# US regional English: the facility where wedding receptions are held **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634 "2012-08-25T20:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634/21 "2012-08-26T07:49:04Z")
Where I am from in Northwestern Ontario we would usually call it by a nickname of the hall, and most of these were from ethnic cultural group fraternal organization halls, or branches of the Royal Canadian Legion. IE “My sister is getting married at the Slovak (Branch of the Legion) but her shag\* is at the (please this is local slang, I am sorry that it is kind of a slur) Eye-tie.” (Italian Hall)" Actually when the Italian Hall renovated it renamed its bar the “Itai Bar.” \*Northern Ontarian for buck ‘n’ doe, Jack ‘n’ Jill, wedding social, pre wedding party/fundraiser that the bride and groom have, and generally invite (sell tickets to) the wider social circle that wouldn’t necessarily invited to weddings, and they rope friends into selling tickets etc. So shags will often have people there who don’t know the bride or groom but they work with the bride’s cousin. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634/22 "2012-08-26T16:33:23Z")
Here’s one probably unique to the hills: the party barn! Sounds like a righteous good time, huh? WV/OH/KY ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634/23 "2012-08-26T17:47:05Z")
Reception hall (NY/NJ/MA) ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634/24 "2012-08-26T20:53:06Z")
Where Dreams Go to Die ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634/25 "2012-08-27T03:09:14Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > Reception hall (NY/NJ/MA) Even though nearly all of the weddings I am aware of were done in churches, we still often call the “fellowship hall” the reception hall. I think that any place devoted solely to weddings would completely fail around here, due to the many other venues. The atheists I know either got married at a church, went elsewhere, or got married outside. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634/26 "2012-08-28T03:11:20Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > The title is the question: cities in the Rust Belt tend to have many large rental facilities that are popular sites for wedding receptions and banquets. The name for those facilities seems to vary from place to place. > > Cleveland: [party center](https://www.google.com/search?q=cleveland+%22party+center%22) > Buffalo: [banquet hall](https://www.google.com/search?q=buffalo+ny+%22banquet+hall) > Rochester: [party house](https://www.google.com/search?q=rochester+%22party+house%22) > > So, what are such places called around your neck of the woods? When I see or hear “party house”, I think of a rowdy fraternity. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634/27 "2012-08-28T07:57:24Z")
In Utah, the fancy name is called “Cultural Hall” but most of would just call it the “Rec Hall” for recreational hall. e.g., [the basketball court](http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705365347/Giving-the-cultural-hall-a-makeover-for-a-wedding-reception.html?pg=all)in all Mormon churches. > [@](#): > > A place that plays host to events such as high-intensity church basketball games and the annual ward Christmas party might not be the first setting that comes to mind when imagining an impeccably decorated wedding reception. > > Yet, for years, ward cultural halls worldwide have been used for this very purpose. Although a need for versatility requires a sacrifice of style for functionality, shining elegance to match the newlywed couple’s glowing marital bliss can still be achieved through a décor makeover. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-regional-english-the-facility-where-wedding-receptions-are-held/632634.md?page=1)