How to choose a restaurant for a wedding banquet

It is not worth writing about how important the correct and conscious choice of a banquet hall for a wedding celebration is. Today on the pages of the site shop-ultra.ru we will talk about the nuances that you should pay attention to when choosing a restaurant for a wedding.

But, starting to search and directly choosing, you should clearly know the answers to the following questions: - the number of invited persons, - the format of the banquet, - the approximate program of the evening, - the budget of the holiday per 1 guest.

Write down a few restaurants in your area that are ready to accommodate that many guests, and go for a personal acquaintance.

Approaching the restaurant, pay attention to:

• Building location. Will your guests be able to get to the hall on time, given the congestion of the adjacent road junctions and the distance from public transport stops. Will you be able to organize the delivery of guests to their homes after the holiday? If not, how will the guests leave? How difficult is it for your visiting guests to find a cafe?
• Does the establishment have its own parking. Will your car (and even more so a limousine) be able to drive up to the entrance?
• How clean and well-groomed the territory of the cafe or restaurant. Believe me, the garbage on the lawn will spoil the impression of even the most luxurious banquet hall.
• Is there a separate entrance / exit to the hall, or is the room located on the territory of a closed complex with a pass system?
• Is there a place for smokers on site or indoors.

Take a look around the room:

• How large is the room offered to you and is it comfortable in shape. If there are load-bearing columns in the middle of the hall, then we recommend that you refuse the premises, some of the guests simply will not see the entire event behind these columns.
• Is there a so-called event space in the hall - a place for holding competitions and performances - and dressing rooms for invited artists
• Are air conditioners installed in the hall and where. It is very unpleasant for a young wife to wake up in the morning with a fever.
• If we are talking about a winter wedding, check if the cafe has its own wardrobe?
• It will not be superfluous to look into the toilet of the restaurant. Check the essentials: toilet paper, soap, hand dryer.

After examining the premises, be sure to talk with the restaurant administrator . Our today's guest Roman Toropov, manager of the Antre Hall banquet hall (Moscow, Frunzenskaya metro station, Efremova st., 12, building 2. Site http://antrehall.ru/) will tell you what nuances you should find out during the visit.

• The cost of the banquet per person (in other words, what is the minimum order)
• Can I bring my own food, alcohol, cake, loaf and fruit?
• Is there an additional fee for serving the banquet (tips) and how many waiters are expected to serve the celebration (approximately 1 waiter for 10-15 guests).
• Is there a venue for a marriage registration ceremony? Perhaps you can use it and organize a beautiful outdoor wedding.
• Is the hall equipped with professional audio equipment? How does the administration of the institution treat the use of equipment by third-party hosts, or is it possible to rent a hall only with the order of a certain toastmaster?
• If lighting equipment, a projector, a screen and a stage are available, this is only a plus.
• Discuss in advance with the administrator what kind of holiday program you have. Performances by magicians or trained animals, fire shows, etc. are not rare in recent times. Is it allowed? The owners of some restaurants often refuse and do not allow the use of soap bubble generators or lighting firework cakes, fearing to spoil the interior of the hall.
• Is it possible to litter in the hall or break glasses according to tradition? Guests often shower the newlyweds with rice, rose petals, and coins, and the groom is billed for cleaning after the fact.
• Find out the amount of the prepayment or deposit and the conditions for canceling the reservation.
• Specify the start and end time of the banquet, how much it costs to extend the rental time.
• Penalties for broken dishes, glasses, God forbid, broken chairs or windows.
• What additional services are provided.
  If we are talking about a profile institution specializing in holding various kinds of celebrations, then you can be offered - decorating the hall with balls, flowers, fabrics,
  table decorations and decorating dishes using the carving technique.
  You can not only decorate the table of the newlyweds by carving swans from vegetables and fruits, but also surprise guests with beautiful dishes. - fountains of champagne, chocolate, ice sculptures and so on.
• If you're decorating a ballroom for a wedding yourself or inviting a florist, check when they can come.

Carefully study the banquet menu and prices:

• What you can treat your guests for the amount of the minimum order. It is not uncommon for cases when, with a low minimum order for this amount, there really is nothing to offer guests, and as a result, the final bill turns out to be many times higher.
• Are there vegetarian options and options for children?
• Examine the list of wines and strong alcoholic drinks, if there are exclusive drinks of your own production (horseradish, mead, crocks, fruit drinks) is also a plus.

All these nuances must be clearly spelled out in the contract, on the execution of which you must insist. If the contract does not draw up, and even more so, a receipt for payment is not issued, think twice about the rationality of your decision. Make sure that the contract specifies fixed amounts. The latter is especially true for events planned 2-3 months in advance. It is possible that the restaurant will raise prices during the season.

Site tips shop-ultra.ru.

1. Even if the hall suits you according to all the criteria, do not be too lazy to come to dinner and try the dishes, thereby appreciating the skill of the chef and the quality of service.

2. Appoint someone in charge on your wedding day. An hour or two before the banquet, he must check all the points from your contract: the decoration of the hall, the arrangement of tables, their serving, the presence of all dishes and a cake in the refrigerator.

3. Sometimes wedding organizers dance from the opposite - from the availability of premises. They find a suitable banquet hall for a wedding, a cafe, a restaurant, a music hall or even a factory canteen (everything depends on your financial capabilities) and in fact choose free dates for the celebration.

At my own wedding, the restaurant I spotted was busy on Saturday, so after discussing the situation with the guests with the busiest schedules, we agreed to move the celebration to Friday. As a result, we received significant discounts from the institution (for a weekday) and celebrated the wedding with pleasure for three days!

Tatyana, especially for shop-ultra.ru