Getting married is a big milestone in life, and the perfect opportunity to celebrate your love with the people you care about the most. It’s understandable why couples want their big day to be an event to remember, but there is a lot of stress that can go into wedding planning, too. From picking the right wedding menu, deciding who makes the guest list, finding the perfect dress, and even organizing a marriage license, it can quickly get overwhelming. Another key aspect of your special day that you need to arrange is finding the perfect wedding venue to host your celebrations in.
It is important to look at venues as soon as possible, as there can often be a long waiting list, especially if the venue you are looking at is a popular choice with betrothed couples. If you and your partner are at the stage where you are starting to consider which venue would be right for you, below are some important details you need to keep in mind.
What’s Your Budget?
One of the most important things to keep in mind when searching for wedding venues is your overall budget. Weddings are notoriously expensive, and not all couples can afford to spend thousands of dollars on their nuptials, and may even prefer to use their savings to go towards buying a new home or something else that will be important to them as newlyweds. With so many other expenses attached to your wedding day, you should sit down and go over your budget to agree on a price that you are both comfortable with spending on the venue, which can be one of the more expensive aspects of your day. Avoid looking at venues that are out of your budget, as this way, and you won’t get your heart set on something that you can’t afford.
How Many Guests Are Attending?
You should also consider how many guests are planning to attend your wedding, as you will need to find a venue that can fit everyone in comfortably. If you are planning a more intimate affair, renting out a function room in a hotel, restaurant, or bar might be a suitable and cost-effective option for you. However, if you are expecting a large crowd, you will need to look at venues that can cater to this and perhaps even offer a private outdoor space you can use for cocktail hours, which will be particularly lovely for spring and summer weddings when the weather is warmer.
What is Your Wedding Theme?
Another thing you should keep in mind when selecting your wedding venue is how well it fits in with your wedding’s overall theme. For example, if you and your partner would like a more laid-back, rustic feel to your big day, then choosing a venue in the countryside like a ranch or converted farmhouse could be the perfect fit. If you want something more formal, a historic hotel or stately home would certainly encapsulate this style well. If you want a beach wedding, a resort that caters to this could work nicely, or you might want to consider hiring a yacht to celebrate on for something a little more out of the box. You can learn more about unique yacht weddings online.
How Accessible is Your Wedding Venue?
The location of your wedding venue is also important, as you do need to consider how easy it will be for your guests to find it. This includes links to public transport or how easy it will be to organize taxis or minivans to drop guests off and pick them up in the evening. In addition to this, if you do have any guests that have limited mobility, you need to check that your wedding venue can cater to their needs so that they are comfortable throughout the day. You might also want to look at whether or not the venue can offer overnight accommodation to your guests or if there are any hotels or private rentals nearby that your guests can use, especially if they are traveling from a different part of the country/world to celebrate with you.
What Packages Does the Venue Offer?
Most wedding venues will also offer catering packages to couples, and it is worth asking about this and seeing how much it will add to the overall cost. There will usually be a selection of different menu options and even choices on how you would like your wedding food to be served, for example, as a buffet or a sit-down meal. Some couples also choose to have canapes served at cocktail hour before the main meal and a buffet later in the evening for guests who may be joining in the celebrations later. If the venue doesn’t offer food, you will need to look into caterers who can get to your venue easily and provide this service for you instead. If this is the case, it will also be important to make sure that the venue has the necessary facilities for your caterers to be able to do this.
How Does the Venue Staff Treat You?
You might feel as though you have found the ideal venue that perfectly reflects the style of wedding you want, but it is important to pay attention to how the staff behaves when you are dealing with them. If they take a long time to answer your inquiries, or it appears as though they struggle to give you information, this could be a red flag. You want peace of mind that your wedding day will run as smoothly as possible, and if the venue staff are unorganized or rude in any way, this could result in unnecessary stress and disappointment when it comes to your wedding. If you feel as though the staff is unable to provide you with good customer service, you might want to consider looking elsewhere to save yourself time and money.
Be Willing to Make Some Compromises
Understandably, you want your wedding day to be perfect, but it’s also important to stay grounded in reality, too. Although you may have an idea in your head about how your dream venue will look and the kind of service you’ll get, it’s unlikely that it exists in real life. Your budget will also play a big role in the kind of venue you can choose, so remember that you might need to make some compromises to find a venue that you can afford and that will give you what you need. You may want to make a list of things that are non-negotiables for you and another with some things that you would like to have included but are willing to compromise on. When you and your partner have a better idea of what those compromises can be in your head, it will be easier to make a decision and not feel let down.
Your wedding day will be one of the most important days of your life, and you should be able to look back on it and feel as though you got everything you wanted out of the day. Although you can control everything, with some careful planning, you can certainly create your dream wedding no matter what your budget is. If you do want to start looking at venues for your big day, use the tips above to help you find the right one that will be able to cater to your needs and allow you to celebrate your commitment to each other the way you want to.
