Creative Alternatives to Traditional Wedding Ceremony and Reception Sites

  by Judy Allen

There is an unbelievable array of venues to choose if you open your mind to the possibility. Some are readily apparent and others are not.  Professional planners for years have sought out what is new, different or unique in which to stage an event or wedding.  Wedding suppliers such as photographers, caterers, florists and décor companies are excellent sources of information – they are the ones who are working the events (hired and brought in by the planners) and experienced which one work and which ones don’t first hand.  They may also be the preferred supplier at a venue e.g. be the only caterer who is approval to handle food and beverage requirements at a specific facility.     Some creative alternatives to consider:

• Hotel Affiliations
• Country Clubs
• Exclusive Restaurant Take-Overs
• Rental of Private Mansions
• Wineries
• Unique and Unusual Sites

Hotel Affiliations

Just because a hotel may be booked don’t rule out the possibilities that they may have other ties and options to offer.  Hotel rooftops have been tented for private affairs and parking lots have been transformed.  One hotel in New Orleans has access to a beautiful courtyard house in the French Quarter that can be used for small private weddings.  Hotels can also cater off property events.  For example, hot air balloons can be used to transport wedding guests to a desert location for an early morning or sunset wedding ceremony, followed by a champagne reception brunch or an evening barbecue or a gourmet dinner held in a clear tent with dancing under the stars.  Entertainment from rock bands, baby grand’s to symphony orchestra’s can be brought in and guests can enjoy dancing under the stars before being transported back to the hotel by jeep.    And the evening can be capped off with a fireworks display or laser show – all arranged through a hotel’s off property catering.

Time:

Depending on the type of off property event you are doing, set up time may need to be built in. That may or may not involve additional site rentals charges.

Cost:

Costs for off-property events done through hotels can range from moderate to lavishly expensive.  It depends on what will be required to be brought in and if they can provide it from the hotel or if rentals will be required. 

Logistics:

Each off property location will come with its own set up logistics and some can be extensive and expensive e.g. desert setup will require not only cooking and service tents brought in but also upscale portable washroom facilities etc.

Country Clubs

Golf Country Clubs do have beautiful banquet rooms and grounds that can be used for weddings.  Some are for members only and others are negotiable.    Some Golf Country Clubs facilities remain open even when their courses are closed for reseeding.  For a fun golf lovers wedding – not formal event - planners have rented golf courses exclusively for their guests to play (day, night and snow golf has been played) and dinner has been served on the greens.   If you are investigating Country Clubs be sure to ask them about different options.

Time:

Generally weddings are not held back to back at Country Clubs.

Cost:

Costs can be moderate to lavishly expensive depending on site rental charges, what items they have on hand e.g. if tables, chairs etc. have to be rented and menu selections. 

Logistics:

Logistics are fairly smooth but could be more intricate if anything is taking place on the greens with regards to suppliers and guests taking care not to damage the grounds (shoes, equipment for move in and set up etc.).

Exclusive Restaurant Take-Overs

There are some exquisite restaurants that can be taken over exclusively for private weddings and that can handle both the wedding ceremony and reception in two separate rooms.  Everyday seating can be removed and stored and different seating brought in.  One converted French style home had a covered terrace with a fountain which was perfect for the wedding ceremony and then guests moved to another room for dining.  The terrace was then converted to a dance area complete with couches for cozy conversation areas by the dance floor.  Another restaurant, opened to the business crowd through the week, but closed during the weekends when their clientele was away from the city core welcomed hosting private events.   Their facility offered a spectacular view of the city and the lake and they had one room that could be used for the ceremony, another for dining and dancing and the room that the ceremony was held in converted to a disco for dancing.   One couple held their romantic candlelight wedding ceremony and reception in a restaurant that featured four amazing oversized fireplaces – one of which they were married in front of.  This restaurant and the fireplace where they exchanged their vows became the fitting setting for their anniversary celebrations where they had the chef recreate their wedding meal.   

Time:

Usually this type of venue will have only one special event booked for the day which will allow your suppliers time to move in and set up decor.

Cost:

Costs can range from reasonable to lavishly expensive.  It depends on the restaurant and what you may or may not be bringing in to enhance it.  Pay careful attention to heavily trafficked areas e.g. will you need them to have rugs cleaned, washroom facilities freshened up etc.

Logistics:

What can be tricky with taking over restaurants for private events is restaurants looking to still take advantage of perhaps serving a breakfast or lunch service before allowing your wedding suppliers to move in and set up.  This is not a good policy.  You need to negotiate a cut off time for meal service – you may be charged a supplement – but you want to avoid having restaurant guests lingering and becoming upset because they are being rushed out.  You will also need the restaurant to post a sign saying private event on the day of your wedding and let their customers know that they will not be open for business on a specific day.  If the restaurant you have selected is one that is frequented by out of town guests you may want to have someone contact the concierge desk at major hotels located close by to let them know not to recommend that restaurant that day/evening.

Rental of Private Mansions

Professional planners use private mansions for special events and weddings on a regular basis. Your setting is a multi million home or outdoor grounds that requires little in the way of décor enhancement.  Some are furnished but not lived in, others may be second or third homes and the ones that are lived in, the common areas are free from open and airy with private quarters that the family live in which are off limits to your guests.  For instance, in Tucson there is a beautiful multi million dollar ranch that can be taken over exclusively for private events.  The outdoors courtyard is perfect for the wedding ceremony to take place in, as is the pool area.  There is a huge converted barn that can serve as weather backup and the main floor of the home can be set up for dinner and dancing.   Food service can be done through a hotel or a local caterer.   They can be booked through caterers, destination management companies, event planning companies or companies that provide upscale homes to movie companies for filming purposes.   

Time:

Usually only one even is scheduled per day.  You may be required to book time pre and post your wedding for setup and teardown.

Cost:

Moderate to lavishly expensive.  It depends on the home and where it is located.  In some major cities the cost to rent a ballroom and reserve it for setup can be more expensive than renting an upscale mansion.  But what could balance the cost out are the charges for rentals e.g. tables, chairs, china, crystal/glassware, linens etc. as well as insurance and security.   And if the facility does not have weather backup you will incur the cost of tenting.

Logistics:

As in any venue you will be charged for any damages to walls and furnishings.  This applies to hotels as well.  Depending on the area (for instance upscale residential), parking for trucks to offload rentals etc. can be tight and you will be required to work around noise curfews etc.

Unique and Unusual Sites

• Airport Hangars (can be rented and transformed through décor)
• Art Galleries (wonderful for formal weddings)
• Attractions (both fun and formal from theme parks, water parks, sea/marine style venues, heritage homes, all have space that can be rented for a special occasion – in one underwater attraction dinner can be served in the same room (after closing hours) where guests can watch the underwater show as they dine.  Many attractions can also be taken over exclusively as well.
• Boutiques (for couples whose passion is high fashion, designer boutiques have showrooms that can sometimes be rented out.  One top designer has a fully working catering kitchen under their facility and for small intimate gatherings of eighty or less can do eight different tables featuring different linens, china and crystal from their collection). 
• Bowling (upscale bowling facilities can be taken over for a fun theme)
• Casinos (private wedding chapel/function rooms in Casinos)
• Entertainment Arcades (classy entertainment establishments can be rented for an exclusive takeover).
• Formal Gardens
• Forts
• Greenhouses
• Historical Homes and Venues  (e.g. banks, distilleries)
• Museums (elegant options are available for private events/weddings)
• Nightclubs (One cutting edge nightclub had a retractable glass roof with built in heaters to blast out the cold, providing a unique outdoor winter wedding alternative. Another couple got married in a waterfront nightclub that divided into three separate areas.  The wedding ceremony took place in one room and then guests were escorted into the next room for a sit-down dinner.  At the end of the dinner and toasts, an airwall pulled back to reveal the nightclub behind it.  The nightclub had an amazing stage and all the special effects (lighting, bubbles etc. were available to them at no additional cost.) 
• Parks (with permits and covered pavilions for weather backup)
• Polo Clubs (upscale/formal weddings)
• Race Tracks (car and horse)
• Skating Rinks (both roller and ice have been used for private fun themed special events/weddings)
• Sound Stages (can be booked for private events – the only thing to be cautious about are the terms and conditions of the contract should a movie want to film at the site after you have booked).
• Sporting Stadiums (for couples who want a theme wedding and love sports special events have been held on the playing field and some stadiums today have retractable roofs so weather backup is not a problem).
• Theatres (ceremony and dinner can take place on stage when theatre is “dark” (no show)).
• Trains (sections of trains can be rented for private events).
• Wineries (for couples who are wine lovers: ceremony by the fountain outdoors and dinner by candelabra inside with the wine casks with classical music playing in the background).
• Yachts (private yacht cruises can be used for reception complete with dinner and dancing – if there is an official firework display going at the same time – seeing them from the water can be an added bonus at not additional charge to you (although yacht rental rates can be higher when something major is taking place).
• Yacht Clubs (upscale/formal weddings)
• Zoo’s (some zoo’s have amazing function space that can be rented for after hour events).

Time, costs and logistics can vary for all of the above and it depends what you are going to be doing or bringing into the space.  Ballrooms can be transformed into forests literally and forests can be metamorphosed into fairylike enchanted settings.  There are skilled event planning, décor and special events companies that can created breathtaking rooms in what would appear to be the most mundane setting.  For example, an empty warehouse in a remote location became the setting for a dramatic gypsy theme wedding. With the addition of natural props, specialty lighting, brightly colored tablecloths, dancers and music something marvelous was created out of seemingly nothing.  The professionals on your wedding supplier team are there to help you turn your wedding dreams into reality.  They thrive on creative challenges and finding solutions that are within your budget guidelines.  Use them as a time saving resource to help you find what will best fit your needs.  Look at possible wedding ceremony and reception site with eyes open to possibilities.  Ask about alternative options with regards to feasibility and pricing.  Going in having your wedding vision clearly in your mind, what will be taking place in the room and having a definite idea as to your guest count and your budget, allows your suppliers to present you with do-able solutions.  Being in a position to make informed decisions, so that you can narrow your options down, will save you time and money and allow you to move to the next step in planning your wedding.