The Hunt Begins

See that glittering NYC skyline? We would like to admire that view from our wedding reception.

Once we decided to keep our wedding local, we had to narrow down the countless possibilities for our reception somehow. We came up with three, important criteria:

1. The reception must be close to our ceremony at Church of St. Ann's in Hoboken. We love Hoboken & the surrounding area & we want to share that with our wedding guests.
2. The reception must have New York City skyline views. The NYC views are one reason we love Hoboken so we'd like to enjoy those stellar views at our wedding.
3. The reception must fit our budget & only host one wedding at a time. Obviously, we don't want to break the bank. Also, we're not interested in sharing the space with another wedding.

For every Bride & Groom, their criteria will be different but I think it's important to narrow down your choices. I have witnessed Brides & Grooms who have exhausted every single possibility in the tri-state area before deciding upon a reception location. I did not want this to be us. I feel it's a waste of our time & energy. If you know what you want, it makes the process easier.

Every time I mention our three reception contenders, someone says "Well, what about such & such place?" Inevitably, it's a great place but it does not meet one of our basic criteria. We chose these criteria for a reason & we plan to stick to it. When I help couples search for a reception location, I always ask for basic criteria & I have yet to see one list that resembles another. Another couple may choose a hotel ballroom, budget-friendly & a separate Bridal Party room as their criteria. Again, this is a personal choice. What works for us, may not work for the next couple. Pick important things that matter to you to make your location hunt more defined.

Using our criteria, we chose the Chart House, W Hotel Hoboken & Hyatt Jersey City as our top three possibilities. Our site tours have began; stay tuned for details! All I can say is it's going to be TOUGH decision!!