PICKING THE PERFECT PLACE TO SAY “I DO”
Congratulations, YOU ARE ENGAGED! You have decided on a budget and a guest count but, now where will you have your big day? Where you choose to get married can dictate a lot of your other wedding day choices. Planning a wedding can be stressful but, a great venue can help alleviate those fears.
Looking at and choosing a venue can take 2-3 months and can be overwhelming. It’s hard to keep track of what each one offers, requires, and charges extra for or includes free of charge. Enter an Excel spreadsheet. This is the easiest way to keep up with all of it. Take great notes while you are touring or even looking online at venues. Get recommendations from friends. Did your friend have a great experience with a venue? Then take that into account. It’s okay to get married at the same place a friend did. After all, with your choice of style, it will be a totally different experience. If you are wanting to get married on a Saturday in prime wedding season for your area you may need to book a year or more in advance.
Start by googling venues in the area where you want to get married. Booking a venue that is hours away from your home is not without its challenges but certainly can be done with the help of the venue and a great planner. Go to some local wedding shows in your area. The larger cities have them several times a year, especially during engagement season which is November – February. Be on the lookout for open houses at venues. Most venues not only are showcasing their venue but, some great vendors from the area and usually vendors who are familiar with that venue.
What is your perfect venue? Have you always dreamed of getting married in a big barn or that swanky downtown hotel? Keep your dream location in mind while looking but, be open to others you might just fall in love with. Sometimes it is easy to get an idea in your mind that you just have to have but, when you open yourself up to other ideas there are some great venues to choose from you might not have thought about.
What date and what time of year are you wanting? In some states, venues aren’t open year-round due to weather but in other states, every month is great for a wedding. If you must have a specific date start by contacting venues and checking on their availability. Some venues even list this on their website. Just keep in mind that availability changes quickly especially if it’s engagement season or there are few venues where you are looking.
Think about your budget. If you are on a smaller budget then a venue that requires a certain caterer or you must buy the alcohol from them can put a big ding in your budget. Researchers say about 20-25% of your budget is just for the venue. There can be a lot of hidden costs at some venues. Here is a list of items to check for that can really impact your budget.
Can you bring in your own caterer and other vendors or must you use theirs?
Must you purchase a bar package from them? What about the cost for nondrinkers and does that include bartenders, ice, cups, etc?
Does it come with tables and chairs?
Who does the setup and cleanup? Some venues require the caterer to do this. This can add thousands to your catering bill. Some venues even require the caterer to hide this cost in their invoicing.
Do they have any décor you can use or do you have to purchase or rent everything you might need such as votives or reserved signs?
What happens with the trash? Do they have a dumpster that you can use? If not, the caterer has to haul it off and you pay them for it
Do you need linens for the tables? Most venues have round plastic tables that require linens. Depending on your guest count and the tables needed this can add significant costs to your budget
Is there a food or drink minimum
Read the reviews if you are looking at a particular venue. Read all the reviews, even the not-so-good ones. Not everyone is easy to please so don’t give too much credit to 1 or 2 bad reviews when the others are all positive. Ask friends for referrals. Maybe you just had a friend who went to a wedding and was bragging about the venue. Find out what it was they liked so much and why.
Question everything. I once had a cousin who picked a venue for her daughter. They loved it. It was all set up when they toured with tables, chairs, and linens. After they signed and paid the owner asked how many tables and chairs and linens they wanted to rent. My cousin never asked what was included and the owner didn’t offer any particular details. Before it was over, she paid twice what she expected to pay when she booked. The venue should be giving you this information when you are touring but if not, ASK! Have a list of questions ready to ask each venue. You can tell a lot about a venue by its transparency and willingness to answer questions while touring. If you email after the tour or before the tour, are they quick to respond? If they are slow to respond or don’t respond at all then what can you expect once you have booked? Do keep in mind, most are very busy on the weekends so maybe give them until Monday to catch up and respond.
Are you looking for a package? Some brides just want a one-stop shop while others want to pick every single vendor. If choosing every vendor sounds like a stressful, exhausting task to you then choose a package. Packages from venues generally save you money plus, you will be working with vendors who know the venue and its rules already. You still get to choose all the details of your big day.
Do you have a vision? Hello Pinterest! Make sure the venue you have in mind works with your vision. Look at Pinterest and Instagram. A pattern will emerge regarding what you like and once it does, then look for the venue where you can make it happen.
Backing up! Is there a viable alternate plan at the venue? Nobody wants to think there might be bad weather on their wedding day, but Mother Nature is unpredictable. Yes, I know you want to get married under the beautiful trees or in the lovely meadow but, what if the weather doesn’t cooperate, what is plan B? Will tables and décor need to be moved? Who does this? When does it need to be decided? Can you live with the venue’s plan B option?
Lastly and most importantly, does it feel like you? Do you feel comfortable and welcome at the venue? Your guests don’t care where you get married, they are happy for you and want to celebrate with you. Don’t just settle for any place, after all, it’s your big day.
Best wishes,
Mary