Choosing the perfect location for your wedding reception can be an overwhelming and exhausting search. If you are one of the few lucky brides who attended a wedding and just knew this was the place for you, congratulations. Otherwise, we thought you could use some help.

The first step in planning your reception is making a guest list. We suggest that the bride and groom buy each set of parents an address book. Give it to them on a Saturday morning and invite them both over for dinner the following Sunday. In each guest book they need to list, in pencil, all of the family members that are being invited. So, if Great Aunt Sarah has sixteen daughters you've never met, all of which have a herd of kids and a husband, you need all of their names in this book. Otherwise, you will not have an accurate count of how many people you are inviting. Now, beside each name ask that each parent, in pencil, write the total number of people they think will come from that family, and circle it. If none of Great Aunt Sarah's daughters or grandchildren will come, but you need to invite them, you need to know. This is a time consuming process but is really one of the first things you should do when planning a wedding. Also ask that your parents include everyone they want invited to the wedding, including those they work with and friends. And you need it by dinner, next Sunday. Besides having the count for your reception you will now have the addresses for invitations, surprise parties you may throw your parents, birth announcements, etc. You also have to do your own address book of your friends along with your fiancé. And you need it by dinner, next Sunday. If the parents are either very busy or very unorganized, you can always ask a gracious aunt who would love to help.

At dinner, count up the total number of guests. This may be a good time to discuss the budget. If you are inviting 200 guests and are hoping to have an elaborate wedding a budget of $1200 just won't work. You need to know what you can expect for your money. Consider that McDonald's is $6 per person. While it is possible to plan a fabulous wedding on a tight budget-you may not be able to afford the fully staffed sit-down meal at the fancy hotel you were hoping for on $1200.

So, this is a good time to bring up the first budget talk. Under no circumstance am I suggesting that you put anyone on the spot about how much they are paying for. Perhaps give them an article about who traditionally pays for what in a wedding and a budget worksheet. Then thank them for their love and support over the years. You wouldn't have been here without them. And nicely say something like, "No matter how much you can or cannot financially contribute to our wedding, we would like to thank you ahead of time for all of the hard work you will be putting in over the next year. If possible, we would like to know in the next few weeks what you will be able to help with." You each know your parents and how best to handle the situation. Some brides simply send their parents receipts. Others get a credit card with a limit and spend it how they see fit. No matter what your situation be tactful and polite. Your family may be adjusting to the fact that they are losing their baby. Couple that with the stress of funding a wedding and you can see why many outbursts of tears often follow these discussions.

Whew, that was hard work! Now that is over- let the fun begin. Decide where you ant your wedding ceremony to be held. If you are at a local church, I strongly suggest no more than a 25 minute drive time from the church to the reception. This will narrow your list down considerably. Now look at your guest list. How many people will be coming to the reception? Some reception sites are too large and others too small. Again, narrow it down. Now, you will start to look at price. Comparing prices on receptions can be a challenge in itself. To see a list of things to consider when comparing prices for a reception.