Location,
location, location: Where are you going to get married? Where are you going to
hold your reception? WHERE WHERE WHERE????
Like everything
else in the Wedding Universe, there are a million and one ways to orchestrate your ceremony and reception, but there are three to get you started:
- Ceremony and Reception in the same area, CLOSE to home
- Ceremony and Reception in the same area, FAR from home
- Ceremony and Reception in different places and at different TIMES
Confused yet? Let's break this down.
Option One: CLOSE TO HOME
You live in Dallas…host your event in
Dallas. This one isn’t too hard.
Pros:
- Close
to home = little to no travel costs
- You’ll
be able to view your venues at your convenience
- You
have a tight knit group of professionals at your fingertips (Most wedding
professionals know each other and have worked together. Find one good one –say,
your wedding planner- and you’ll be able to find them all.)
Cons:
- Every
city has its prime “wedding locations”, so you might have a case of the BTDT’s
(been there, done that’s)
- If
everyone you know is in the same place where you’ll be hosting your wedding,
they all might expect an invitation
Option Two: FAR FROM HOME
You live in Denver. Your childhood vision
includes a beach and palm trees. You plan for the Bahamas.
Pros:
- Your
event gets an added touch of “amazing” because now it’s a “destination
wedding”!!
- You
have the unique opportunity to combine your wedding and honeymoon (making sure the latter
happens!)
Cons:
- Depending
on the location you choose, you might not be able to see the place until days
before your wedding
- Coordinating
from afar will be a challenge, not impossible, but a challenge none the less
- TRAVEL
COSTS!!!! For you AND your guests
-
Option Three: DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT
PLACES
You live in
Tallahassee. You have your ceremony in Cancun. The reception is back home in
Tallahassee.
OR
You live in San Diego. His family has an
estate in the Hamptons where you hold the ceremony. The reception is in Las
Vegas where everyone you know lives.
Pros:
- This
option gives you the freedom to have it all. You can have your dream wedding on
Mt Everest (where most people won’t travel to) and celebrate with your friends
and family later at sea level, back home a few months later.
- Opens
up the whole world to you as the back drop to your wedding.
- Your
timeline can be extended- you get married in January on a beach somewhere and
host your reception in October once you’ve recovered from the cost of your
trip.
Cons:
- TRAVEL
COSTS!!! Changing locations multiple times is going to cost you.
- Hosting
events in more than one location will definitely prove difficult. A wedding has
a ton of details in and of itself, but to spread those out will require a high
level of organization.
There are a million and one ways to do this. You have to decide what is going
to work best for you, as a couple. There are also plenty more pros and cons to each method than I've listed and I’d love to hear what
you have to say!! Post your additions in the comments and I’ll post a revised
list as they come in. Remember, this is your wedding and even the location
should be something meaningful. Keep in mind too, that no matter what, you’ll find a way to have the wedding of your dreams!!