Wedding Reception Venue Checklist – MS Excel format

So many wedding questions, so little time

Wedding Reception Venue Checklist – MS Excel format – Design by l.a.s.k. c.r.e.a.t.i.o.n.s.

A friend of mine is currently in the process of getting married (i.e. the wedding ceremony is being planned for the summer of 2008) and frequently calls me into action when it comes to the “administrative” side of planning a wedding.

She found a checklist in the book “The Working Woman’s Wedding Planner, Third Edition Written by Susan Tatsui-D’arcy Prentice Hall, Inc 2000″ and asked if I could transform it into a more personalized form on the computer (she knows there remains an administrative assistant lurking just around the corner…LOL!).

We spent at least an hour debating and discussing what questions someone can find answers to using other methods like the Internet and brochures and what questions would need to be asked while viewing the establishment. After a trial run this past weekend, she recommended a few minor tweaks and then gave the green light to publish it.

For those that can’t download or access the file, I have listed the questions we believe you should learn the answers to when looking at possible wedding reception venues. With minor alterations, these questions carry over to other elements of planning a wedding, including selecting the ceremony venue.

Venue Name
Address #1
City, Zip
Phone
Fax
Website
E-mail
Contact Person
Best Time To Contact
Total # of Rooms?
Ceremony site available?
Latest time allowed?
Simultaneous events?
Built-in dance floor?
Music genre/volume limits?
Centerpiece included?
Floral arrangement limits?
Candles allowed/included?
Rehearsal times?
Bar hours?
House/catered food?
Can we bring a sweet table?
Tables and chairs included?
Linens included?
Tent/large equipment fees?
Bridal table set-up?
Handicap accessable?
# of parking spaces available?
Smoking permitted?
PA system available?
What does the system have?

Also, make sure you ask about these possible additional fees:

Minimum site fee
Tax and gratuity included
Ceremony site fee
Dance floor set-up fee
Centerpiece fees
Bar fees/BYOB
Table and chairs fees
Linen fees
Parking/valet fees
PA fees
Insurance fee

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Why hire a developer when there are free templates and wizards?

Why should I use your services when there is so much being offered for free?

Update March 27, 2007 by Valerie Anderson

Kudos to the open source templates currently available to the general public! Some of the designs available today are absolutely stunning, basic blogging services are free and even hosting can be secured for no cost. However, there are always trade-off’s when it comes to using free stuff on the Internet.

If you stumble upon a template you want for your site, you still need to address other issues involved with presenting a smart and effective web site. There are meta-tag issues, layout problems and other factors that unless you are proficient with HTML, XHTML and/or CSS, chances are you will end up with at least a minor headache, if not a major one. Will you be able to attach an analytics service to the site? Does the free hosting allow for FTP uploads?

Depending upon the quantity of content you want in your site, using an open source template can significantly reduce your costs, so search around the net and see what you can find and let me know which ones you like. Although some have copyright aspects involved, it is also worth a conversation or two because you may not actually need my services to go where you want to go.

People such as myself play the role of guidance counselor on how to at least launch your online venture and we then give you a good foundation to build from, from the wrapper to starting content. This is good if you are not very well-versed in other aspects of web development, such as keyword strategy and search engine submission locations and you have a solid vision of how you want your website to perform. It is also important to have realistic expectations as to how quickly a presence on the Internet will transform your hopes and dreams into satisfaction and success. These types of things tend to take time, despite all of the wondrous viral events that occur amidst the other types of viruses that are really nasty suckers.

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Active versus passive Internet participation

When should you actively join the Internet community?

When you are ready to accept the good, bad and uglies of the World Wide Web, you are then ready to think about how wide of a spotlight you want shining upon your virtual projection of your visions onto the Internet.

Do not think for a moment that anything is sacred when it comes to using the web, everything and everyone is an available target for viruses and auto-bots to attack and there is nothing to prevent the publishing of sometimes horrific and shocking photographs and movies.

Despite these moment to moment risks, most users of the Internet experience significantly higher rewards compared to the risks…even if only valuing the experience from an educational perspective. I learned how to design by reading mass quantities of web pages and then trying out the instructions, saving myself perhaps thousands of dollars in tuition costs (although college certainly has a future appeal).

Therefore, if you are unfamiliar with how elements of the Internet work, such as e-mail and browsers, this may not be the moment to launch a new web site or blog. You might want to spend a few days learning basic terminology and how elements such as e-mail works. This will help you promote your own site through social conversation since you’ll be able to invite people to communicate with you through the site and/or via e-mail.

You may decide you want a static web site that behaves like a basic interactive brochure because you don’t have a need to learn how to maintain a mailing list or frequently publish new content to your web site.

You may also be an old pro at basic kinds of stuff and instead need someone who knows how to program using HTML and CSS, design a few graphics and submit your site to the search engines and a few directories.

This is a huge topic I will try to explore in more depth throughout the year, but it is my belief that owning a piece of the Internet comes with certain responsibilities. If you are ready to learn how to fulfill some of these technical obligations (such as keeping virus detecting software updated, installing browser and operating system patches, etc.) as well as honoring minor social rules and ettiquette (typing a message in all capital letters is read as if you were yelling the words at the reader, many people do not like to be included in mass mailings of jokes, etc.), the Internet community can open doors you never imagined possible.

So whether you intend on starting your own blog or hiring a Web Developer to set up an interactive storefront, if you are ready to begin a profound journey of a lifetime then joining the Internet is the right starting line for you. And no matter what anyone says, the only person who will know when…and how…you should join the Internet community.

Filed under: -> Websites designed by CKD, 101 Reference Desk, Advanced, Beginners, Caera Kirsch News, CaeraKirsch Q&A, Call To Action Alert, Everyone Loves Something For Free, General Resources, Giving Thanks, Hardware, Intermediate, Internet, Internet Development, Labor Day Moving Spree, Melody Overhall, Quick Tidbit, Recommended Sites, Software Programs, Spring Cleaning Marks, The House That Caera Built, Uncategorized