Hi and welcome to the forum! I'm getting married at AS in less than a month so I can help you out a bit, but be sure to check out the thread dedicated to brides getting married at AS - there is a ton of helpful info. It will take you a while to read through it all, but I do recommend reading all the posts, it sure makes things easier later on. If you have your dinner in the restuarant that comes with your package, you do not get your own private area. You get a section of the restaurant and thats it. In order to have privacy you do need to book a private reception. You can also rent a mic and ipod station to play your own music and have speeches. This is what we are doing because the DJ is $1300 and we really couldnt justify the expense. If you book a private reception, you get a private location - I think there are 5 you can choose from - and you can choose the menu. It comes with an open bar and servers too. Hope that helps, be sure to read the thread. Happy Planning