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How To Choose A Wedding Venue

Tips For Choosing A Wedding Venue

How to Choose a Wedding Venue!!

Are you about to tie the knot with your partner? Congratulations! Youre about to experience one of the best days of your life. An event where you get to start a new journey with the love of your life is no small thing. So, every single detail matters. This post highlights 7 tips for choosing a wedding venue. Finding a place where the celebrations will go down is one detail that needs careful consideration.

Your Wedding Theme Sets The Tone

Have you and your fiancé established a theme for your wedding yet? While a theme isnt necessary, many couples feel that having one personalizes the event. Common themes include classic, rustic, vintage, bohemian, nautical, and tropical. If you do choose a wedding theme, its important to do so before reserving your reception venue. In many cases, your theme will greatly impact the types of reception locations that will be most appropriate. Youll need to decide between indoor and outdoor, for example. If you prefer indoors, the age and architecture of the building will be important. Having a firm grasp on your wedding theme will also allow you to better plan for decorations. Your décor needs and preferences will also impact your reception venue selection.

Recognize The Level Of Service

Understanding staffing standards will give you the upper hand. The event team will build timelines, floor plans, check in vendors, and worry about all of the details you discussed, but your day of team is responsible for execution. What is the wait staff ratio? Industry standard is 1 per 10 guests for a seated dinner. What is the bartender ratio? Industry standard is 1 per 100 guests. If you are adding interactive food stations, cocktail service, or tableside menu ordering, more staff may be needed for flawless service at your reception.

For more guidance on planning your dream wedding, let the experts at Longwood Venues assist you. Visit longwoodvenues.com for more information.

Boston

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A Simple Guide To Picking The Perfect Wedding Venue

Do you already know what kind of place youd like to get married at? Or are you still trying to decide? Whatever stage youre at, this simple guide to picking the perfect wedding venue will help you make the right decision.

Looks are important, but a venue has to serve its purpose and that means everything from easily accessible bathrooms to enough parking for everyone. And most importantly, it has to be perfect for YOU. Make sure to choose a place both you and your other half will love theres no point booking a castle for 300 guests when youre secretly dreaming of a small celebration in an elegant restaurant. Doing things against your wishes leads to major wedding stress!

You may wonder if youll be annoying the venue wedding coordinator by asking so many questions. We assure you, absolutely not. Theyve already met hundreds of brides-to-be and they understand the planning process involves a lot of asking. Plus, the first impression they make on you is really important youll be able to see right away which places really care about exceptional customer service.

Once you narrow down your options to a few places youd like to see, we recommend to take along with you.

And so, without further ado, heres our simple guide to picking the perfect wedding venue. Let us know if you have any questions!

What do we BOTH want?

How many guests?

Will moving my wedding date save money?

Are the packages flexible?

Be Open About Your Target Budget

How to Choose a Wedding Venue (No, Really)

Speaking of money, many clients have the misconception that you shouldnt discuss budget in the first appointment. But purchasing a date at a wedding venue isnt the same as purchasing a car. There are so many variables that could change your bottom line, like guest count, date, plated versus stationed dinner, flat rate bar versus consumption bar, ceremony on-site versus off-site, and more. Be open about how much you want to spend so that your salesperson can do their best to help you.

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Choose A Venue That Has The Flexibility To Execute Your Vision

Truth. You probably already have a vision in your mind of how your wedding will look like. Depending on budget, circumstances, situations, and limitations, it might not be the EXACT SAME EVERYTHING you have in mind.

BUT, when you look for a venue that will be more fitting with your budget, look for something that is creatively flexible in executing your vision within your personal guidelines and budget.

Check online virtual tours and start doing site visits early on so you can be feel the vibe of your potential wedding venue.

PRO TIP 1: Hire a wedding designer consultant. You dont have to hire a full-out wedding planner if you dont want to. But having a wedding creative professional look at your space and giving you design options on the closest way to pull off your vision will be a big advantage.

PRO TIP 2: This could be tip # 1, but we wanted to mention that having a professional helps you out matters.

Being open to suggestions and another possible approach in terms of designs is necessary. If you are limited with a budget and other personal circumstances, there will be compromises required from the get-go.

When you have more custom design options based on your probable venue and vision, you will be arriving at a better decision.

We once turned a basement conference area into a romantic winter wonderland wedding on a budget! Work with a wedding designer consultant to help you out!

Start Your Venue Search Early

You don’t want to fall in love with your dream venue only to find out they’re fully booked for the next 12 months, right? Wedding venues tend to get booked up to a year in advance or more. So if you truly want your first pick of venue or have a non-negotiable wedding date already set, start your venue search and schedule those site visits as soon as you can.

If you’re planning in a pinch or have a more flexible date range, your venue’s availability will be the deciding factor in setting your wedding date.

Just keep in mind that whether your wedding is in winter, spring, summer, or fall, you can work around the weather! If you’re arranging an outdoor party, always prepare a contingency plan: it’s a good idea to have access to an inside space or a tent just in case.

Camp Pinewood Twin Lake, MI

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Tips To Help You Find And Choose A Wedding Venue

Engaged or have an inkling you might be heading down that path soon? Huzzah! Congrats. Youre seriously about to experience one of the best days of your life.

Weddings are awesome. At what other time do you get to gather all of your nearest and dearest, put on a massive party, and dance the night away? And its all in honour of the fact that youve partnered up with the most amazing person you know. Its got to be the biggest win-win ever.

But. And we hate to have to mention a but.

Finding the place that all these celebrations are going to go down at can be seriously tricky. Trust us, weve been there. Hence why WedShed exists.

We decided to put together some tried-and-tested tips to help you find and choose your ideal wedding venue.

Photography by The Evoke Company, featuring WedShed venue Seacliff House Gerringong.

1. Set a tentative budget

Sorry to begin with a boring one but it has to be said. Your budget will probably shape the style of venue youre working with. We use the word tentative because as ladies who have gone down the wedding planning path before, we realise that despite all good intentions, wedding budgets have a tendency to stretch. Budget blow-out is apparently a contagious condition that affects 98% of couples, us included.

2. Try to define where you want to get married

Keen to do a destination wedding? We dont blame you. Plenty of couples are heading away for their nuptials and really giving the wedding thing a good nudge over a few days.

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Restaurant Or Pub Wedding Venues

Choosing your WEDDING VENUE!

For the foodie couple who want an intimate and less traditional celebration, a great restaurant or pub is certainly worth considering for the reception. Check out our list of restaurant wedding venues or contact your favourite eatery or bar to see if they accept bookings for private events.

Pros:

  • The Food: Your guests will thank you for this one!
  • Atmosphere: The atmosphere is usually more intimate and laid-back
  • Choosing a beautiful restaurant means wedding décor can be kept to a minimum
  • Wider range of options: More and more restaurants are offering weddings as a service

Cons:

  • No Accommodation: Guest accommodation is not usually available on-site
  • Location: Good restaurants are usually located in urban centres, so a country wedding might be difficult
  • Early Night: Late licences can be trickier for restaurants
  • No Dance Floor: Space for dancing could be restricted or not available at all
  • Ceremony: A separate ceremony venue is usually necessary – some restaurants will have a suitable space, but not all
  • Less Sense of Occasion: This may not matter to you, but if you’ve dreamed of the big white wedding, a pub probably won’t fit the bill

Cliff Walk at Doonagore | Photo by Mrs Redhead Photography via One Fab Day

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Define Options By Their Potential

With that said, however, an ideal reception venue doesnt have to embody your theme to start with. As you search for the perfect location, its important to keep an open mind. After all, you can do a lot with decorations. A big, open, bare space may seem uninviting now, but by the time your reception rolls around, it will be completely transformed.

Instead of focusing on and fretting over the minute details, pay attention to overarching themes. In this way, finding a reception venue is a lot like buying a new home. It may not fit your vision now, but you can do a lot with it once youve moved in. Keep the big aspects in mind. Is the space big enough for your guest list? Can you decorate it as you want to? Does the architecture or landscaping complement your theme? Sometimes all a space needs is a little imagination!

Weigh The Work Involved

On either end of the wedding venue spectrum are these two extremes: Blank Slate vs All-Inclusive.

A blank-slate wedding venue is basically an empty room or outdoor space where you need to build your wedding “from scratch” by bringing everything in yourself. Depending on the venue, this can include the whole shebang: from the tables, chairs, linens, and flatware to the sound system and dance flooreven portable restrooms and generators!

All-inclusive venues cover multiple services and/or rentals in one package priceperfect for couples who want to hit the “easy button” and save on time and money. All-inclusive venues may provide catering, bar service, upgraded rentals, cake, and extra perks like a champagne toast or complimentary honeymoon suite.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort and Spa Tabernash, CO

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Guesstimate Your Guest List

You dont have to nail down your guest list right now, but youll definitely want to have an estimate before you choose your wedding venue. Knowing how many people you expect to attend will determine the size of the space you require.

Plus, having a rough estimate will come in handy when youre calculating the potential costs of a venue .

Come Up With An Estimated Guest Count

How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Venue

Every wedding venue has a capacitya firm number of guests that it can comfortably hold. This number is usually not flexible, so while you dont need to come up with an exact number of guests before selecting a venue, youll need to have a pretty good estimate. Theres a pretty big difference between a venue that can accommodate 75 guests, and one that can hold 500. Dont just pull a guest count out of thin air . Sit down with your partner and respective families to come up with a list so there wont be any major surprises later on . The last thing you want is to fall in love with a wedding venue with a 50-person capacity only to realize that you have a 150-person guest list.

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Create A Conditional Budget

Your budget plays a part in determining the kind of venue you will use. If your budget is in six figures, youll probably want to use an extravagant hall. On the other hand, if your budget is something much lower, a park or garden might just do. Its a conditional budget because it might have to stretch due to some costs popping up at the last minute. Still, nothing is wrong with spending on a venue youre content with.

Whats Your Wedding Venue Budget

Sorry to bring the dreaded wedding budget into the mix, but this is definitely something youll need to factor in before choosing your wedding venue. Decide what youre happy to spend before reaching out to venues, as this will help to avoid the frustrations of falling in love with a wedding venue thats out of your budget.

Another tip is to ask the venue manager exactly whats included in the hire fee and what else will need to be brought in to create your dream wedding reception. Will they provide chairs and tables? Do they include any additional styling in their hire fee? Asking these questions upfront will ensure you dont get caught out with any surprise costs!

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Discover Your Personality As A Couple

Your venue should reflect both you and your partner. Decide what tugs at your heartstrings by making a list of items that are important to both of you. Is there a place you both grew up vacationing as children? Do you share a love for the city life? Are you both attracted to old world Hollywood glamour? Are you weekend warriors wanting to treat guests to a mini-vacation? If its a specific look youre going for, try to narrow down your non-negotiable items like unique decor, unforgettable location, and date.

Location Of Your Wedding Venue

How To Choose The PERFECT Wedding Venue! | BiancaReneeToday

Although its your wedding, youll probably be inviting some very important people to your wedding so take some of this into consideration when choosing your wedding venue.

When looking for a wedding venue one of the first things you may want to consider is how easy it will be for your main guests to get there. Im mentioning this because you dont have to get married locally, the world is your oyster and with cheap flights to Europe and places across the UK. Such as Scotland and coastal areas are so beautiful. As much as many of us destination wedding photographers love to travel abroad for weddings there are beautiful wedding venues here in the UK.

Do you have any elderly guests coming and if they need to stay over is there appropriate accommodation for them?

When selecting your wedding venue will you be having the ceremony at the same location as the reception?

If they are in separate locations then how practical is it to travel from one location to another?

This wedding I shot for Joe & Verity was in a tree house! OK, you didnt need to climb a rickety ladder to get to it but it was deep in a woodland and a little off road. A county local to me is Cheshire and this place really does have some of the best wedding venues in the world. See this article on cheshire wedding venues for more.

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