Pismo Beach Reception Venues –

Money saving tips for a Pismo Beach wedding reception venues

We’ve seen a lot of different wedding reception options with our couples.   Some decide to some a group dinner at a local restaurant and others decide to have a 4 course, private dinner. Whatever you choose, here are some cost saving tips.

Having a reception catered is not always the least expensive option

We’ve priced out catering for couples and have found that having a meal catered is not less expensive than going to a local reception venue.  

With catering, the food cost may look less expensive, but there are a lot of extra costs to think about – rentals of tables and chairs, staff, plates, silverware, cups, and rental fees.  

Not to mention, who is going to be setting up your catered event?   You really don’t want to ask you Aunt to go ahead of time and prep the area, move chairs, and make sure the store is heated.  

For a more popular reception venue, try for a day other than Saturday

There are some beautiful Pismo Beach wedding reception venues. Many of these places charge premium prices for Saturday events since they know they are going to book larger weddings for these days. If you have a smaller wedding, ask for pricing for a wedding on a Friday or Sunday.   For the Spyglass Inn, they offer discounted rates for small wedding receptions booked on days other than Saturday.  

Have an later morning wedding and go for an afternoon lunch reception

Pricing for lunch is normally many times less expensive than dinner. If you still want your guests to be together in the evening, consider an activity for the evening. Some couples have done bonfires, some hotels have fire pits where you can host a dessert hour with drink, or go out to a local bar for some late night dancing.  

A large group reservation

A large reservation allows all of your guests to be together in one space. Though it’s not a private space, it can save some money since you won’t pay a fee for reserving a room.   They will charge a percentage of tip and maybe a service fee for a large group, so make sure to ask.   Some restaurants have space off to the side so it would be more of a semi-private event.

Ask the experts

Coastal California Weddings staff has not only eaten at most of the restaurants in Pismo Beach, but we know a lot about the local reception venues.   Our staff has photographed and had reception food at local Pismo Beach reception venues so we have our favorites!  

Some local restaurants charge a small fee of $150 to reserve a private room for your wedding. Other local restaurants have a food and beverage minimum that needs to be met.  

Keep decorations simple

I encourage couples who want to have decorations at their wedding reception to use ceremony decorations at the reception. For example, have hanging flowers in vases down the aisle and then use those vases to decorate your wedding table.   Use small lanterns as the centerpieces and then use them at home for decorations.

All of these tips are great to think about when selecting a reception venue.

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Sunday reception with a dessert bar, ocean view and dancing!

Taking one of the money saving tips from above, our couple decided to get married at this beautiful Pismo Beach reception venue.  

This couple had the ceremony and reception overlooking the ocean. They invited close family and friends and to keep things very simple had both the ceremony and reception at the same location.   There is also a beach close by for photos there if the tide is right.  

For the reception, the couple had the best idea for dessert – a variety of yummy treats and a small couple’s cake.   The wedding dessert was done by my favorite bakery Arroyo Grande Bakery.   For the dessert bar, it had a beach theme that matched their wedding colors of teal and white colors. The yummy desserts included: thumbprints, beach cookies with their initials, mini pies, mini eclairs and custard creams.

Here’s some photos from their Ocean View Pismo Beach Reception Venue

Rethink the wedding cake – 5 fun and unique wedding dessert ideas at your Pismo Beach Reception Venues

“What unique thing can we do at our wedding reception to impress our guests?” Engaged couples have asked me the same question more times than I can remember. What do I tell them? Well, everyone knows that one of the easiest ways to instantly impress guests at a wedding reception is with food, but I have an even better idea. How about impressing them with dessert?  

It’s true that everyone loves cake, but it’s not your only option. There are other fun wedding desserts that will surely leave your guests asking for more. In a wedding world where casual has gone chic and DIY is delightfully divine, say out with “the bigger the better” wedding cake and in with these fun and unique wedding desserts.  

Donuts    

This universally loved indulgence (and Homer’s favorite!) is not only a nostalgic Sunday morning treat but also one of this year’s newest and most unconventional wedding desserts. From Krispy Kreme towers to sophisticated doughnut holes hand dipped in gourmet chocolate, this former cheap breakfast sweet has quickly become a dessert buffet must have.

Macaroons  

Macaroons are all the rage right now. These pretty French treats are basically meringue cookie sandwiches with a delicate cream filling of ganache, buttercream, or jam. The best part of adorning your dessert table with macaroons is that you can choose from hundreds of flavor and color combinations to fit your wedding theme.  

Custom Sundae Bar

If you’re looking for an affordable, whimsical and fun dessert option that your wedding guests won’t be able to resist, why not try a custom sundae bar? You can select your favorite candies, toppings and treats. This way, your guests can pick and choose their own dessert options.   It’s also a cost saving tip because some Pismo Beach wedding venues serve ice cream with their dinner packages.   So, no need to spend extra on dessert for your guests.

Infused Strawberries  

This is a very interesting twist on your typical strawberry bar! Guests can choose from different liquors (Orange brandy, Baileys, Kahlua, Raspberry Vodka, etc.) and have them infused into the strawberry and then dipped in rich white or dark chocolate. To finish this already delicious treat, you can choose from a different selection of toppings (nuts, coconut and sprinkles). Yummy!

Mochi Ice Cream  

One of my favorites and worth any ensuing brain freeze, mochi ice cream is a Japanese confection made from mochi (pounded stick rice) with an ice cream filling. With many flavors to choose from (green tea, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry or mango), your guests will love this tiny, yet refreshing treat.

Conclusion  

If you want to impress your wedding guests with some fun and trending desserts, then serve them one (or all) of these yummy dessert options! Have fun experimenting, and don’t forget to taste test before hand – it’s the sweetest part at your Pismo Beach reception venues.

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One bride’s experience with finding a wedding reception venue…  

When we first started the search for a wedding reception venue we found one we really liked.   But, a long story short, the venue didn’t really specialize in smaller events.   They were used to grand events with 100 plus guests.   In the end we had to cancel the venue and found a great little restaurant with a private space.   It was perfect!

Our menu was one of the last things we thought about.   Some of it was easy; there would be a vegetarian (me), seafood eaters and other non-vegetarians, two lactose-intolerant people, and one gluten-free.   As the vegetarian in the house, I tend to be overly sensitive to the dietary needs of others.   This comes from years of being offered iceberg lettuce with a few slightly dehydrated cucumber slices, and a sliver of a tomato as a garnish as a meal.  I also wanted something a little fun and unique for our wedding.

The manager at the restaurant was everything we wanted and expected from a gracious host!    The experience was vastly different from the events coordinator we encountered at our original venue (made for large weddings).   He was attentive, responsive, and offered ideas and suggestions in a manner that was not pushy.   You know the look they give you when you tell them you are on a budget!   The manager expressed an interest in our vision for the day.   We felt important, even though our wedding was small.

With selecting a restaurant as our reception venue as opposed to a lounge or something similar, we needed to be a bit more flexible with our vision.   Initially, we wanted to avoid an awkward sit-down lunch and tried to keep it casual.   When we first made our travel plans, we thought a week would be too much lead-time before our wedding.   This turned out to be the perfect amount of time for our destination wedding.  

Some important things we needed to consider other than the dietary needs of our guests were: Three courses or four?   How large are the portions?   Is there enough variety?   Can we have a special menu for kids?   What kind of appetizers can we offer to be passed as we mingle on the beautiful outdoor patio?   What would we like to highlight?   Since our particular venue is known for its pasta dishes (all made fresh), we decided to include a pasta dish as a course.   Each portion was rightly sized for our guests, though several felt stuffed after our delicious lunch!   The nature of the restaurant offered us a variety of dishes that would be on the rare side, or at the very least, not likely to be made at home. The menu, though lunch, was special enough for a wedding and very delicious.

An additional bonus was the dessert selection!   Not only were the desserts luscious and tasty, but they were also included in the price.   This meant, no wedding cake expense!   We were able to save at least $400.00 by forfeiting a wedding cake.   A wedding cake is nice and traditional, but we found it was not necessary for us.  

Trust those who specialize in small events to make your celebration truly amazing!  Coastal California Weddings works with great Pismo Beach reception venues that know how to work with small weddings.  We have some amazing reception venues that will make your whole wedding celebration unforgettable!  To see our packages visit  http://coastalcaliforniaweddings.com/elopement-and-small-wedding-packages/.

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