#bakerlofts

By Jamie May Photography: Pros to One Wedding Venue Is it a good to have your wedding and reception at the same venue? My response to this questions is, YES! If you can pull it off, it definitely takes a stressful part out of the equation.  I would definitely look for a place that has two locations for the ceremony and reception. It is nice if there is minimum set up that needs to take place. Baker Lofts has two rooms and Ellen used one for her ceremony and the other for her reception.  Venues that have a outside location and an indoor is also nice.   The only way it could get cumbersome is if you have to tear down tables and re-arrange, but usually there is a cocktail hour so just have a good plan to have for the guests in that transition time.  Or even better, maybe you can opt out of a cocktail hour all together and save money.  You would want to have a plan of accomplishing all your pictures first, check out my blog post on benefits of a first look Granted, if you have a home church or a beautiful establishment to have your wedding, that is great! If you are on the fence, though, over the years these are some of the pluses I have noticed with one location: Stress-reliever It is a time saver. Easy set-up, carrying, loading, etc... overall easier process Transportation is optional for pictures, you can either stay or go Easy for your guest Overall just a more chill/relaxed day Perhaps, it saves you money Likely, have more people attend your ceremony (I have been guilty of only arriving to the reception as a guest) The Couple Now, a little bit about this wedding and the lovely couple in the pictures.  Ellen and Tom met through a local restaurant.  Tom friended some  moms since he was not from the area and would see them on a regular basis.  One day they saw Ellen  and orchestrated the magic that led us to this day.  Ellen, Tom,  friends and family were delightful to work with. They made us feel right at home and had a ton of humor, which I can appreciate! Tom and Ellen did not do a first look at their wedding, but had a cocktail hour in between and two separate rooms at the Baker Lofts in Holland.  They had the super cool, sword ceremony! My first, and it was fun watching the team practice beforehand.   After the ceremony, we hopped on a trolley to tour around the beautiful town of Holland.  Ended back at the Loft, the couple was announced and cut their cake immediately.  I think this is a good idea.  I like getting the events accomplished early because after dinner, cake can be cut in a timely manner.  This was a lively bunch and I loved watching them dance the night away. So thankful to be a part of it! Best Wishes Tom and Ellen I hope I have helped explain the pros to having one location for your wedding venue Pros to One Wedding Venue  

Jamie May