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Dallas Wedding Venue Advice

Engaged? Looking to plan the wedding of your dreams? We at Dallas Party Ride asked local wedding venues in Dallas their advice to ensuring your wedding is one to remember!

Wedding Rings

“What advice do you offer to couples who are debating on having their wedding reception at a residence opposed to a venue?”

Willow Creek Wedding & Event Venue

With this question I will be referring to a guest list of 50 guests or over. Small weddings of 30 - 50 guests can be great for a backyard soiree. Getting engaged basically means taking on a second full time job as a Wedding Planner. When picking between a private residence and a wedding venue the main difference is the work load and budget.  Your wedding day can be the most stressful day of your life or the best day of your life. Having professional help makes all the difference. Pinterest is great, but it doesn't show you the technical details that really create the perfect wedding day. With my venue I create a solid foundation for every couple.  Tables, chairs, linens, sound system, ice machines, trash pick up, multiple restrooms, gazebo, garden chairs for ceremony, back up weather options, oh the list could go on. All of these items would be an additional vendor you have to find and work with when using a private residence. Also, all of these items rented separately will cost you more than through a venue. Delivery fees alone will be in the thousands, and let's not forget the set up of all these items. You shouldn't have to work on your wedding day. When my couples arrive the ballroom is set and ready for the evening. Your wedding day will go by so quickly as it is. Let your venue do the work so you can enjoy your day! 

-Willow Creek Wedding & Event Venue, LLC

Our biggest piece of advice to couples who are debating on a residence versus a venue for their wedding is to really consider how much clean up/set up they will be doing at a residence. Not only does Chapel Creek Ranch set up, take down and clean up for our couples, but many of our other venue friends do the same. This takes off a huge burden from the couple and their family before and after the wedding. I think being able to walk into a venue and focus on the fun things, like decorating, is what couples really look forward to. Not setting tables and chairs up, taking trash out at the end of the night, etc... Our wedding venue, like many other venues, main goal is to take off the burden of cleaning, upkeep of the venue and all the other aspects couples don't want to think about when they think of their wedding day. The sole purpose of our staff taking this responsibility is to allow families to be fully present and enjoy every part their special day. So for couples considering a residence versus a wedding venue, we would highly encourage you to consider what your wedding day would look like if you and your family were dealing with things a venue staff would normally take care of. The investment in a wedding venue is completely worth it. It will truly change the overall experience and memory of your wedding for years to come.

-Chapel Creek Ranch

Chapel Creek Ranch
Double K Rustic Ranch

Our venue offers spacious accommodations, convenient parking, staff on hand to help manage stress and last minute setups and logistics of reception on your special day, and enhances overall enjoyment of your event so you do not have to worry about the logistics and you can enjoy time with family and guests.  Allow yourself time to mingle with guests!

-Double K Rustic Ranch

We will always recommend booking a venue over a private residence for a reception for many reasons.  One the main ones being that booking a venue will greatly decrease day-of stressors for the Bride and Groom. Here is why: choosing to utilize a full service venue provides certain amenities that are not “included” at a private residence. For example, venues can provide things like staffing, eating utensils, bar services etc. Whenever you are booking a venue, make sure and ask the right questions about what services they do and don’t provide. The more the better! We think of our venue as a “one-stop-shop” that allows our couples to simply show up and have the best day of their lives. We believe it is important that brides are relaxed and stress free on their big day and knowing that venue staff will be taking care of details is very comforting to hear for them.

-The Tribute Golf Links

The Tribute
Photo Courtesy: Jamie Huffman Photography
Photo Courtesy: Jamie Huffman Photography

There are a few things that I would take into consideration when deciding on a residence based event site, like something on Air B&B, versus an acting event venue. One of the biggest items to take into account is that a venue is specifically designed and built to accommodate guests in an organized and efficient way. From the exits, to the kitchen, to the dancefloor placement, to the bathrooms and plumbing requirements, venues are set to allow large or small groups of people to enjoy an event without these minor event planning thoughts to become significant distractions if they don't function properly. Another item I would consider is, first, the work that will be required on your or your family's part in terms of setup, execution of the event, and cleanup of the event. At least in our case, our clients get the benefit of utilizing these services when they book our packages and as a result, get the freedom and joy of enjoying their day without exhausting themselves or their parents or friends with setting chairs at the ceremony area, draping tables with linens and setting decorations, running a rehearsal and ceremony without the help of a coordinator, or hauling out trash, sweeping floors, and washing dishes at the end of the night. Finally, a venue also gives you the benefit of proper insurance, licensing, tax requirements, and liability in place just in case you need it. These are vital to have secured in the event that something problematic happens on your big day. 

-Cross Creek Ranch

 

A wedding venue like ours is the best option because we are going to take care of everything for you from the setup, to the service, to the clean up. You leave the work (and the worries!) to us. After all of the planning, you finally get to enjoy your day!

-Piazza in the Village

Piazza
Hawthorn Hills Ranch

With all couples there are many things to consider when deciding on your perfect location to celebrate your big day. Having a reception at a residence or a venue has a number of differences but what is truly important is what the couple sees for their big day. In most cases the biggest factors for most couples are guest count {which can easily determine which location has enough capacity} & overall what you'd like your day to look like. Do you see family gathered in the living room and around the kitchen island or do you picture guest tables surrounding a dance floor as you & those closest to you dance the night away? Do you imagine saying goodbye and heading on to your wedding night not thinking twice about who has to clean up the venue or do you picture tidying up with your family? 

Everyone's day is unique and beautiful - it truly comes down to what is right for each couple. One thing we love about our venue is the relaxed feel that our couples get when they welcome their guests into their venue for their day versus celebrating in a banquet room. That's the feeling that counts, regardless of where you do it.

-Hawthorn Hills Ranch

Are you debating over having your wedding reception at a residence or a Venue? The choice is easy...Venue!! At Lucky Spur Ranch we offer everything from tables & chairs to linens to staff to work your event. If you are considering having your reception at a residence you must calculate to cost of everything you will need to rent. This will include tents, tables, chairs, dinnerware, lighting, and do not forget the most important thing restrooms. Also who will be doing the set up and clean up of the reception and is there enough room for parking? This is all before you begin to look at catering, music, photographer, alcohol, decorations and someone to coordinate the day. We offer more than most venues with our in-house catering. Beyond tables and chairs we include linens, chargers, glass plates, silverware, glasses, drinks and staff to work the event. Weddings are a time to celebrate with your family not to stress over the details. We offer a stunning backdrop at Lucky Spur Ranch and we pride ourself in offering more than most venues at an affordable price. We also offer overnight accommodations for your guest! Just remember if you choose a residence there are a ton of details you must cover because you are essentially building it from the ground up. Backyard receptions are beautiful just be sure you are not choosing this option just to save money. Unfortunately, they usually cost the same if not more with a lot more planning and stress. Most venues also offer off season pricing to stay within your budget. Every Bride is unique and is looking for that perfect location to celebrate their love. Lucky Spur Ranch would love to be your dream Wedding Venue!

-Lucky Spur Ranch

Cedar Cove Ranch

In order to relax, people get away to a serene place to find peace. At Cedar Cove Ranch, this serenity and peace surround you for 700 acres. When the most special day of your life takes place, you want to hold it somewhere beautiful and peaceful. You will feel like you have escaped to a place far away, yet you will be just one hour away from Dallas. To all of the wonderful couples planning their special day, we wish you a lifetime of peace, happiness, and success, and we hope to be a part of this day for you.

-Cedar Cove Ranch

Having your wedding at a residence may sound like a good way to manage your budget, however, you will run into some costly additions that the right venue will include in their rental price. Some examples are: Portable restrooms, tenting, tables, linens, ceremony and reception chair rentals, dance floor, lighting, prep kitchen, ice machine, staff, sound system, microphones, parking and so many other items that can add up quickly and end up requiring much more money and effort!

-The Orchard

The Orchard
Quixotic World

The advantage of having your magical wedding at a venue is that you can relax knowing your beloved home will be clean and intact after a wild celebration somewhere else. Plus it's your wedding and for your wedding, you wanna step out into a magical whimsical world on your special day. You are at home daily. It's nice for your wedding to be in an otherworldly atmosphere.

-The Quixotic World

Find a place you absolutely LOVE to create your unique wedding memories!  Consider a few things while hunting for the perfect spot:

1.  Environment & Mood:  for entertaining your guests & photography backdrops

2.  Size/Spaces:  for your guest count, cocktails, dining & dancing

3.  Access, Function & Flow:  for easy set-up, smooth transitions between wedding activities, & all of your vendor's needs

-La Cour Venue

Photo Courtesy: Photos by Ivy Weddings
Photo Courtesy: Photos by Ivy Weddings
Little Wren Weddings

My advice is to choose the place they think will create the best memories. It could be that hosting the reception at a friends or family members home is the best choice because of what it offers the bride and groom emotionally. Residences can hold sweet memories from childhood or during the courtship. They can also help keep the price of the "wedding day" down. 

With all that in mind I remind our guests that best memories don't always form under stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety during the reception comes in lots of forms....decorations, catering, set up, music, schedule of the evening, etc. etc. This stress isn't just the bride and grooms but also the hosts (friends and family) and if one isn't careful the reception can feel like work vs a celebration. You don't want that! 

Using a venue can sweep away this stress. A good venue will work hard to make sure the only thing the bride and groom and their guests need to concern themselves with is having a good time! In many cases the reduced stress is totally worth the choice of a venue over a residence.

-Little Wren Weddings

I would recommend anyone wanting to plan a wedding to have it at a venue. Venues do weddings every week opposed to doing it at home. There is always more to a wedding than most people think. We make sure it all goes smooth and stress free for your family and friends!

-The Landing Event Center

The Landing Event Center