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How to Choose Your Perfect Wedding Venue

So you just got engaged, CONGRATS!! Now the whirlwind begins!! After you share your exciting news with family and friends, a flood of wedding day questions quickly follows. The two most common questions (1) Have you set a date? And (2) Where is the reception? And with so many wedding venue choices to pick from, what’s a wedding couple to do?!

wedding venue I recommend your journey to finding the perfect venue begins immediately AFTER picking a DATE (or at least narrowing it down to a few dates you and your fiancé are considering). Keep in mind it is not uncommon to start looking at wedding venue options as early as 18 months in advance. Picking the perfect wedding reception venue can be quite overwhelming.

There is a lot to consider, and the difficult part is striking a balance between your dream, your budget and your guest list. It is important to consider all aspects of each wedding venue and always keep in mind what is important to you and your fiancé.

Following these simple steps will help you decide on your perfect wedding venue:

  1. Pick a Date. It is important to have a date or a few options in mind when looking at reception venues. You don’t want to fall in love with a location that has already been booked for your wedding date. Keep in mind summer and fall months are most popular, and wedding venues book quickly during these times. Venue minimums are typically pricier during peak wedding season. Will you get married on a holiday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? FYI-For budget conscious brides, Friday night weddings are usually cheaper AND just as much FUN-with lower room rental/food/etc. minimums. Keep in Mind: The time of year (i.e. weather) may also impact your wedding venue decision. An outdoor summer wedding could be hot and humid, making you & your guests uncomfortable. An October barn venue may be colder than you expect requiring you to plan for some type of ancillary heating.
  2. Pick a Theme/Style. Make a joint list of your perfect wedding venues with your fiancé. Discuss the style and feel you want to achieve with your venue. What type of setting do you want; casual, romantic, formal? Is your perfect location a carefree beach, a beautiful park, your family’s property, a luxurious hotel, a kickback barn, a traditional reception hall, a quaint museum, a rocking train or boat, a winery location, a remote ski lodge, a luscious botanical garden or a magical destination?
  3. Estimate a Guest Count. Is your potential wedding venue large enough to accommodate all of your guests comfortably? Certain reception venues may automatically be eliminated due to inability to accommodate your guest list. Will you be inviting children to your reception? Will any special accommodations be necessary? What about parking and the distance to your venue? For out of town guests, be sure to think about hotel accommodations within the general vicinity of your venue.
  4. Consider your Venue Budget. You will need to allocate your budget between the wedding venue location, food, alcohol, table and chair rental, place settings rental and linen rental. For outdoor receptions, extra costs may include tent rentals, additional electrical setup, external heating or air conditioning and additional lighting. A large portion of these costs will be based on the total number of guests you are planning on attending (refer to #3). Be prepared to make concessions on either the venue or the number of guests you can afford.
  5. Narrow List of Venue Choices based upon #1-4. After determining your date, budget, theme/style, and the total number of guests you plan to invite, the list of potential wedding venues will automatically reduce. Bonus Tip: A full service venue, like a banquet hall, will often include pricing for food, alcohol, all your rentals, set up and tear down at the end of the evening. If you decide on a non-full service venue, then you or your wedding planner will be responsible for booking separate vendors for each of these items.
  6. Visit the Venues & Ask Lots of Questions. Make a list of questions before visiting each of the wedding venues. Be sure you clearly understand what IS included and NOT included as part of the venue. When it comes to pricing, everything is negotiable. However, if you select the most popular date of the year, the wedding venue business manager will be less flexible. And remember, if you need to cut costs and are flexible regarding your wedding day, ask the venue manager about pricing for a Friday or a Sunday. If the wedding venue provides their own catering, talk to the catering manager as well. Visit the venue around the same time of day you will be using the facility. The look and feel of the wedding venue may be different depending on the time of day. Finally, consider creating a spreadsheet for comparing all venue options. Your decision will be easier when all options are laid out side by side.

There is a lot of work involved to design and plan your wedding venue. The ideas you start with and the actual wedding venue you end with may be totally different. Remember–stick to your budget, strive for your vision, and consider a wedding planner to make it happen!!