Why Cakewalk Doesn't Manage Receptions (and What We Do Help With Instead)
Keeping your wedding simple, intentional, and exactly the right size.
One of the questions we get most often is:
“Can you help us book a restaurant or reception space for after our Cakewalk?”
The short answer: We’re always happy to send recommendations — but we don’t book receptions on your behalf.
And there’s a very good reason for that.
1. Our whole model is built around keeping your planning light and efficient.
Cakewalk exists to give couples a beautifully executed one-hour wedding ceremony without the overwhelm of planning a traditional event.
Once we start researching venues, managing inquiries, comparing menus, emailing back and forth with staff, and handling deposits, we’re no longer talking about an elopement — we’re talking about event production, and the cost of hiring us to do that wouldn’t be worth it for you.
And you don’t need us for that part.
Most restaurants and private spaces in NYC can be booked directly by a couple with a quick phone call or OpenTable message. They don’t require a wedding planner, and we don’t believe in inserting ourselves where we aren’t needed.
2. But we do make sure you’re fully supported after the ceremony.
We love helping couples think through how the rest of their day should flow.
Here’s what we can (and regularly do) help with:
Location recommendations for dinners + celebrations
We have a running list of great spots across Manhattan and Brooklyn that comfortably hold 20 guests or fewer — from tiny private dining rooms to neighborhood gems, low-key cocktail bars, and airy restaurants for daytime celebrations.
We’ll send you suggestions that match your style, group size, and neighborhood.
Coordinating your exit from the Cakewalk
Want a vintage taxi waiting to take you and your guests to dinner? We’ll arrange it.
Extending photography
If you want your photographer to join your reception — whether that’s a dinner reservation, a rented bar room, or grilling on your apartment’s roof deck — you’re always welcome to book additional time.
Your gallery will feel so much more complete with those moments included.
Keeping the day seamless
If your celebration continues immediately after your ceremony, your Cakewalk team can help make sure everyone transitions smoothly before departing. We never just “drop you off” at the end of the hour — we make sure you’re set up for whatever’s next.
3. Why we don’t manage receptions (and never will)
Booking a reception — even a tiny one — involves the same workflow as planning a traditional wedding:
contract negotiation
menu selection
site visits
vendor communication
deposits + invoicing
ongoing coordination
It directly conflicts with what makes Cakewalk affordable, fast, and low-stress.
Our goal is to give you the best ceremony experience possible — and to keep your day light, joyful, and focused on what matters.
Adding reception management would require a full-service planning fee, and that simply isn’t aligned with what a Cakewalk is meant to be.
4. If a reception is important to you, here’s the ideal flow:
Many couples choose one of these:
Dinner for 6–20 guests at a restaurant they book directly
Private bar room for cocktails
Park picnic with a prearranged delivery
Hotel suite celebration
Rooftop or backyard gathering hosted by a friend
You choose the space.
We help shape everything around it so the day feels smooth and intentional.
So here’s the deal.
A Cakewalk is designed to take care of everything that makes a ceremony feel magical — the permitting, the planning, the coordination, the photography, the storytelling, the logistics, the rhythm of the hour.
And when it comes to celebrating afterward, you’ll still have our support — just not the unnecessary expense of hiring us to manage something you can easily handle directly.
If you’re dreaming up a post-Cakewalk plan, send it our way.
We’ll help you figure out the timing, the photography, and the smoothest way to get you from your vows to whatever comes next.