Choosing A Venue For The Big Day

Today we would like to discuss the WHERE of your wedding.

The most important, the WHO, and the WHAT, is obvious :)

But where will all this magic take place? Where will fit your guest count and provide the atmosphere you want for this important day in your lives?

Aside from finding the wedding gown, the venue is the only other element of the wedding that may take long and may, in many cases, be discouraging for a couple.

The first thing to think about (after setting your overall wedding budget range) before searching for a venue is create a preliminary guest list, so you figure out the approximate guest count you expect to have at your wedding. You have a 'must-invite' list, and a 'maybe-invite' list. Once a range is decided, the next thing to think about is what kind of a venue you like. For example, outdoor, indoor, banquet hall, rooftop, hotel ballroom, private estate,  country club, museum, warehouse, garden, ocean view, city view, on the beach, etc.

At this point, you can start the search. Try to think of places that you attended weddings as a guest that really stood out for you. Somewhere where you can imagine making it your own there. Also, start searching online. There are websites like www.herecomestheguide.com or our favorite, www.eventup.com that can provide search results based on guest count, city, type of venue, and so on. If you have hired a planner, your planner will hand pick venues for you that best meet your needs.

After seeing a few options that are worth checking out in person, make appointments with the site's coordinator to get information about the venue, as well as a personal tour of the entire property.

Be observant during this meeting. Can you have both the ceremony and reception on site? Does it have a large enough cocktail hour space? Does it meet your expectations from what you saw online? Does the pricing include catering and bar? Can you bring in your own caterer or alcohol? Does that city have noise restrictions that the venue enforces? If it's an outdoor area, are there options to bring the event indoors in the event of bad weather? Is that something you would want? What fees and service charges are included? What rental items are included (chairs- what kind, tables...) The list of questions can really go on forever.

Once you have your answers, you may be ready to book, discard the idea of having the wedding there, or keep it open as an option.

If the below is you, as you are ready to book...

DO NOT BOOK right away!

If you are interested in a venue you see in person, ask to be provided an estimate and find out the available dates for the month and year you wish to get married. The worst feeling for a bride-to-be is falling in love with a place that is way out of budget (so screen this information to a certain extent prior to booking a tour), or to fall in love with a place that is not available for the time period the wedding has been decided for. Don't do this to yourself!

Have a discussion after seeing each place. Did you both like it? Is the pricing provided within your budget? Does the ballroom allow for creative design to make it your own space?

After a few venue visits, you will know exactly what you are looking for and what you want to stay away from.

Once you are fully confident that you can see that a particular venue is where you can envision yourself getting married, that's when you can go ahead and book it.

Now you can do your happy dance:

You can get married anywhere your heart desires, but to find it is not an easy and quick process. All we can say it is well worth the wait!

Lots of Love,
Susan









images via Google

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