Extra side room - is it needed/useful?

mountaingirl8

We are just about to book our wedding venue, and we're trying to decide if we should book an extra side room. The venue is a brewery, so the space we would be using is like a restaurant. There is also a private side room that they do small dinners in, and we have the option to rent that as well and use it as we please. If price weren't an issue we would just rent it too, but if we didn't end up really using it I would feel like we wasted our money. Would having a private side room at our reception be necessary or useful?

Thanks!

artbyallie

What would you use it for? You can't seat people in there because you shouldn't separate your guests. Would they rent it out to someone else and have a second (smaller) event there at the same time if you don't rent it?

mountaingirl8

That's just it - I'm not sure what we would use it for, so I guess I'm wondering if I'm not thinking of some obvious advantage to having it. That's a good point though, I wouldn't want it to be rent-able if we don't rent it. Thanks!

jacques27

Storage?  Like if you hauled your decorations and centerpieces (if DIY) prior to the reception in totes and wanted somewhere to store them out of sight until you clean up?

Convert it into a coat-check-like room if there isn't already a coat-check at the brewery and the time of year would make it something that could feasibly be used?

A place for you and groom to hang out for 15-30 minutes (say during cocktail hour if you're having one) to decompress and be together alone before spending the rest of the reception with your guests?

(Not saying you should rent it - just trying to come up with logical and useful reasons for it that might help you decide.)

rooz103

I ended up booking a small side room in addition to my main reception room for pretty much the same reasons jacques27 mentioned. The ceremony/reception will be in the same venue with no gap and with a dress change, so I wanted the extra room to throw the extra clothes and so FI and I would have a place to retreat to immediately after the ceremony. Depending on how flexible your venue is and what your contract looks like, you might see if they'll throw it in at a reduced cost or for free. My venue just had a $400 minimum for the room, which we were more than meeting with the main rental, so the coordinator just waived the room rental fee for me.

LittleWohlscheid

You could use it for gift/cake tables or something. I don't know if that would look weird depending on how the room looks. But closing it off and using it for storage or for a second of unwinding time with the groom as some other posters have said could be good too. My venue has a side area and I'm glad we got it just because I don't want my guests to drown out another event noise-wise or the other way around. It's pretty open with the main area so we're either having our ceremony on that side or putting the food/card table over there.

sarahjane222

I was just at a wedding where there was an event held at the same time in the next room.......there was raucous laughter heard from the other event during some touching speeches and even during our grace before dinner. If there's a chance that someone else could rent that room while you're having your wedding, I'd just rent it yourself and use one of the PP's suggestions for it. 

mrscomposer

We are renting the smaller room at our hall, and putting couches in there for nursing moms, as well as colouring books/projector with a movie for kids.  Depending on who is attending your reception (ie, if you're allowing kids), it might be nice to have a place where it's quiet if they need to decompress or relax.  Our party is going to be pretty raucous, so it'll be nice to have a quiet place for little kids to go.

atlastmrsg

Cocktail lounge?  Place to put a bar and let people enjoy a more intimate lounge setting than the open space?  Or place for people to grab appetizers and cocktails during cocktail hour?

esstee33

I went to a wedding last summer that had an additional little side room attached to the main banquet room, in which they kept the buffet so people didn't have to line up for it all around the main room. It was super convenient and helped keep the flow of the line moving well. 

I also really like the suggestion @atlastmrsg gave of a cocktail lounge. 

kenia7707

If you have children attending you can have a small nap section for kids, babies and toddlers.... Maybe hire a sitter? Just a thought as I am doing this at ours.. sometimes parents need a quiet room to settle children during the dancing.. music may be too loud, kids may be too loud, maybe need nap.. etc. etc.

wrigleyville

Every wedding I've been to that had a side room used it for the buffet. Once the buffet was clear, it was a nice, quiet area for nursing mothers, children who needed some quiet/nap time, etc. You could also use it as a coat room.

graciegra

If it's going to be used for a buffet, you'll want there to be more one door- either a double door entrance or a entrance door and exit door. Otherwise it can get very congested. 

My brother's wedding had a small room where apps were placed for the wedding party since we missed most of the cocktail hour. I think he and his wife also used it later for a few minutes of quiet before leaving. I went in briefly with the rest of the wedding party but then wanted to go find my boyfriend who was hanging out with my family. I'm sure I could have taken him in there but didn't really see the need to. 

theartistformerlyknownas

Our side room was used for the table with escort cards, card box and guest book.