Pick The Wedding Venue That’s Right For You
I hope this episode helped you either work through the venue selection process, or prepared you for it. If you have ANY questions, Im more than happy to answer them!
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How To Pick A Wedding Venue If Youre Not There
Choosing the perfect venue where to get married is always difficult even more when it comes to destination weddings. As we said, we are aware that you wont always be able to inspect the site in advance: thats why the wedding planners role is so important.
He can get in touch with your preferred venues, in order to select those that are available in the timeframe you chose for your event. He can check their indoor and outdoor spaces and capacity, and talk to the managers which might also change unexpectedly to make sure that the contract is clear, complete and doesnt hide any bad surprise.
He can let you know if the location is easy to reach for your guests or if its placed in the middle of nowhere, far from the main airports and connected to cities through dirt roads unsuitable for vans.
He can check if its possible to get married on site with a legal ceremony, or a religious one or if youll have to opt for a symbolic ritual.
He can even give you suggestions about places that have everything youre looking for, but maybe youre unaware of! Hidden gems, that he discovered throughout his years of work and that could make your celebration truly unique.
Basically, he can take care of all of the previous steps, so that you wont have to stress about anything not even the choice of the wedding venue.
Look At Real Wedding Photography & Videos Featuring Potential Venues
Unless a venue is brand new to weddings, couples will have got married there and its really helpful to see how your potential wedding venue looks during an actual wedding day. This can be as simple as searching your venue plus wedding in google or finding photographers that have worked there via social platforms. Real wedding photos give you the expertise on how the space is used in the real world as opposed to styled shoots that will feature in venues brochures and websites.
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Reach Out To A Few Venues With Some Basic Questions
Once youve narrowed down a list of five or so venues, send each one a message expressing your interest and asking a few questions. These questions should include if theyre available on your desired date, confirming their capacity, and ensuring that they offer the top priorities you discussed with your partner earlier. You can also request pricing information to ensure theyre within budget. This initial communication can be also helpful in determining if a venues staff is responsive and helpful. Receiving a friendly email within a relatively short timeframe is an encouraging sign.
Preparing For A Site Visit At The Chosen Venue
After narrowing down all the wedding venue options, youve come up with a short list. The final test is to visit the venue in person and decide if it feels as magical as it did on paper. This is a good way to find out if the venue is hard to get to, or on the other hand, right next to a busy highway.
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Weigh The Pros And Cons
If you fall in love at first sight with a particular venue, it can be a pretty amazing feeling. However, dont feel too much pressure to sign on the dotted line during your initial tour. Its best to take a step back, tour a few venues, and discuss your options with your partner and, if desired, your families. Think about the pros and cons of all of the venues you toured, and work together to come to a final decision on your top choice. You may think that youve found the perfect wedding venue for your special day, but perhaps your partner has some concerns. While you and your partner might not agree on every aspect of your wedding day, you should both be happy with your choice of venue. If that means touring a few more venues to be sure youve found the one, do it.
Think About What Is Included
“If you’re looking at some venues that are full-service, and some where you can bring in your own vendors and décor, be sure to price everything out,” says Olsen. “A venue with tables, chairs, and linens included might cost more upfront than a venue where you need to rent your own, but you should get an estimate from a rental company to see how they compare when you’ve added on the price of renting things for yourself.”
And remember that the included rental items are often more basic , so you may still end up paying more to rent items that fit your vision better. “And if you’re working with a venue that has in-house catering with a food and beverage minimum, be sure to include the tax and gratuity in your calculations. For example, in Seattle sales tax is 10 percent, so I recommend that my clients add at least 30 percent onto the food and beverage minimum to account for tax and a 20 percent gratuity. That takes a $10,000 minimum up to $13,000.”
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How To Pick The Perfect Wedding Venue
Picking the perfect wedding venue for your special day is one of the most exciting steps in planning your wedding. One of the biggest challenges that couples face is knowing where to start. There are so many options to choose from and various things to consider while making your decision. Everything from the quality of the venue to numerous other practical aspects as well can quickly sour the experience. So, to help you along on your journey, weve put together these essential tips for a quick and seamless wedding venue search.
Without further ado, lets get started!
Find Your Perfect Wedding Venue
Being one of the first wedding planning decisions, booking your wedding venue certainly deserves some dedicated time and attention. As you can see, theres plenty of helpful tips when it comes to choosing the right venue for you but relax, go with your heart and enjoy the exciting options available.
The Wedinspire platform is ready to hold your hand when it comes to finding your venue, with Wedding Planning Guides full of inspiring ideas & real weddings, and a diverse wedding venue portfolio containing the best the world has to offer when it comes to places to say I Do.
Wedding Venues You Will Love | Inspire Me
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Know What Ambiance You Want
Once you take stock of the important things like budgets, guest lists, and weather, you can start focusing on what you actually envision your wedding to be. When you look at venues , think about what kind of atmosphere you want to create at your ceremony and reception. Do you see yourself throwing the bouquet in a vintage hall, or do you want a completely modern hotel ballroom thats only an elevator ride away from the honeymoon suite? If you think you want a glamorous and glitzy affair, it might not make sense to get married at a rustic lodge or an old country club. Think about the vibe you want to have and what you want your guests to experiencewhether its dancing outside under the moonlight with a few string lights in your parents backyard or being surrounded by contemporary artwork at your local museum.
Use This Wedding Venue Checklist To Make Sure You Have All Of The Information You Need To Begin Choosing A Wedding Venue
1. Pick a Location Most couples get married near the city where they currently live, but the world is your oyster! Once you have your wedding locale set, it narrows down the list of venues considerably. 2. Set a Budget You need to have an idea of how much you can afford to spend on both your wedding as a whole and for the venue itself. Note that your venue and catering prices and cost will likely comprise about half of your budget.Tip: Use WeddingWire’s Budget Tool3. Estimate a Guest Count You do not have to have a complete and accurate guest list ready at this point. However, an estimated size will help you find a wedding recpetion and ceremony venue with the right capacity for your needs. 4. Think About a Date You can pick a date first, and find a venue that is available then, or find the venue of your dreams, and then pick a wedding date based on the locations availability. Either way can work, but just note that a more flexible mindset will give you more options.5. Find Your Style Think about how you want your wedding to feelformal, casual, or somewhere in betweenand look for venues that match your wedding style.
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Keep The Seasons In Mind
Unless you live in a place where the weather is fairly predictable and mild, youll really have to keep the weather in mind when choosing a venue, especially if you plan to have any part of the celebration outside. If you want to have a winter wedding in a notoriously snowy area, be sure that you dont choose a remote location that would be difficult for guests to get to. And even though you may save a lot of money by having a southern outdoor ceremony in July, your guests may secretly be cursing you the whole time that theyre sweating and suffering.
How To Pick Your Ideal Wedding Venue In 4 Steps
Reading time: 10 minutes
What questions should you be asking if a venue or vendor is right for you? How do you decide if a decision is the right one when you’re planning your wedding? As a wedding planner based in the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, I’ve helped my couples find the perfect wedding venue countless times.
In todays episode, Im walking you through the 4 basic steps of the wedding venue selection process. Whether youre just starting to plan your wedding, or you already have your venue chosen, this episode is going to be helpful because Im going to talk about important things to consider when youre making any kind of decision or choice for your wedding, not just your venue.
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Make Sure You Get The Feeling
You know when that feeling of butterflies appears in your stomach, and you can totally envisage yourself walking down the aisle in an unforgettable venue? Thats the feeling, and it normally means its the perfect venue for you!
Holkham House, Norfolk
We hope weve helped you on your way to finding the perfect venue! Now you know the basics, use Bridebooks Venue Search to find venues by name, capacity, type, style and in your preferred location. You can also use Bridebook for the rest of your wedding planning, including managing your budget, creating your guest list and booking the rest of your wedding team.
Estimate The Number Of Guests
What do you envision when you picture your wedding? Do you want everyone from extended family, college classmates, and family friends to attend your nuptials? Or does the thought of having more than 50 people at your wedding make you feel queasy and nervous? Choosing a venue becomes a lot easier when you have a rough estimate of how many people will be attending your wedding. Theres no need for a huge dance floor if its only going to be an intimate affair. Theres also no way that 250 people can fit comfortably into a Victorian-era home thats been converted into a wedding chapel, so just be sure that your venue fits the crowd.
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Expert Tips To Consider Before Choosing Your Wedding Venue
Cant wait to tie the knot? We dont blame you!
With all the excitement, its easy to overlook the nitty gritty details of your wedding day. But did you know that wedding venue, food, and beverage will construct approximately 75 percent of your entire budget? Basically, choosing your venue is the most important decision youll make after accepting the proposal.
Here are seven tips to keep in mind when picking the perfect place to say, I do.
Dream Up The Ways That You Are Going To Make It Your Own
So, you have chosen your wedding venue, you know exactly where it is going to be held and you know the date. Well, now comes the fun of thinking of all the ways that you are going to decorate, design and theme the space to ensure that it is reflective of you both as a couple. Of course, the overall ambience, atmosphere and vibe of your big day is going to come from the venue in its basic form, however, there is also likely to be plenty of things that you can do to further make it your own and create the perfect setting for the wedding of your dreams.
Floristry, wedding day stationery, additional lighting, photo booths, artisan mobile catering, neon lights, theres an abundance of options when it comes to decorating & styling your wedding venue.
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Consider Your Wedding Theme
There are many wedding themes, including vintage, tropical, carnival, casual garden party, minimalistic, rustic, country, beach, travel, and others. Each theme reflects different personalities, and your chosen venue should resonate with it. Whatever location you choose for your wedding, ensure it enhances your theme to make it feel connected to the space. If your wedding theme incorporates more natural elements, it will work seamlessly with an outdoor venue such as The Crescent Beach Club.
Visit Your Top Five Wedding Venues In Person
Dont overwhelm yourself with too many options. Narrow it down to five to seven venues and schedule site visits. Plan ahead, leave plenty of time to explore, and get a feel for the place. As you tour, scope out photography locations on the property, check out the restroom situation, envision your celebration in the space, and talk about the details that matter most to you.
Whats the overall vibe of the place? Get an idea of whether the event staff is the right fit. Do they give straightforward answers to your questions, or are they hesitating? Go prepared: check out our venue site tours checklist so you dont miss a thing.
Site visits are challenging for destination weddings, especially if a vacation doesnt fit into your budget or schedule. Use the destination weddings page on the Wedding Spot to your advantage. Destination venues offer details and pictures of all the essentials, including the availability of indoor and outdoor spaces, beach wedding set-ups, and wedding sizes.
Another option is asking for a virtual tour from the venue manager. Have them walk you through the venue on a video call to help you get a feel for the place that doesnt always come through in photos.
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