How To Choose A Hall For A Holiday?

Useful advice on choosing a place for celebrating solemn events - weddings , anniversaries, corporate events. A well-chosen hall can make the celebration of a solemn event unforgettable, leave a pleasant impression on guests and holiday organizers . Insignificant, at first glance, flaws (dim lighting, lack of air conditioning, or an inappropriately set table) can spoil your holiday. Newlyweds are especially careful when choosing a restaurant. This is not surprising, because a wedding happens, as a rule, once in a lifetime, so everything must be perfect. In this article, you will find interesting and useful tips that will help you choose the best institution that will suit you.  

We are creating a menu

The quality and assortment of dishes is perhaps the most important criterion for choosing a restaurant, because each of us wants the dishes on the holiday to be tasty, high-quality and sufficiently diverse. Before ordering a restaurant, it will not be superfluous, under the guise of ordinary visitors, to taste the dishes you plan to order. Or, you can ask friends or relatives for it. Together with the manager, carefully study the menu and possible combinations of dishes. As a rule, the menu should include several types of salads, cold and hot snacks, bread, vegetable and fruit slices, soft and alcoholic drinks, sweets, tea and coffee. It is believed that 150-200 g should be served per person. salads, 250-300 gr. cold snacks and vegetable dishes, 250-300 gr. hot dishes Possibility to bring your own food and drinks. Many cafes and restaurants allow you to bring your own alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, meat or fruit cuts, sweets, caviar, etc. Since the prices of alcohol in restaurants are quite high, it will be more profitable to buy it in a grocery store. Check with the manager of the establishment which products and drinks you can bring yourself, agree on the time of their delivery to the restaurant. Regarding the number of non-alcoholic drinks, it is worth taking into account the contingent of guests and the time of year. Take into account that in winter you need to order at least 1 liter of soft drinks per person, and in summer - at least two, strong alcoholic drinks (vodka, cognac, whiskey) - 400 ml per person, low-alcohol drinks (wine, champagne) - 500-700 ml per person.

We choose a hall for the celebration

Hall size . Make sure that the restaurant can comfortably accommodate all your guests. It is not enough for the guests to just sit at the table, they should be comfortable moving around the hall . It should also be taken into account that the waiters should have free access to the tables without causing inconvenience to your guests. Depending on your preferences, you can choose a restaurant with a dance floor in the same room where the feast takes place, or in another hall or on the second floor. Lighting and air conditioners . Hall lightingis also of great importance, because during weddings (and other celebrations as well) photo and video shooting is conducted. The lighting should be sufficient so that you can later admire high-quality photos and videos from your holiday. Your guests will dance a lot, move and participate in fun competitions, so the restaurant's dance hall must have good air conditioning.

We appreciate the service

Banquet service level . The quality of banquet service plays no less a role than the presence of delicious and refined dishes on the tables. The level of service in the restaurant depends on your good mood and the pleasant, or not so, impressions of the guests from the celebration. The ideal option is when 10-15 guests are served by one waiter. In some restaurants, waiters themselves pour drinks for guests. If you want to add elegance to your celebration , check whether the hall you have chosen provides such a service. It is important to form your own impression of the level of service in a restaurant, having previously visited it. Pay attention to how polite the waiters are, whether they are neatly dressed, whether they brought your order quickly, or how friendly the restaurant staff is in general. Do not entertain yourself with vain hopes - unprofessional, impolite staff will not turn into ideal waiters in honor of your holiday . In this case, you should look for another establishment that values ​​its visitors more.

Location of the restaurant

Convenient accommodation. The location of the restaurant should be convenient enough. If it's a wedding, then the restaurant should be located close to the RATS/church so that you don't have to worry about whether you'll arrive on time for all the festivities. Also, your guests should not wander for a long time in search of a restaurant, it is desirable that it is easy to find. It is good if there is regular public transport to other areas of the city in this place. The condition of the surrounding area.Be sure to inquire about the condition of the area adjacent to the restaurant. It should be neatly cleaned and have an aesthetic appearance. Flower beds, fountains and other decorative elements will create a pleasant atmosphere for you and your guests. A positive point will be the presence of tables outside (especially in the warm season), where guests can take a break from dancing and chat over a cup of coffee. Availability of parking. If your guests plan to come by their own vehicle, check if there is a parking lot nearby or a place where they can safely leave their car. The presence of security in the restaurant will be a great advantage. Find out if a security guard (perhaps for a fee) will be able to monitor your guests' vehicles.

Music

"Your own" or restaurant musicians? Almost all restaurants have their own "live music" and, of course, you will be offered to use this service. If you agree to restaurant musicians, do not be too lazy to listen to their repertoire and performance quality when you have the opportunity. Perhaps this is not what you need. Find out whether it is possible to invite your own musicians, whether the necessary equipment is available and what is the cost of its operation. Discuss the repertoire in detail with the musicians, choose the compositions that you would like to hear at your celebration. Also, it is worth agreeing with the restaurant manager to set a separate table for musicians and toastmasters.

Service and additional premises

Kitchen and refrigerators. It is worth checking whether the restaurant has spacious, modern refrigerators that can accommodate all the necessary dishes, sweets and drinks. You can also go into the kitchen and see how clean and tidy it is, whether the cooks follow sanitary and hygienic standards. The work surface and stoves on which food is prepared must be perfectly clean. Cooks must wear special caps and scarves that fit tightly to the hair, special clothes and shoes. The sink for washing dishes must be clean, there must be liquid soap and other chemicals in the kitchen. Toilets and smoking areas.These seemingly small things are actually very important for the successful celebration of a wedding or other solemn event. Do not hesitate to check the condition of the restroom, whether it is cleaned neatly, whether the faucets are working, whether there is toilet paper, liquid soap, and paper towels. There will definitely be smokers among the guests, so find out if the restaurant has smoking areas. Space for storing outerwear. If the celebration takes place in the cold season, it is important to make sure there is a room where guests can leave their outerwear for the duration of the celebration. It is very important that outsiders do not have access there. 

Ordering a hall for a holiday

The cost of the order. As of 2013, the average cost of an order per person in Lviv ranges from UAH 180. up to UAH 350 without sweets and drinks; in Donetsk, the average check will be UAH 350-500. In Kyiv, you will need to pay 250-400 UAH. per person, although if you wish and are able, you can organize a holiday in the capital for 500 UAH or more. per person When choosing a restaurant, you should specify the minimum amount for which you need to place an order, the cost of renting the hall itself (which is approximately from UAH 1,000 to UAH 3,000) and whether there are any hidden costs that you will find out at the last minute. The conditions discussed in detail are a guarantee that you will avoid unnecessary expenses and a spoiled mood on a festive day. Don't forget to ask about the cost of broken dishes and broken furniture, too. Extension of time.It will not be superfluous to find out how much overtime will cost you if you and your guests want to continue the fun. As a rule, the time of stay in restaurants is limited to 23.00. On average, the cost of each subsequent hour is from UAH 150. and more. Clarify these details before booking a restaurant to avoid unpleasant situations already during the celebration. Fireworks, pyrotechnics. Also, discuss with the restaurant manager whether fireworks and pyrotechnics can be set off in the surrounding area, if you intend to decorate your holiday in this way.

Additional Services

As a rule, the institution provides additional services such as decoration and decorations for the hall for the holiday , florist services, etc. It is your personal choice whether to decorate the hall yourself, invite your own specialists, or accept the restaurant's offer. Here everything depends on the cost and quality of the work performed. The restaurant probably often hosts other banquets. You can visit there before the start of one of them and evaluate the decoration of the hall, table of newlyweds, etc. If there will be many children at the holiday, it is worth checking whether the establishment has a children's room where children can have fun without their parents. There are restaurants that provide hotel rooms for the newlyweds and guests, so if you wish, you can use this service.