has a lovely cafe with indoor and outdoor seating that can be rented privately, during business hours while the rest of the museum is open to the public. For $4k I can run two group tours of the museum (20 ppl each), rent the cafe, and serve an in-house catered seated lunch. Or I could leave the group tours out and let guests explore the museum themselves if they wish? There’s a cute church within walking distance to do the ceremony in for $1k. This leaves $3k for dress, floral, etc, which I think is manageable.
Would you find it tacky if you attended a reception at a museum and the public was at the museum (but not in the reception space itself)?

12 Comments

Latest activity by Elizabeth, on June 21, 2020 at 1:22 PM
  • M
    Legend June 2019
    Melle ·
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    I don't think it's tacky. i had a reception at a restaurant where they still operated while i had a section of the restaurant as a banquet hall. so guests had to share restroom with other restaurant patrons.

    because you're still having a private reception in your own area right? i think it's fine for you to skip the group tours and just let guests wander themselves

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  • Courtney
    Super September 2019
    Courtney ·
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    I wouldn’t find it tacky if you had your own private area within the museum. It would be fun to get to explore the museum as a guest and the whole day sounds unique! Depending on what you’re after I would be careful about budgeting for photography too. We definitely found that to be one of the larger expenses outside of catering.
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  • Samantha
    Expert October 2021
    Samantha ·
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    This sounds like so much fun. I would especially appreciate this setting if I were a solo guest.
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  • Steffany
    Just Said Yes September 2021
    Steffany ·
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    Thanks for that input!! That’s actually very useful because we have the issue of a lot of our guests not knowing each other, so I’ve been trying to think of alternatives to the stereotypical dinner wedding to make sure they aren’t isolated/bored.
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  • Samantha
    Expert October 2021
    Samantha ·
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    You're welcome. I've had to travel solo to weddings and it can be lonely (plus some ladies get weird when they think you are single). So I would love to wander around a museum. Your post also makes me think of The Morgan library, somewhere I'd love to get married. 😊
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  • M
    Master October 2021
    Mrs.a ·
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    I would absolutely love this!!! Such a unique idea.
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  • A
    Super December 2020
    Anais ·
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    Not tacky at all! As long as you don’t mind that people you don’t know just there visiting the museum will be around your party then I think it sounds like so much fun!
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  • Reena
    Expert February 2021
    Reena ·
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    This is so unique and sounds fun.
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  • Rebecca
    Master August 2019
    Rebecca ·
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    Oh, that sounds like a really cool wedding!

    I'd totally enjoy that. Go for it!

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  • KiwiDerbyBride
    VIP May 2015
    KiwiDerbyBride ·
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    I think that sounds gorgeous - I’d love to attend a wedding in a museum that I got to explore!

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  • Annika
    Expert November 2020
    Annika ·
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    I love this idea actually!! Especially as a guest. How fun would that be to have a nice meal and then wander around the art museum! So creative!!
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  • Elizabeth
    Super June 2021
    Elizabeth ·
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    I would love this! I don't think you need to schedule group tours; I would let people roam on their own. I think that almost makes it more special that they have a wedding-only place to return to when they're done.

    I also agree with the PP who mentioned photography - it can be overwhelmingly expensive, so get some quotes early on for that!

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