A reception at home after your destination wedding...Is it worth it?

 Like most people seem to be doing these days, my husband and I decided on a destination wedding. We knew before anything was ever "finalized" that we would get married in Vegas. We have now been married for 2 years and looking back on it, I wouldn't have done it any other way.
I didn't want the stress of planning this huge day that just had to be perfect so I was thrilled when I started researching and found a venue that I loved, but more importantly, was in my budget. I did have some issues being in Calgary, AB and trying to pick a good reception space afterwards. The venue that we chose for the wedding did offer reception packages but I wasn't a big fan of the options available. The reception was important to me as the ceremony was only a few short minutes and we had about 25 guest come out to celebrate with us. Due to our budget and the convenience of having reception spaces at the same location, we ultimately decided on a 50's diner theme and we booked the space for the hour following our ceremony.
After booking everything and realizing what kind of reception I could afford, I decided to have a second one when we got home. I wanted so badly to wear my dress for more then 2 hours and to have that first dance as husband and wife. What I did not realize is that planning a reception after a destination wedding is like planning another wedding.

It was like starting from scratch. I had to find a caterer, DJ, decor, hall, etc. Not to mention all of the money to rent it all. As I said before, we were on a budget and of course I needed everything to be just perfect. Was it worth it to me for that one extra night in my wedding dress? Was it worth all the stress after coming home from our wedding? Was it worth all the money I had spent? Well at the time I sure thought so but after it was all said and done, honestly, I regret my decision.
Now I'm not saying it was all bad and if you truly feel you still want your reception, go for it. I had some great help and found some pretty amazing companies to order everything I needed.

The hall I had booked wasn't the nicest but it was good and cheap. I thought, "Well I am going to have to find some really nice decor to dress this place up". So my next step was finding covers for the chairs in the hall as they were dirty and bright orange or yellow.
After doing some research I discovered Chair Flair Inc. Shannon (the owner) was very nice and had many different options of chair covers, for any type of chair, and most were offered in multiple colors. Shannon also had affordable prices on not only chair covers but all other decor. I ended up using Chair Flair for everything (decor) I needed.
If you do decided to go for the reception after your destination wedding and want great prices and exceptional service, here is a link to Chair Flair's site and a few examples of the wonderful things she offers :www.chairflair.ca

   
Remember what is really important to you when planning both your wedding and reception. Ask yourself, "Is it worth it", and try not to break the bank while planning every little detail of your special day. In the end all that matters is the two of you.

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