3 Ways To Improve Traffic Flow At Your Wedding Reception
When it comes to making your wedding reception guests comfortable and keeping them happy, traffic flow should be a primary consideration. Ensuring the best flow of people throughout the space will help everything from wait times at the buffet to keeping a full dance floor. Here are a few key ways to improve traffic flow, especially if you have chosen a ballroom as the venue.
1. Offer Multiple Options
Avoid bottlenecks and long lines at key points by offering more options at times. For instance, you prevent bottlenecks at the ballroom entrance by offering two different entry doors and guest books. Similarly, multiple locations for appetizers or several buffet table lines help to avoid long lines from forming and people from becoming frustrated.
Look for ways to add additional locations for certain key activities, such as the gift table, refreshment tables, and paths to the dance floor. Your guests will thank you.
2. Widen Routes
How wide are the primary traffic paths around the ballroom? Generally, the main traffic patterns should be able to accommodate two or three persons walking side-by-side as well as people passing comfortably by each other. This includes the main traffic paths to places like the bathrooms, the buffet areas, and the bar.
Pay attention to the space between dining tables as well. This is a common traffic flow issue. If the result is only the minimum amount of space between tables, you might do well to reduce the number of tables in the ballroom or consider a different shape table rather than make the area too cramped for comfortable movement.
3. Remove Obstacles
In addition to being wide, traffic paths should also be as straight and unobstructed as possible. The more obstacles and turns a person must navigate to get from Point A to Point B, the less likely they are to feel free to move around, and fewer people will be able to move about at the same time.
Consider how a simple column might affect the path to the dance floor. Guests have to stop and move around the column, impeding the flow behind them. Dancers coming and going may not be able to pass at the same time, impeding the flow on both sides. And the column could be a hazard for tired dancers who have imbibed or are in a rush. The best solution may be to move the path so it avoids the column entirely, in this example.
As you plan an enjoyable experience for everyone at your reception, traffic flow will become an important element. For more information about renting wedding ballrooms as a venue, contact a local venue service.
