Just like your wedding dress, there are so many options to choose from when deciding on a wedding venue. Whether you envision getting married in a church, at a friend’s home, in a vineyard, on the beach, in a reception hall, or wherever your heart desires, there are a lot of important factors to consider before choosing your perfect wedding venue. Here are some of our top tips to help you decide on the right wedding venue:
Table of Contents
Budget
This is probably a no-brainer, but before doing anything else, it’s important to set a budget for your wedding venue. Just like your wedding dress, before starting research and looking at magazines for inspiration, you need to determine your budget.
Type/Theme
Aside from figuring out costs, deciding on the theme is the most important element on choosing your venue since it will set the tone for all the planning to follow. Consider these basic questions as a starting point:
– Do you want a formal ceremony or something more casual?
– Would you prefer it to be indoor or outdoor? This will also help determine what season/weather conditions would be most appropriate for your big day.
– Do you want a religious ceremony? A traditional religious ceremony would be held in a place of worship and should be booked as soon as possible. If you and your fiancé have different religious beliefs, it’s ideal to discuss with each other and immediate family before deciding on a venue.
– Do you want a unique location, such as your favorite museum or a sports venue?
Guest Count
You might not have a set guest list yet, but it’s recommended that you have a rough estimate on how many guests you’re expecting. Most venues will require this number in order to determine rates and whether they can even accommodate your entire party.
Location
It’s important that your chosen venue is a destination that your guests can easily get to. If you’re planning a destination wedding or somewhere away from home, you need to consider the logistics on getting all your guests to the wedding venue without any problems.
Special requirements
Does the venue you love have enough parking for all your guests? Does the venue have an alcohol license? Does the venue have facilities for disabled guests? There are just some examples of special circumstances that you need to plan ahead for.
Reviews
Websites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook are helpful when you need to decide on where to eat for dinner or where to stay for your next trip, and the same goes for choosing your venue. By learning others’ experiences and thoughts, you’ll be able to gauge which venues should be avoided and which places will be able to meet your expectations.
