Want to make a big impact and an incredible first impression for your clients and their guests? Create a wedding or event floor plan layout that immediately engages all who enter the celebratory space.

For Pittsburgh wedding planner, Novalee Events Co, their approach is to perceive the venue as a slate so that the design and a client’s picturesque vision can be creatively maximized. From strategically managing movement and flow to being the master of space logistics, all these tips and more are detailed below.

How to Create a Perfect Wedding Reception Floor Plan

1) Know The Space

To obtain a thorough understanding of the event venue, ask the venue coordinator to send a floor diagram with the dimensions. But don’t stop there, wedding planners should do some extra legwork and schedule a site walkthrough to research the reception area. The banquet event order (BEO) is the key document that many venues use to manage all the setup details. As a planner, you will review this document throughout the planning process to ensure all the setup details from the venue are correct.

Event venue walkthroughs are a necessity in creating the ideal flow and functional floor plan. Knowing the ceiling heights, where the electrical outlets are, bathrooms, exit doors, kitchen location, and architectural elements allow for an efficient and effective floor layout on the event day. At all costs, wedding planners should avoid mulling through these details last minute.

Related post: Sprucing Up an Ugly Venue

2) Stretch The Creative Mind

By incorporating the room layout into the event design, planners can explore interesting layouts to make the reception space unique. Be intentional and curate an attractive design layout. It will immediately engage your guests and be pleasing to the eye!

Consider the genre of tables when designing the reception layout. Where will the wedding couple be sitting? At a king’s table, sweetheart table, or a traditional wedding party table? How will the wedding guests be seated? Will it be at rectangular tables, round tables, or a combination of both? Once the table types are determined, begin to creatively plot them out on the floor layout.

Throughout this process, the most important factor to consider is guest visibility. Do the guests have visibility of the newlyweds and key celebration moments? The guests came to celebrate and they are eager to see these memorable moments in action! 

3) Purposeful Placement

Want to raise the energy of the crowd? Place the main entertainment purposefully in the reception area for all to see and enjoy. The DJ or band not only oversee the music, but they also motivates the crowd. Therefore, guests need to see the entertainment in action.

Related post: Working with Bands and DJ’s for Events

Only second to the newlyweds, dancing and music will be the focal point of most wedding receptions. The dance floor and entertainment should be located for all guests to view and enjoy. Consider the size and height of staging for the entertainment as well as optimal lighting to showcase the band or DJ.

 Other entertainment suggestions:

• During the wedding planning process, take note of the dance floor dimensions. Too small and guests are cramped. Too big and it appears empty.
• When creating the reception layout, make a clear path to the dance floor. The guests should not be left wondering where the dancing is!
• Plan to have at least one of the bars located near the dance floor so guests don’t have to wander far from the dance floor.
• Due to the high volume of speakers, be mindful of where they are situated in relation to guest seating. Particularly, older guests tend to prefer to sit further away from speakers.
• Ensure the lighting is ideal for the important aspects such as the first dance, cake cutting, and toasts. Consult with the photo and video companies to ensure the lighting you are considering will work well for photos and video.

Related post: 5 Lighting Tips for Professional Event Planners

For the love of all things wedding-wonderful, do not neglect the reception venue floor plan design. It plays a pivotal role in curating a setting for an amazing event and a memorable guest experience.

This is a guest post from Jennifer Pecorari. Jennifer has a long-standing passion for creating celebrations that tell awe-inspiring and emotive stories through her planning company, Novalee Events Co. Jennifer curates events and weddings where classic European aesthetics, refinement, and sophistication are the creative muse! Novalee  Events Co. is steadfast in their commitment to provide a superior service that is strongly rooted in meticulous organization, thoughtful uniqueness & effortless execution.

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