Renting a Municipal Community Hall for Your Wedding: a How-To Guide

The municipality's community hall is often the most economical solution for a large reception. It also has its own rules, very different from those of a private reception venue: booking with the town hall, strict house rules, regulated hours. Well prepared, it can host a very beautiful wedding. Here’s how to proceed.

Why choose a municipal hall

Often low rental fees

Municipalities rent their halls at rates generally lower than private venues, often with a preferential rate for residents. For a large wedding, the difference can free up a significant part of the budget for the caterer or the decoration.

Large capacity

Many community halls can accommodate several hundred people, which makes them a sought-after solution for traditional, very large weddings. If you expect more than 300 guests, our guide to finding a hall for 300 guests complements this article.

Free choice of caterer

In most municipal halls, you can choose your caterer, or even cook yourselves if the kitchen allows. This is an advantage for honoring a family culinary tradition.

How to book

Contact the right municipality

The first hall to ask about is the one in your municipality of residence, or that of your parents: many municipalities reserve their hall for their residents, or apply a much more advantageous rate for them. Some also rent to outsiders, at a higher price.

The steps

Booking is done with the town hall service that manages the halls (reception, community life service or festivities department, depending on the municipality). You will generally be asked for:

• a booking request form;
• proof of address for the resident rate;
• a liability insurance certificate covering the event;
• a security deposit check, sometimes two (damages and cleaning).

Book early

Municipal halls are in high demand on Saturdays in spring and summer, for weddings but also for associations. Some municipalities open bookings on a specific date, others allocate dates on a rolling basis. Find out as soon as your date is fixed. Our article when to book your hall details the right timeline.

The house rules: read them before signing

This is the big difference with a private venue: the municipality applies the same rules to all renters, and rarely negotiates them.

Hours

The end time of the event is often set by the rules, sometimes early in the night, to respect the peace of nearby residents. Check it before planning a dance party until dawn. Our article on hours and noise at the end of the evening explains these rules.

Music and the sound limiter

Many community halls are equipped with a limiter that cuts the PA system above a certain volume. Warn your DJ: they will need to set up their equipment accordingly.

Decoration

Nails, thumbtacks, adhesives, confetti, open-flame candles: the rules often prohibit some of these. Our article on what the hall allows in terms of decoration lists the most common prohibitions.

Cleaning and tidying

The rules specify who does the cleaning, what must be put away and at what time the hall must be returned. Poor cleaning is one of the main reasons for a deduction from the security deposit.

Preparing the hall for a wedding

Transforming a multi-purpose venue

A community hall is neutral by nature. That’s an advantage: it lends itself to any atmosphere. Good lighting, drapery, chair covers and a few floral arrangements completely change the ambience. Our lighting ideas for the hall are a good starting point, and a wedding decorator can take care of everything.

The kitchen and equipment

Check the kitchen equipment with your caterer, and what the town hall provides: tables, chairs, sometimes dishes. The rest can be rented.

The inventory inspection

A check-in and check-out inventory inspection is almost always required. Be present, take photos and have any existing damage recorded. See our article on the deposit and the inventory inspection.

The big day in a municipal hall

Handover of the keys

Keys are generally handed over the day before or the morning of the event, during the check-in inspection, to a municipal employee or the caretaker. Ask for a number that can be reached at the weekend: in case of heating failure or power cut, that is who you will need to call.

A responsible person on site

The contract is signed in the name of one person, who remains responsible for the hall all evening. Appoint a trusted friend or relative who will not drink much, who will know the rules, will monitor the end time and will ensure respect for the neighbors upon departure.

Returning the hall

Plan a team for tidying and cleaning, often the next morning. Returning the hall in the condition you found it is the best way to recover your deposit and to keep good relations with the town hall if another wedding is being planned in the family.

Alternatives if your municipality's hall is not available

Neighboring municipalities, parish halls, association halls, private reception venues at low weekday rates: there are plenty of options. Our article on the cheap wedding hall offers about a dozen. You can also compare the wedding halls listed on DreamWeds, with their capacity and published prices.

Frequently asked questions

Can you rent a community hall in a municipality where you don't live?

Often yes, but not always: some municipalities reserve it for their residents. When it is open to outsiders, the rate is usually higher. Check directly with the town hall.

Do you need insurance to rent a municipal hall?

Yes, the town hall almost always requires a liability insurance certificate covering the event. Your home insurance can provide it; otherwise, a specific event insurance exists.

Does the town hall provide tables and chairs?

Most often yes, within the limits of the hall's capacity. Dishes, tablecloths and decorations are, however, rarely provided: check the exact list in the rental agreement.

Can you extend the evening beyond the scheduled end time?

Rarely. The end time is set by the rules and sometimes by a municipal decree. Exceeding it may lead to a deduction from the deposit and to the intervention of law enforcement in case of a complaint from neighbors.