Ask the Planner: Transforming Your Reception Venue

Q: We have booked the perfect wedding reception venue – it’s close to our church where we’ll be married, it’s the right size and fits our budget, and it was available on our date. However, the ballroom is not very pretty. In fact, it is not at all what I envisioned for my big day. What can we do to fix this very big problem?! Help!

A: Believe it or not, there is a fix for this situation! Partnering with the proper professionals, you can transform any space from blah to wow! We like to look at this as a “blank canvas” opportunity, affording us the chance to create a custom setting for a great event. A boring or uninviting ballroom can take on a totally different look and feel by installing pipe and drape and incorporating lighting. Bringing in rentals that better suit your style and vision, such as lovely chairs and elegant linens will also go a long way toward transforming the site. Add in striking floral arrangements, centerpieces, masses of candles and special touches such as chargers, menu cards and statement napkin rings, and you truly have the makings of a beautiful reception! You might be amazed at how all of these elements combined can truly create the fairy tale vision you’ve always dreamed of!

Here is an example of one such makeover.

This turn-of-the-century ballroom located in the basement of a municipal building was not at all what the bride had her heart set on for her wedding reception. Our certified master wedding planner Marsha Ballard French partnered with Delene Bell of Liland’s Special Event Productions to design the fabulous décor that transformed the venue from municipal mundane to wedding wonderland!