How to select the perfect venue for your special day.
3
Introduction
4
Venue style
5
Food & drink
6
Team effort
7
The fine print
8
Important questions
9
Checklist
10
Where to from here
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 2
Introduction Selecting the perfect venue for your wedding is no doubt one of the first items on your wedding ‘to do’ list. As the Wedding Consultant at Fenix, I am very fortunate each year to meet many newly engaged couples. Having been in this role for nearly ten years now, I can look back with great pleasure to know that Fenix has played a role in the celebration of a new marriage for many happy couples. As part of my continuing journey in the wedding industry, I decided to put this handbook together to share with bridesto-be like you, some helpful tips and things I have learnt along the way. There is no doubt that choosing the perfect venue for your wedding is an important decision. I hope that you find this handbook helpful in assisting you in your wedding organisation journey.
Rebecca Andonovski Wedding Consultant Fenix
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 3
Venue Style Choosing a style for your wedding.
While it may not be completely clear at this stage of your wedding preparation what colour or style you will have for your wedding day, it is still an important consideration when selecting the venue for your wedding reception. Each wedding reception venue has an inherent style. Modern, Retro, European, Old England. You name it there is a venue in Melbourne to cater for all tastes. At Fenix, we have a modern clean style that is contrasted by the beautiful natural environment on the banks of the Yarra River. The bellbirds and mature gum trees provide a twist to our modern venue. Not all venues have the flexibility like we do at Fenix to combine styles. Some venue styles are much more prominent and strictly define the style of weddings that brides enjoy on their special day.
The venue that you choose won’t be the sole decider in the style you create for your wedding; however it will play a major role in helping you shape your plans. Another important consideration that is less talked about in the we d d i n g i n d u s t r y i s m a j o r renovation work. If you are booking a reception venue many months or years out, there is a chance that the venue will undertake updates and perhaps even major renovations in that time. In doing so, the style of the venue may change. Such renovation and plans are often in place well in advance; therefore it is good to understand what works your chosen reception venue is planning on undertaking before your wedding date. Be sure to ask your venue’s contact person when you are in initial discussions, just to make sure nothing will interrupt your plans
Tips! Here are some additional styling questions to ask perspective wedding venues. • Can I add my own style touches? • Can I work with the venue stylist or do I need to hire my own? • Can I organise my own bonbonniere? • Does the venue have any plans to change the colour palette of the reception room?
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 4
& Food is an important topic to explore when considering wedding reception venues. After all, the food and drink enjoyed at a reception can really make or break the occasion! At Fenix, we are a restaurant and events venue, therefore we have a team of highly skilled chefs that work for Fenix on a full time basis. We don’t get in a kitchen hand once a week to prep up the food for your special day. Our owner, Gary Mehigan sets the standard in our venue and that carries across to all areas of the business, wedding reception functions included. At Fenix, we are fussy about food and we have the in-house skills to cater for your individual needs. We are also flexible with providing options for kids, teenagers and entertainer meals. Because food is such an important aspect of a wedding reception venue, as a standard feature of our wedding package, we provide a free menu tasting option.
On the day of your wedding, to ensure that the food is served promptly to your guests, we have a high staff-to-guest ratio. This is a very important consideration. There is no excuse for food to be served cold. We are also very organised when it comes to the serving of drinks. We allocate one beverage waiter for every two tables. Drinks are served from drink stations located near your table, so nobody ever need wait for drinks and there is plenty of room for your personal styling on the guests’ tables.
Tips! Here are some food and drink questions to ask perspective venues • Can I bring my own wedding cake and if so is there a cakeage fee? • Are canapés served with pre-dinner drinks? • What is the qualification of the person (team) preparing the food for my wedding? • What time is your venue licensed until?
Therefore you know exactly what the food looks like; it’s size, quality and taste, before you are seated at the bridal table.
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 5
Team Effort Tips! Here are some team questions to ask perspective venues • Who are your key suppliers? • Can I hire my own band? • My uncle is the MC – do you have a microphone that he can use?
One of the enjoyable aspects of organising a wedding is the team effort it facilitates between your family and friends. It is a great way to bring people together. Within a wedding reception venue, the same applies from our perspective. Having a great team is one of the subtleties of what makes a reception venue a great reception venue. Here are my insider tips.
Internal perspective:
External perspective:
From an internal perspective, at Fenix we have a team of staff dedicated to functions who work in events as their full time position. Our staff are highly skilled in this area of hospitality. Our internal cohesion helps to make our wedding receptions a seamless and stress free event. As professionals, we are more than happy to cater for your individual requests.
From an external perspective, we work with many different companies to make your day, the prefect day. We pride ourselves on being easy to deal with and we don’t insist that you use ‘our’ suppliers. Whilst we have companies who we can refer you to, locking you into a commercial arrangement with an external party just isn’t how we do business.
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 6
Tips!
PRINT As with any commercial arrangement, there are always terms and conditions. At Fenix, to ensure we have positive and open relationships with our brides, our contracts are easy to read and we offer completely transparent pricing. The contract is an important document and that’s why at Fenix we read the document together with you. Your wedding reception is an important aspect of your wedding day, and the fine print should not get in the way of that.
To help you get a full picture of costs relating to your wedding reception, here are key questions to ask. • Is there a room hire cost? • Is there a minimum spend? • What deposit is required to confirm the date? • When are payments due? • Is the dance floor included? • Can I have access to a PA system for speeches at no additional cost? • Is the price that we agree to a fixed price? • Are there any surcharges of any kind? • Is there a fee for guests to park at the venue?
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 7
As with any aspect of your wedding day, there are some questions that you must ask of your wedding reception venue. They are -
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Where and how significant is the lighting, inside and outside the building? Can I visit the venue at night and/or during a wedding? Is it possible to see the venue set up? Is there space for a gift table? If so, where will it be? Where are the toilets? Are they close to the reception room? Are they clean and in good working order? Is there a dedicated smoking area and where is it? Is there a private area where pre-dinner drinks are served?
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 8
Checklist
Here is a final checklist of key questions to ask your wedding reception venue.
1. Can I add my own style touches? 2. Can I work with the venue stylist or do I need to hire my own? 3. Can I organise my own bonbonniere? 4. Does the venue have any plans to change the colour palette? 5. Can I bring my own wedding cake and if so is there a cakeage fee? 6. Are canapÊs served with pre-dinner drinks? 7. What is the qualification of the person (team) preparing the food? 8. What time is your venue licensed until? 9. Who are your key suppliers? 10. Can I bring my own band? 11. My uncle is the MC – do you have a microphone that he can use? 12. Is there a room hire cost? 13. Is there a minimum spend? 14. What deposit is required to confirm the date? 15. When are payments due? 16. Is the dance floor included? 17. Can I have access to a PA system for speeches at no additional cost? 18. Is the price that we agree to a fixed price? 19. Are there any surcharges of any sort? 20. Is there a fee for guests to park at the venue?
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 9
Private Tour We hold private tours each Saturday. If you would like to book a private tour please call us on 03 9427 8500 or email rebecca@fenix.com.au
Wedding Expos Thank you for taking the time to read this handbook. Fenix is a premium wedding reception venue located in Richmond in inner city Melbourne. We are located on the Yarra River set in a beautiful natural environment. We would be honoured to host your wedding reception and would be pleased to discuss your requirements with you. How to contact Fenix:
Wedding Consultant Rebecca Andonovski rebecca@fenix.com.au 0407 999 539
We are proud to be associated with all the major bridal expos in Melbourne. Visit us at the next expo.
PrivateWedding Expos We hold private wedding expos at various points during the year. Please call uson 03 9427 8500 or email rebecca@fenix.com.au to reserve your place.
Your Wedding Reception Checklist | page 10