The venue for your wedding is the scene that will be set for the biggest day of your life – you want this to be the right setting. The problem is that choosing the right venue is not always the easiest thing to do. You have to love your wedding venue, from the shape of the rooms to the space that you are given for your family and your friends.
Finding the right venue that’s available on the preferred dates that you have is always tricky, but weddings can be booked in advance. If you have an idea for a wedding venue now, booking it early may seem silly, especially if you’re not planning on getting married anytime soon. But it’s so much easier to have something reserved for the future and cancel it then there is to have a wedding to plan and no active booking. So, what should you be looking for?
- Get your budget ready. Before you can choose a wedding venue, you need to know how much you can spend on it. Having an idea of how many guests you roughly like to invite and the types of activities you’d like to have is important. Knowing what you’re going to spend for your venue is essential because it’s going to be your most significant expense for your wedding. You don’t want to get your heart set on a venue that you really cannot afford, so if you understand your budget, you can then shop for venues within that budget and stay within that budget.
- What are your deal breakers? When you create your budget for your venue, you have to think about what’s at the top of your list of priorities. If you want a premium venue, then you have to look at premium pricing. If you’re going to have a live band, the venue has to accommodate that. Some venues are only able to accommodate a DJ. If you’re looking to bring pets or you have somebody there who is blind and needs to have a disabled dog with them with the venue accept that? Sometimes, dealbreakers can drive up the price of the venue, so this is all something you have to keep in mind.
- Think about your location. Are you having a destination wedding or are you planning on staying at home? What is the parking situation like? Are there hotels or different accommodation options nearby for your guests who are traveling in? It’s nice to fall in love with a gorgeous country house, but if the nearest hotel is 20 miles away there may be better options.
- Lean on your mind’s eye. What do you visualize for your wedding? Are you looking for something traditional that you can seem around or do you want something more modern and airy? Is this going to be a formal affair with a five course meal or an informal dance with a bacon sandwich? You really have to know what your vision is so that you can plan the correct venue.
I like that you mentioned how knowing what you’re going to spend for your venue is essential because it’s going to be your most significant expense for your wedding. My brother is going to get married this year and we are trying to help him and his partner out with planning the event. According to a friend, there are all-inclusive wedding venues now, so I’ll try to suggest them to my brother.
Yes, outside the ring and dress, it’s all about the venue.