SO MANY DECISIONS to make… Single Location vs Two Wedding Venues
Whether you choose to have separate ceremony and reception venues or the entire day in the same spot all depends on your budget and the style of wedding you want.
Single Wedding Location
Having your ceremony and reception in a single location not only simplifies planning but can save money as well.
There will be no need to hire cars to transport you to a second site
Guests can relax knowing they don’t need to whip out the GPS again.
Potential to reduce set up and delivery fees as suppliers such as stylists and florists only need to decorate the one location.
Photos can be taken before the ceremony. This means you’ll have photos taken when your hair, makeup and clothes are pristine. It also means there is no waiting time for guests between ceremony and reception.
CONS:
No ‘alone time’ in the car ride to a photo shoot or reception venue.
Guests may find themselves waiting outside while reception area is being set up or flipped. Particularly problematic during wet weather.
No traditional church wedding as unfortunately no churches we’ve been to ever have their own reception area. This can also apply to some dream locations such as beaches or gardens.
Hunter Valley Gardens:
Curzon Hall (Sydney West):
Starship (departs from Kings Wharf, Sydney):
Taronga Zoo (Mosman):
Having Two Wedding Venues
Having two wedding venues gives more options in terms of styling.
PROS:
Couples who want to get married in a church, or even some beaches and gardens, that don’t have a reception venue attached. In order to have your ceremony in a sentimental location, having a separate reception venue is a necessity.
Can change up the scenery for guests. The main consideration will be distance. A good rule to follow is keeping the two venues within a twenty-minute drive of each other.
Couples with a large number of guests may find it easier to accommodate everyone by finding two appropriately sized venues.
Gives the freedom of having a traditional ceremony in a garden followed by a rustic reception in a barn.
CONS:
It can be stressful for guests to travel from one venue to another. There is the potential for them to get lost or stuck in traffic. Parking in Sydney CBD can become quite expensive.
Waiting times between ceremony and reception can be elongated if you get stuck in traffic or have some distance to cover to get from the ceremony to the location for photos and then to the reception.
Some gorgeous locations within the Sydney Region:
Jack Vanny Reserve (Maroubra):
St Peter Church (Hunters Hill) & Deckhouse (Darling Harbour):
St Mary and St Merkorious (Rhodes) & Le Montage (Lilyfield):
Waiting Period for Guests
One of the bigger considerations when having two wedding venues is the amount of time between the ceremony and reception while the bridal party gets their photos taken. If you have a time-lag between the two, make sure you think of ways out of town guests can be entertained. Provide suggestions or even hire some lawn games to keep them occupied. This may help solve the problem of guests getting drunk while waiting for you to show up.
There are many factors to take into consideration when deciding on wedding venues and it all comes down to personal choice and budget. Having one venue can cut back on price and organisation, but with good management, two venues can work just as well.