There are a significant number of pros and cons of having your ceremony and reception in the same location. You will want to consider each option carefully before making a decision. But knowing the pros and cons of having your ceremony and reception in the same location before you begin searching for venues will help you narrow your focus.

The Pros and Cons of Having Your Ceremony and Reception in the Same Location

In the interests of full-disclosure, I will tell you right off the bat that Richie and I opted for one-stop shopping. There were a number of factors that went into our decision. Knowing the pros and cons of having your ceremony and reception in the same location, helped us to decide on our venue (The Rams Head Inn in Galloway, NJ) with less stress. First and foremost, we wanted to be considerate of our parents.

In particular my father, who would have had difficulty going moving from one location to another with his walker. Another reason was that our reception was almost an hour from our home, and not in an area where guests were likely to find entertainment to fill the gap between a ceremony and reception. These were just two of the factors. We knew that we were going to only consider venues that could do both a ceremony and reception. We also knew we wanted a venue that could provide a indoor option in case of rain that was just as lovely as the outdoor option. In fact we ended up using the indoor option because it was chilly, and in the end we actually liked that space better!

Photo by Idalia Photography

The Pros of Having Both Your Ceremony and Reception in the Same Location

• You can have an outdoor ceremony. Most churches and synagogues will not allow for outdoor ceremonies because of the sanctity of the location.
• There is no gap between the ceremony and the reception.
• You are likely to have more people attend your ceremony. Many guests will opt to simply attend your reception, skipping the ceremony, because of the gap in between the two and the logistics (baby sitters, transportation, distance) of having the event spread out over a longer time period.
• It’s more convenient for out-of-town guests. Anyone unfamiliar with the area will appreciate not having to find entertainment to fill in the gap. And they certainly will appreciate not having to figure out how to navigate between locations. Figuring out how to find and navigate between two addresses and find something to do between the ceremony and reception, can cause a lot of stress for your guests.
• You will minimize driving in the event of bad weather. (Insert super-sad face here.) But let’s face it. There is always a chance that bad weather may occur on your big day. In the case of a fog or drizzle, no problem. But snow or storms (even though you picked a time of year when you thought you were safe) are always a possibility.
• It may save you money by decreasing your transportation and rental costs.

Photo by Idalia Photography

The Cons of Having Both Your Ceremony and Reception in the Same Location

• Places of worship often have strong family ties that make a wedding ceremony super-special. Giving the effect of added solemnity. And if your family is religious, well, then this might be an automatic decision.
• It make lack the religious or sentimental elements that a church you are familiar with may have.
• Less flexibility. Choosing two locations allows you to find the look and feel you want that matches your event’s style.
• Places of worship can be stunningly beautiful. Your ceremony in a reception venue may not have the big dramatic architectural elements a church or synagogue does.
• Bad weather. You may be restricting your options for the use of different spaces in your reception center, especially in the event of bad weather. For example, the “Plan B” for rain means your ceremony takes place in the reception room, with a completely different look and feel. If you are having your ceremony in a church, none of these worries.
• Flipping the room. You will not have to worry about the amount of time it takes to “flip” the rooms to change the purpose.

If your interested in checking out some weddings where the ceremony and the reception were in one place, check out this wedding, of my favorites from last season. Cortney and John had an amazing beautiful ceremony and stunning reception at the Indian Trail Club. And if your interested in tossing around the pros and cons of having your ceremony and reception in the same location, contact me here! I’d love to chat.