I always swore I would NEVER--under any circumstances--ever have my wedding reception in an LDS cultural hall (aka the church gym). Well, never say never. Turns out weddings are expensive and the cultural hall is free.
At one point in the wedding planning process, we seriously thought we were going to have our reception at the Sandia Resort & Casino Reception Center. I'm so glad we didn't go that route. Not only would it have been a huge added expense, more importantly it just wouldn't have felt like us.
There are several venues in Albuquerque I would have loved to have our wedding reception at if money were no object. But together, we came to the conclusion that for us, the money it would cost to rent any type of venue just wasn't feasible or worth it.
Our family and close friends all helped us decorate the gym for the reception the night before our wedding. That same night, once all the decorating had been done, we all gathered together in the Relief Society room to chow down on local BBQ from Rudy's. It was a great opportunity for our families and wedding party to get to know each other and bask in the excitement of coming together.
Yes, our wedding reception was in the church gym. Was it picturesque, Pinterest or wedding blog worthy? No. Did we have a great time celebrating with great food and good friends and family? Yes. Was it beautiful in its own way? Absolutely.
At the end of the day, we did what we felt we could afford and I have absolutely no regrets. New Mexico Pie Company (who sadly closed their doors last month) provided us with insanely delicious food, which people still talk about a year later. We're food people so that just fit us. Our reception was small and modest, but it was the perfect ending to an amazing day full of love and laughter.
Mormon brides-to-be I'll let you in on a little secret...you can have your wedding reception in the cultural hall and actually enjoy yourself. It's not the end of the world. You can make it beautiful in your own way.
Decor & Eats
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| Shout out to Tasha and David for their mad skills making this backdrop! |
Cutting the Cake
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| Thank you Spian for taking care of our cake for us! |
Daddy-Daughter Dance
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| I love you, dad! |
Our Fabulous Guests
The Sendoff
Somehow I stayed out of the. Pics. Woot!
ReplyDeleteIt was so pretty with the chair covers and stuff!
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