If you're looking for a convenient place to hold your wedding reception, consider renting space at your favorite restaurant. Whether you go with a local eatery or one in another town or city if you're having a destination wedding, you'll be able to cross several items off of your "to-do" list at once. 

One of the first things to take into consideration when choosing a restaurant to hold your reception in is the size of the venue. Some eateries will allow you to rent the entire space for a few hours, giving you and your guests total privacy. Other eateries only offer a small event room or a banquet room for special occasions, so inquire about the options when narrowing down your list of possible restaurants. 

Another thing to consider when booking a restaurant venue is the time of year your big day takes place in. If you're holding it during a busy time of year, such as the summer wedding or winter holiday season, book the space as soon as possible to ensure availability. This is especially important for popular eateries. 

Following are a few additional tips for holding your wedding reception in a restaurant:

1. Ask About Package Deals 

When renting event space at a restaurant, they will sometimes offer a package deal to include food, and possibly drinks, as well. You may need to create a prix fixe menu for guests to order from, or just choose one or two meal options. Be sure to consider any of your attendees' dietary restrictions when creating the reception menu with the chef. For instance, provide a meat- or dairy-free meal option for the vegans and vegetarians in the crowd.

Some restaurants don't offer onsite wedding cakes or other specialty desserts, so you may have to hire a caterer to handle it for you. You can also have the cake made in a bakery and bring it to the eatery yourself on the wedding day. 

2. Inquire About Decor and Other Logistics

If you want to give the event space a personalized touch through decor and logistics such as tables, chairs, and linens, ask the restaurant staff if it's allowed prior to booking the venue.  As an example, you may be able to decorate the eatery's tables with a tablecloth or runner that coordinates with the reception theme or overall color scheme.

Other ways that you can customize the event space are with a dance floor, table centerpieces such as flower vases, string lights to create ambiance, and chair cushions to add both visual appeal and comfort. 

For more info, contact a local company like The Scotsman Public House.