▷ 🥇 Your 4-Step Guide to Creating the Ultimate Wedding Hall

Kari Dawson Weddings

Practical, stylish and accommodating – what more could you want from your wedding reception? A living room offers exactly this trio of perfection. Not only does it look great and extend your wedding décor, it offers guests a comfortable space to mix and mingle or relax their feet when they’re not hitting – or avoiding – the dance floor. In addition to adding style, a good living area offers an effective way to divide the space, thus enhancing its fluidity.

Follow these tips to create a fabulous living room at your wedding reception.

Location is key

Simply put, guests must be in a privileged location from which they can easily choose whether or not to participate in activities. “Guests like to be where they can see the action,” says Emily Murphy of Manette Gracie Weddings and Events in Seattle, Washington. “For wedding reception halls, we like to place them a bit off the dance floor, so it’s not too loud for conversation, but not too far to miss out on the fun or remove them from the action. Guests often want to rest, but still want to be able to get back on the dance floor in case their favorite song comes up, or see if a guest decides to make an impromptu toast or if there are special dances, etc. ”

“Make sure the living room space is still within arm’s reach of the reception,” adds Troy Francis of Troyal Events in Washington DC “Although the purpose of a wedding living room space is to take a Break from being in the middle of the action, you should feel connected to the rest of the wedding. Not just for proximity, but also for service – make sure late night snacks, desserts and old drinks make their way to the lounge area as well. ”

Joann Woodward of Schwartz and Woodward in Houston, Texas, suggests creating a diagram of where the tables for the guests, the DJ or the band are placed, the dance floor, the food stations and buffets, the bars and any other. area that needs space to be allocated. This will help you determine the best fit and flow for your wedding hall area.

Alicia Lucia Photography

Design well

Once you have the location down, you need to think about the most specific layout for the wedding hall design itself, and rent the furniture and other items accordingly. “Design your rooms so that they have enough seats for a group to sit and talk. We usually plan a sofa, two sneaker chairs, a coffee table, two end tables, and two or three beanbags, ”says Kristin Banta of Kristin Banta of Kristin Banta Events in Los Angeles.

One way that Woodward designs a wedding hall area is by creating a two-seat space of love with a cocktail table and through two chairs to encourage people to sit and chat. Often try to mirror this same area to the other side of the room if space allows.

Details matter

“It doesn’t matter where a salon is installed or what it’s intended for, it’s all about the details,” says Nora Sheils of Bridal Bliss in Portland, Oregon. “A room should be cozy and welcoming.” He recommends including side tables and / or a coffee table for guests to prepare their cocktail or cake while they chat, as well as styling it with pillows and items that coordinate with the weddings (books, flowers, lighting, etc.).

Murphy points out that with so many outdoor weddings, there are often outdoor spaces. Depending on the time of sunset, he says, you need to make sure these spaces are lit so they can be used at night, whether it’s bistro lights, cordless lights, or battery-powered lamps.

“We often put something fun on the coffee table or end tables – a deck of cards, a small sandwich, or some other fun object for guests to discover while in the living room,” he adds. “It’s a little extra gift that can be personalized for the couple, and make guests feel cared for.”

Francis is of a similar mind, who suggests considering a unique feature to the room space that will make it an attractive or unique place for the guests during the wedding; think of group games, drink tasting, specialty cocktails, etc.

Cynthia Whiteside Photography

Don’t sacrifice comfort

However, style and aesthetics should not come at the expense of comfort. After all, the lounge area is designed first and foremost as a place for guests to relax – they should feel comfortable doing so!

As Francis puts it, “What’s the point of spending money on a worthwhile break space that’s not being used enough? There are many ways to create a visually stunning living room, while keeping guests comfortable and wanting to hang out. ”

Sheils suggests filling it with hot pashminas if the air is cool in the evening, or a fun bar cart for after-dinner drinks. “The ideal is to have several pieces of furniture in different places, so that everyone can enjoy,” he says.

“Whatever the couple chooses, you want to think about the comfort of your guests,” advises Woodward. “Seating is important because whether you have drinks at the bars, rounds of cocktails, or couches and chairs with tables, everyone needs to feel welcome. Many times we hear complaints that there is no room for guests and they end up leaving…. and this is not what the couple planned ”.