Which gets booked first: the church or the reception? Let’s discuss it! In this blog post, we’ll tell you if you should book the church or reception first — and why. Subscribe for the latest to your inbox!
When you’re planning your wedding, there are many decisions to make but there’s also a certain order in which to do them. One of the major decisions to make is whether you should book your wedding ceremony first or the reception first. Which one is it? Do you book the church or reception first? We’ll tell you which one comes first and explain why the order of booking them is important to your overall satisfaction on your wedding day.
Should you book the church or reception first?
There’s no absolute answer or rule of thumb that states you have to book the church or ceremony before the reception. Some couples choose to do it this way simply because the ceremony comes before the reception chronologically on the wedding day itself.
But there’s no right or wrong way for everyone to do it… only what works best for you as a couple.
Here are some pros and cons to consider on booking the ceremony first — or the reception first — and why it matters.
Pros and Cons of Booking the Reception BEFORE the Church
The most important part of your wedding day is the ceremony: it is the most meaningful part of the day and signifies your uniting in marriage. However, some couples aren’t particularly attached to one ceremony location. If a couple isn’t planning a religious ceremony where they must get married at that specific location, it is OK to book the reception first.
If you are getting married at a church or synagogue, another place of worship, or a ceremony venue that holds special meaning to you as a couple, you should book the ceremony first. This will guarantee your ceremony is at the place you want it to be, and now you have a specific date. Yay! Note: you are now under contract at the reception site.
On the other hand, you may be looking at a certain reception site that really catches your eye. Maybe the decor is perfect, the ballroom is everything you’ve dreamed it to be, or the view is magnificent out on the water. If this is true, and your ceremony location isn’t decided yet as a couple, book the reception first and book the ceremony shortly after.
Booking the reception first can have you feeling elated, especially if it is a venue you’ve been hoping to secure for your wedding. However, you’ll then want to immediately find the ceremony place to book on the same date. If you have a certain house of worship or other location in mind, this may pose a problem attempting to book it on the same day because now you are under contract with the reception hall.
The bottom line is this: the ceremony should be booked first in most cases, especially if you have your heart set on a particular place of worship, like your church or synagogue. This is also important if you want a certain member of the clergy to marry you.
On the other hand, if you have a reception venue that wouldn’t be quite like your wedding day without it, go ahead and book it first. Then, find the ceremony venue that is available on the same date.
Communication Is Key
It can get a little complicated but, since you can’t be in two places at once, you do have to decide what works best for you as a couple.
Talk about it with your future partner. This is just one of the many questions that will arise as you plan your wedding — and future life together as a married couple — so proper communication is key. If you decide to book the church first and the reception after, great! If you book the reception venue first and then follow up with your ceremony location, fantastic! There’s no right or wrong way to do it, as long as you’re happy with the venues you’ve selected and you get them booked.
And once you have the dates booked, you’ve officially set the date! Now it’s time to send save the dates to announce the happy news. :)
Hope it helps!
xo
Emma
