Questions To Ask When Planning An Affordable Reception Restaurant Location

Last post I wrote about low budget, Affordable Wedding Locations. Choosing to have your wedding  in a more affordable location usually means having your reception and wedding in  different locations. Restaurants have become a popular and affordable  reception location or venue for a low budget wedding, especially for smaller weddings.

Why does a restaurant save you money over renting a facility?

• No chairs, tableware, glassware, and linens to rent.
• No need have to hire a caterer.
• Decorations and decor are already in place because a restaurant comes with an inviting, welcoming ambiance.

What other reasons are there for choosing a restaurant?

• A broad choice of unique locations.
• Most restaurants come with a distinctive ambiance and décor, which allows for individual taste being reflected in your environment.
• Restaurants have a particular and unique cuisine.
• Restaurants want return business, unlike a wedding location, so often you get more personal attention.

How do you find a suitable restaurant to fit your low budget wedding?

• Search Google using these possible search phrases: (city, county, or state) restaurant reception location (site), (city, county, or state) restaurant wedding reception location (site)
• Search local Chamber of commerce: at Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber you can do a search for restaurants.
• Consider a restaurant that doesn’t normally have receptions, perhaps one where you are a regular customer and they may be open for your reception.
• Here is a list of San Mateo Coastside restaurant locations at Weddings By The Sea.

Sam's Chowder House Restaurant

What things should you consider, what questions should you ask?

• Can the restaurant handle your number of guests?
• Do they have a location apart from regular diners or do you need to rent the whole location? The best option when you have a limited budget is to choose a location with more than one dining area or that has private dining facilities.
• Is there an option for brunch or buffet?  What is the cost difference between a sit-down dinner and a buffet?
• Are their options for dishes to select from? Can there be individual ordering for each guest?
• Are there enough bathrooms and parking?
• What amenities are included with the event?
• Does the quoted price include the waitperson’s tips and parking for the guests?

One final tip: Be sure to test the food several times yourself and experiment with different dishes.
Authored by Terry Plank

One Of The Best Coastside Ceremony Location Ocean Views

View Of Pillar Point From Sam’s Chowderhouse

Sam’s Chowder House offers one of the best ocean view locations for a wedding ceremony and reception in the Half Moon Bay area. The have both outdoor and indoor locations for a ceremony. Outside, I’ve performed several ceremonies on the beach at the harbor below the restaurant; they also have a nice grass area on site that offers a beach wedding location without getting sand in your shoes!
As for the food, well they have award-winning seafood and everything I’ve had there at receptions and for general dining has been of the highest quality and flavor. The service staff for weddings are experienced and helpful so you are in good hands for the ceremony and the reception following.

Sam’s web site is one of the best of the San Mateo County Coastside wedding vendors and services. They have a very helpful Web Cam mounted on the roof, you can see both north and south so you’re never surprised by what the weather might hold if you’re traveling over for the day.

Look over their site at www.samschowderhouse.com; contact them at 650 712-0245 or at events@samschowderhouse.com. Terry is available as an officiant here and any Bay Area locations.

Authored by Terry Plank

I’ve had the pleasure to dine twice at the Coastside’s newest restaurant, La Costanera. The restaurant is completely renovated at this bluff top location in Montara California overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This three-story, 10,000-sq.-ft. facility has a soaring glass ceiling plus tall windows to maximize ocean viewing and interaction with the environment where coastal mountains meet the sea.

(Photo from www.lacostanerarestaurant.com)

Let’s start with the food, excellent! Chief Carlos Altamirano also owns SF’s Piqueo’s and Mochica; his creations are made with authentic Peruvian ingredients, many of them brought regularly from Peru to provide a unique Peruvian fusion cuisine with a dozen types of ceviche, tiraditos and crudos. The bar has a wide range of unique Peruvian drinks and specialty cocktails.

The facility has a wide range of options for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, and even small wedding ceremonies. In addition to the main dining area there is an adjacent smaller area, an upstairs room that is very private, a bar and lounge on the ground floor, and an outside seating area for up to 50. The restaurant is also wheelchair accessible. So whether you have just a few people or 300, this location can accommodate to your particular needs. Of course the rental fees depend on the space rented and the meals range from $50-100/person. They are open year-round, Tuesday-Sunday from 5pm to midnight.

You can’t beat the views from the restaurant above Montara State Beach location; see for yourself from a video I shot of the area.

Here is the address and contact info:
8150 Cabrillo Highway, Montara, CA
Phone: 650/728-1600
Email: events@lacostanerarestaurant.com

Visit their site at www.Lacostanerarestaurant.com

Authored by Terry Plank