Your wedding ceremony just begins festivities. The celebration continues. Your reception may be the most important – and largest – party you ever throw.

And a great party deserves a great venue. Many factors bear considering when selecting a site. And the sum will be unique to your reception needs.

• The number of guests. The more guests, the larger the venue, so check out a reception hall, hotel ballroom or expandable territory. A small guest list fits a more intimate setting, such as a museum, garden or historic home. A church may offer its own facility.

• Ambiance and atmosphere. Give yourself credit for the style you envision. Should there be separate areas for drinks, dining and dancing? Perhaps your wedding dream glows in candlelight. Is it a rustic look outdoors in the country? Guests also should feel comfortable – not too stuffy or casual for some.

• See it in action. Whether looking for roomy and airy or close and cozy, try to view venues set up or even in the midst of a wedding. Someone else’s decorations and people convey a “feel.” 

• Easy navigation. The location should be easy to find, particularly for out-of-town guests, but it also should be comfortable for people to move where they need to go. Entry, restrooms, dining style, sound levels all affect the enjoyment of guests. 

• Surroundings. Does your comfort come from green trees? A city skyline? Gourmet food and drink elegantly served? Make sure you’re happy with what you see inside – and outside – the windows.

• Facility services. Some reception sites provide on-site wedding coordinator, catering and wait staff, baker and valets. Or, they may provide lists of providers they recommend or with whom they have courtesy pricing. Find out how extensive these services are to be certain no gaps remain or has a fee.

• Dining to match. Within these styles – casual or formal, traditional or contemporary – lies a dining style that suits you as a couple, your guests and your celebration.

Sit-down meal: A sit-down reception is ideal for an elegant affair. Guests generally mingle during cocktail hour and may be called to dinner, most elegantly by meal chimes. Waiters serve preset food in courses. A sit-down reception’s flow feels more controlled as everyone is served at one time.

Buffet reception: For a casual couple who likes a variety of foods, multiple choices of entrees and side dishes provide something everyone enjoys. This is less effective for a very large guest list, but two buffets set in alternate locations avoid waits and creating an obstacle course for getting food.  

Food stations: At small buffets in various places, this modern style offers a different type of food or theme. On a trip around the world, guests may eat Chinese wontons, crab rangoon, stir-fry and fortune cookies at one place, sushi and spring rolls at another, and pulled pork at still one more station. This encourages guests to move and mingle. Timing is important to let the bride and groom star in wedding moments like the cake cutting, first dance and bouquet toss. It also can be done with a selection of seating, some at informal tables.

• Seating arrangements: People in esteem should sit near the bride and groom.

The bridal party: Traditionally, a bridal party’s table is rectangular with seating on one side so guests have a good view of the couple. This head table may be on a raised platform. The bride and groom sit in the center, best man on the right next to the bride and maid/matron of honor on the left next to the groom. Other members of the bridal party are seated on either side, with men and women alternating.

Sweetheart table: More popular all the time, the bride and groom share a separate table with a view of proceedings, yet may share an intimate moment in a busy celebration. They also can be served directly and safely, particularly when guests are moving between food and beverage stations. Rather than being on display, a bridal party prefer to sit at a round table in the same seating order.Some choose to sit with both sets of parents.

Parents: On this day also for moms and dads, each set of parents should have their own table and sit with special guests, including grandparents, aunts and uncles. Traditionally, the officiant, and his or her spouse (if applicable) sit with the bride’s parents.

Guests: Group people together who already know one another or hold similar interests or connections.

Place cards: Based on a seating chart, these help dinner seating run smoothly. Write guests’ names and table numbers in bold print on both sides of a card to ease table conversation. Guests pick cards in alphabetical order on a table near the reception entrance.