In part two of What Makes a Wedding Guest Happy, we’re going to talk about flow. Now if you are a dedicated reader of the Willrich Wedding Planner’s Blog, as I know many of you are, you have already read all about the importance of your reception area layout.
When choosing your reception area, layout and flow are two very important things to keep in mind. By layout, I mean where will your guests enter? Where will the food be located, the bar, the restrooms, and etc? Are they easily found? Will they be easy to locate when the space if filled with people. Guests are not comfortable unless they can easily find the things that are important to them, food, alcohol and restrooms.
When touring possible reception sites, once you have located where the important three (food, alcohol and restrooms) will be, you then need to think about the actual flow of your event. Will guests have to do a lot of changing locations? Your best plan for guests is no more than two changes, the cocktail hour in one room and main reception in another. If your guests will need to be in one area for cocktails, another for dinner, another for dancing, another for cake cutting, and on and on this is NOT a ideal plan. Guests will lose interest in viewing your events when they have to continually change locations and your older guests may not even be able to make all the moves. You don’t want Grandma to just not be able to make it down the stairs, one more time, to see your first dance.
Guests like to find a seat to claim as theirs, if only to leave their jacket or purse on, and use that as home base for your event. Don’t make them continually have to gather their personal items and move to another spot. It is irritating to say the least.
When looking at flow, also be aware of food placement, if the buffet is going to be placed near the entrance doors, ask if it can be relocated. Nothing is worse from a guest’s point of view than to be stuck in a crowded hallway or stairwell, because the buffet line is backed up. Move food to the rear of the room so guests can easily move into the room. Try not to have a buffet against the wall. It is always better if guests can go down either side. The quicker guests can get through the line and find a place to sit, the happier they will be.
And speaking of seats, I don’t care what the site tells you, you do need at least a chair for everyone. I have had brides that say “it’s a cocktail reception, people can just walk around”. Well, I’m here to tell you, they won’t, at least not for long. You need a seat or a place to balance food available for every guest. People are always coming up to me at these types of receptions, wanting to know where they can find a seat. It is a fact of life, believe it!
Where is the dance floor located? Is it in the center of the room with plenty of room on each side for guests to stand? That's perfect. Is it located in the front or back corner of a room, not so good. Remember you want your guest to be able to see your entrance, your first dance and the parent dances. If there is little room around the dance floor, the people in the back of the room are seeing nothing. This situation does not make for happy guests. The same goes for the cake. Make sure it is in a open area that guests can get to, or better yet see from their seats.
One more important item, is your event handicapped accessible? Are there elevators? Do they work? Are there stairs to negotiate? “Well I don’t have anyone handicapped in my guest list” you say. Ok fine, but keep in mind your wedding is probably nearly a year away. A lot can change, grandma can fall and break a leg, you never know. I’ve seen it happen. Plan ahead!
Flow and layout are the most important elements to making your reception a pleasure for your guests. Make sure when touring possible sites, you always keep this in mind.
When choosing your reception area, layout and flow are two very important things to keep in mind. By layout, I mean where will your guests enter? Where will the food be located, the bar, the restrooms, and etc? Are they easily found? Will they be easy to locate when the space if filled with people. Guests are not comfortable unless they can easily find the things that are important to them, food, alcohol and restrooms.
When touring possible reception sites, once you have located where the important three (food, alcohol and restrooms) will be, you then need to think about the actual flow of your event. Will guests have to do a lot of changing locations? Your best plan for guests is no more than two changes, the cocktail hour in one room and main reception in another. If your guests will need to be in one area for cocktails, another for dinner, another for dancing, another for cake cutting, and on and on this is NOT a ideal plan. Guests will lose interest in viewing your events when they have to continually change locations and your older guests may not even be able to make all the moves. You don’t want Grandma to just not be able to make it down the stairs, one more time, to see your first dance.
Guests like to find a seat to claim as theirs, if only to leave their jacket or purse on, and use that as home base for your event. Don’t make them continually have to gather their personal items and move to another spot. It is irritating to say the least.
When looking at flow, also be aware of food placement, if the buffet is going to be placed near the entrance doors, ask if it can be relocated. Nothing is worse from a guest’s point of view than to be stuck in a crowded hallway or stairwell, because the buffet line is backed up. Move food to the rear of the room so guests can easily move into the room. Try not to have a buffet against the wall. It is always better if guests can go down either side. The quicker guests can get through the line and find a place to sit, the happier they will be.
And speaking of seats, I don’t care what the site tells you, you do need at least a chair for everyone. I have had brides that say “it’s a cocktail reception, people can just walk around”. Well, I’m here to tell you, they won’t, at least not for long. You need a seat or a place to balance food available for every guest. People are always coming up to me at these types of receptions, wanting to know where they can find a seat. It is a fact of life, believe it!
Where is the dance floor located? Is it in the center of the room with plenty of room on each side for guests to stand? That's perfect. Is it located in the front or back corner of a room, not so good. Remember you want your guest to be able to see your entrance, your first dance and the parent dances. If there is little room around the dance floor, the people in the back of the room are seeing nothing. This situation does not make for happy guests. The same goes for the cake. Make sure it is in a open area that guests can get to, or better yet see from their seats.
One more important item, is your event handicapped accessible? Are there elevators? Do they work? Are there stairs to negotiate? “Well I don’t have anyone handicapped in my guest list” you say. Ok fine, but keep in mind your wedding is probably nearly a year away. A lot can change, grandma can fall and break a leg, you never know. I’ve seen it happen. Plan ahead!
Flow and layout are the most important elements to making your reception a pleasure for your guests. Make sure when touring possible sites, you always keep this in mind.
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