Reception Venue Rental Planning Guide
Written by Kawania H. Wooten, CMP
Howerton+Wooten Events, LLC
15480 Annapolis Road, Suite 202
Bowie, Maryland 20715
www.hwevents.com
(202) 706-7953
[email protected]
Copyright ©2015 Howerton+Wooten Events
Images ©2010 Tunji Sarumi Fine Art Photography
This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
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Reception Venue Planning Guide
Howerton+Wooten Events (www.hwevents.com)
Reception Venue Space Planning Key
Room Size
Sit-Down Dinner
Sit Down Dinner
Minimum Square Footage
8 guests at a 60” table
10 guests at a 72” table
1,000 square feet
80 guests
80 guests
1,200 square feet
96 guests
100 guests
1,400 square feet
112 guests
110 guests
1,600 square feet
128 guests
130 guests
2,000 square feet
160 guests
160 guests
2,200 square feet
176 guests
180 guests
2,500 square feet
208 guests
200 guests
3,000 square feet
248 guests
250 guests
3,100 square feet
256 guests
250 guests
3,500 square feet
288 guests
290 guests
3,700 square feet
304 guests
300 guests
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Reception Venue Planning Guide
Howerton+Wooten Events (www.hwevents.com)
Reception Venue Space Planning Key
Event Need
Estimated Space Needs
Notes
Escort Cards, Guest Book and
Staging Area
Dancing Area or Lounge Area
Cocktail Reception Space
Dinner Tables
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Reception Venue Planning Guide
Howerton+Wooten Events (www.hwevents.com)
Additional Space Requirements
v Outdoor Space needed parking – Be sure that your venue has enough legal parking spaces to
accommodate the cars for your wedding guests. The typical rule of thumb for parking spaces
is one parking space for every 2 to 2.5 people in attendance. For a wedding, you may be able
to adjust that rule of thumb to 1 car per couple; 1.5 cars per family; and 1 car per single guest.
Don’t forget spaces for accessible parking! According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990, you will need one accessible parking space for every 25 cars.
v Outdoor Space needed for a generator – Speaker of generators, remember to work with the
venue to ensure that you will have ample space space between your wedding guests and the
generator. Generators are loud and you don’t want them to interfere with a positive
experience for your wedding guests!
v Outdoor Space needed for noise — Did you envision recorded music for your outdoor party? If
so, check with the venue to ensure you are far enough away from your neighbors. Some
venues don’t allow amplified music to be played outside because of their local noise
ordinances. Check in advance before you sign on the dotted line!
v Space needed for the head table – If you decide that you want to add an elevated head
table for you and your bridal party of 16, consider adding an additional 400 square feet to your
minimum space required.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reception Venue Planning Guide
Howerton+Wooten Events (www.hwevents.com)
Additional Space Requirements
v Space for the gift table – There will most likely be room in the foyer, but it may not be a bad
idea to keep it in the event space so someone can keep an eye on the gifts.
v Space for the cake table –You want to ensure that you have ample space to accommodate
an area that is not too close to anything that gets direct sun or heat. You also want to avoid
high traffic areas (i.e. doors, guest tables, bar)
v Space for the bar – You always want to make sure that you allow enough space for guests to
congregate and mingle near the bar area
v Space for the buffet and/or food stations — It is typical that you will need approximately one
buffet table for every 75 guests, so make sure you are conscious of the space needed around
these tables for people to go through the stations.
v Space for the dance floor – One of the keys to a successful party is a dance floor that is just the
right size. Anything too small and your guests will remain in their seats! (see the next page for
the dance floor space chart)
v Space for the band or deejay – Typically, a 4-piece band with amps requires a 12’x20’ stage.
Your deejay may need a 10’x10’ space for table, speaker and equipment set-up.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reception Venue Planning Guide
Howerton+Wooten Events (www.hwevents.com)
Dance Floor Planning Guide
Did you know that approximately 30% of your wedding guests could be on the dance floor at the same time? That percentage
would only go up if the band or the deejay is phenomenal. Feel free to use the planner guide – It will help you ensure that
everyone is comfortable on your dance floor with ample space to “cut a rug!”
Number of Wedding Guests
Approximate Number of
Dancers
Size of the Dance Floor
60
100
150
200
275
400
600
20
30
50
70
90
140
200
12 feet x 12 feet
14 feet x 14 feet
16 feet x 16 feet
20 feet x 20 feet
25 feet x 25 feet
30 feet x 30 feet
35 feet x 35 feet
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Reception Venue Planning Guide
Howerton+Wooten Events (www.hwevents.com)
Wedding Planning Resources
Once you find that perfect space, you need tools to help you plan the seating at your reception. Here are some tools that you
may find helpful when determining the guest list and reception seating. (Disclaimer: Howerton+Wooten Events is not a part of
the companies listed below. Nor does Howerton+Wooten Events receive any compensation for listing the companies below.)
WEDDING RECEPTION SEATING RESOURCES:
Perfect Table Plan
www.perfecttableplan.com
($29.95)
iDo (The Wedding Couple Edition)
www.elmsoftware.com/ido/
($34.95)
Martha Stewart Weddings Seating Tool
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/tools/wedding-tour
(Free)
Wedding Wire Seating Chart Tool
http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-planning/wedding-seating-tables.html
(Free)
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Reception Venue Planning Guide
Howerton+Wooten Events (www.hwevents.com)
Notes
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Reception Venue Planning Guide
Howerton+Wooten Events (www.hwevents.com)