Hi all!! Brand new to all of this and in desperate need of advice!!
Planning a May 2013 wedding, and am struggling to get started (haven't booked anything yet, and even our date is tentative depending on availability)...
We're going to have our ceremony at a Catholic Church in the area (Agawam, West Springfield, or Westfield), so I'm looking at reception venues within about a half hour drive (hopefully 1/2 hr at max) of the church.
My issue is: What type of venue for the reception??
Hotel? Country Club? Restaurant? Banquet Hall?
There are so many different types of venues, and I was curious if anyone had any insight into general pros and cons of each venue type. Obviously everyone will have personal stories about particular places, and I welcome those as well... But I'm just trying to narrow my search a bit, and I'm wondering if there's things in general that are similar/different depending on the venue type.
For example, I'm getting the impression that most people that choose Country Club venues for the reception also usually have the ceremony there as well (which won't be the case for me, so maybe I should rule those out?)... I know every rule can be broken, etc...
I don't have anyone close to me that's local that has gotten married within the last decade, so I'm hoping for some expert advise here from some wise knotties!
Thanks!!
P.S. If it matters, we're looking at a budget of somewhere in the $10K-$15K range... hoping to keep it on the low end if possible.
May 2013 - January - Cake Inspiration!