10 Advantages to Cultural Hall Weddings
Thursday, March 13th, 2008
Some of my favorite weddings are Cultural Hall weddings. I suppose that if everyone in Utah wanted to spend much, much more on their weddings there might be a Wedding Reception Center on every block, possibly as frequently seen as Stake Centers and Ward Buildings. For years I have heard so many comments about “those typical LDS Weddings in church houses”. Some are from brides wishing they could have a larger budget for their wedding that could afford them a beautiful reception center. Others would rather take their chances with the weather and have a garden wedding in their back yard. As for myself, my own wedding reception was held in an LDS Cultural Hall, due to the fact that there were no Reception Centers close to home. A Reception Center on every block could really be convenient. I have also heard people who were not LDS say “Wow, they can use a big gym for free? How do I get me one?”
The truth is that it is a wonderful thing to be able to use your local Ward or Stake Building for your Wedding Reception. There are so many advantages aside from being very reasonable in price such as:
- Convenient location, it’s easy to spot the steeple from blocks away
- Plenty of parking
- Allows you to cater your own food or bring in your own caterer
- Decorate to your own style and colors
- Has a large room with a capacity of many more guests than most reception centers
- Quality sound system, you can actually hook up your IPOD to their sound system
- Adjustable lighting with canned lights in the newer church houses
- Tables and chairs included
- Many Bride’s Rooms to choose from
- Play area fully equipped with toys, tissues, and Cheerios for little children, often referred to as “The Nursery”
It truly is a good thing to be grateful for what is so nicely available to you. In addition to a Church House on every block, you can also find a decorator almost as frequently (myself being one of many). Or you can take the opportunity for yourself to decorate your own wedding and have fun with your own creativity. This second option is not as often recommended as it still costs a lot and instead of enjoying your day you are stressing and fussing over the set-up, details, and clean-up, not so fun!
Some very fun things you can do with Cultural Halls is to turn them into any theme or style you wish for your wedding, from Formal and Elegant to Casual, Fun, and Festive. You can have a Princess Wedding with columns and pillars or a Garden Wedding with arches, gazebos, and arbors. You can turn that Cultural Hall into any theme of your choice: Southern Belle, Cinderella, Medieval, Country, Tiffany, Amber, Megan, Stephanie, or your very own [insert your name] theme. For an elegant finish faux ceilings are a great way to create a formal ambiance with linens to the floor and chair covers. Or make it fun and festive with lots of color and various Chinese Lanterns to create overhead lighting for dance floors, ceremonies, and receptions. You can definitely have a lot of fun with the many options available to you.
So, if you are one of those “Truly Lucky” Brides who has the opportunity to hold your Wedding Reception in your local Cultural Hall, you should definitely feel good about how much value you have wrapped up in your cost and believe it or not there are many who wish they had such an opportunity for their wedding.
Happy Planning!