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In my opinion, wedding venue selection is everything! It dictates almost every aspect of your wedding--the amount of people you can invite, the overall sense of style of the wedding (casual vs. formal, contemporary vs. old world), the style of dress you can wear, the colors you can use, the time of year your wedding can be held. Your venue forms the backdrop of your entire wedding celebration; thus, from a design standpoint, it is the most important decision you will make. There is lots of advice out there on choosing a wedding venue, but we tried to highlight seven tips you may not have come across.
1) "I know I live in Dallas, but I really had my heart set on a beach wedding." - Consider the limitations of your area.
Before, I started looking for venues, I had perused enough wedding blogs to know exactly what type of wedding I wanted. I wanted it to be held in a private estate or a vineyard with rolling green hills and impeccable landscaping. You know, like those beautiful California weddings you see ALL over the blogs. When I started looking for actual venues in my hometown of Houston, I quickly realized I didn't live in California. There were no vineyards with rolling green hills and an outdoor wedding was pretty much a no-go with my budget. What I should have done was examine the types of venues available to me and built a dream wedding with them in mind. Instead, I spent months looking for a venue that didn't exist based on my imaginary dream wedding.
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2) "Aunt Suzy won't mind sitting on Uncle Al's lap." - Count those guests.
Before you set foot out that door, get a firm grip on the amount of guests you think will attend your wedding. Understanding this element is key, as many venues have capacity limitations that will determine whether or not they remain on the "short list". Also, be aware of "maximum capacity" numbers versus "comfortably seated" numbers. Many venues will provide a maximum capacity number ("We can stack our tables three tables high to accommodate 260."), but that number is usually more than what is "comfortable" for the space.
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3) "What do you mean I can't have hot pink and leopard as my colors!" - Consider the design of the space.
I cannot stress this point enough. Spaces usually come with a design aesthetic--in other words, they are not blank slates. If you choose a venue that has a distinct design aesthetic, make sure to choose a color palette and overall styling concept that coordinates with that design aesthetic. So, if you've chosen a ballroom with warm tones such as deep brown and creams, neon pink and black would probably not be the best color choices. If you are set on having neon pink and black in the wedding, choose a venue that will accommodate those colors.
Related Content: How to Save on Your Wedding Budget without Sacrificing Your Vision
4) "What's the difference between 'merlot' and 'burgundy'? Isn't it all just red?" - Evaluate your bride personality.
Do all the resources out there for wedding planning make your head spin? Does the thought of discussing the subtle difference between burgundy and merlot make you sick to your stomach? If so, you might be a bride who would benefit from an "all-inclusive" venue. These venues have relationships with pre-selected vendors for a variety of wedding elements (i.e., linens, centerpieces, floral, music, catering, cakes, etc.). They then offer these services to the wedding couple in a package for an all-inclusive price. Save for a few elements not included in the package, all the couple has to do is show up on their wedding day. Do you love DIY projects? Do you want to hand pick every single element of your wedding personally? If you answered yes to these questions, it would be good to choose a venue that allowed you to bring in all of the design elements yourself. Linens, centerpieces, ceremony decor--you want to be able to select it all. Thus, venues that simply provide a space for your event would be an ideal choice.
5) "So running water isn't included in the venue price." - Beware of "budget busters."
When comparing budgets for various venues, make sure you are comparing all-inclusive prices. Many venues give potential customers a price per head in response to a budget inquiry, but make sure you understand what this price includes. Is it just dinner? Does it include drinks? What about appetizers? Is the dance floor included or will you have to rent one? What about chair covers or additional chairs? Are there cake-cutting or corkage fees? What about parking? Is it free? These "budget busters" can greatly inflate your all-inclusive price for securing the venue. You don't want to choose a venue based on price only to find out later that these additional costs raised your overall price above a venue that you ruled out because you thought it was too expensive.
Related Content: 7 Most Dangerous Planning Mistakes Couples on a Budget Make
6) "The early bird really does get the worm." - Start early.
Popular wedding venues can book up to a year and one half to two years in advance. So don't drag your feet!
7) "You want to have your wedding where?!" - Think outside the box.
Finally, think outside of the box when considering wedding venues. Weddings can be held almost anywhere, so don't limit yourself to the list of venues that appears in your Google search. Museums, historical places of interest, parks, art galleries, restaurants, and even parking garages have all provided beautiful backdrops for weddings. If you're running into a wall with the venue choices in your area, remember to think creatively and you'll be surprised at what you can come up with.
Be sure to check out our great selection of wedding venues housed in our vendor directory. These venues have all been hand-selected by my team and will provide a great starting point in your venue search. Happy Planning!
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Comments (37)
Thanks for giving a brief about wedding venues, finally i booked a wedding venue from Shaadismart
I couldn't agree more when you mentioned counting your guests or having a good estimate of the number of people who will be attending your wedding. It is important to get an idea more or less of the total number of people who will attend your wedding to check which venue would be able to accommodate all of you. Some venues may have a maximum capacity in terms of the number of people they can accommodate at a given time. It is essential that you make sure that your guests feel comfortable and the food served will be more than enough for everyone. If I were to choose a wedding reception venue for my wedding, I would make sure to take this into account. Thanks.
Thanks for going over some things to consider when it comes to picking a wedding venue. I'm glad that you mentioned that you should know how many guests will be coming be cause some places have capacity limits. It definitely sounds like you should really adequately plan for this so that you can find the best place.
such a beautiful article, i appreciate your write-up
Thanks for bringing to my attention that you should figure out how many guests you'll have before choosing a venue. My fiance and I are planning our big day. We want to choose a venue next, so we'll make sure we have an accurate guest list first.
I like that you suggested finding out the number of guests that will be attending your wedding venue because there are venues that have capacity limitations. This is something that I will be sure to remember because it's important for me to make sure that I want my guests to feel comfortable on my wedding day. I will make sure to find a wedding venue that can accommodate all my guests.
I liked what you said about being able to have your wedding anywhere. My sister is trying to find a good venue for her reception and she's come up with a lot of cool places. I think that she should go for whichever one she likes the most, no matter what anyone else thinks.
I totally agree!
Thanks for letting me know that most venues come with a sort of built-in aesthetic. My fiance and I are getting started on the wedding planning process, and we have a pretty clear vision of what we want. We're searching for a venue right now, so we'll definitely keep in mind that we should choose one that will fit the style we're envisioning so the venue and our theme don't clash.
Thanks for pointing out that there are wedding venues that have capacity limitations, so it's best to determine the number of your guests. I will share this with my fiance because we're looking for a wedding reception venue. We want our guests to be comfortable and have space if they want to dance during the party. Since we don't want them to see standing due to lack of chairs, we'll do all your tips.
My sister is getting married soon, and I offered to help her plan the big day. Your article had some great tips for choosing a wedding venue, and I liked how you said to start booking as early as possible, as some popular venues can be booked up to year and a half to two years in advance. Thanks; I'll share this with my sister to help her choose a venue for her wedding.
I like that you talked about looking for how we want things before renting the venue. My daughter is getting married and she's really picky about decoration and color, so we need to find a venue that will help her get the most out of her wedding. Thank you for the tips on what to look for when looking for a venue, I'll make sure to remember them!
I like how the article explains that you should think outside the box when choosing a wedding venue so you find a unique place. I recently got engaged so I am needing to find a venue but I want it to be unique and somewhere special, so I will make sure to think out of the box to find the perfect venue for my fiance and I. Thank you for the advice on choosing a wedding venue.
I like how the article explains that you should make sure to find a wedding venue that can provide enough space to comfortably seat all of your guests. My fiance and I are going to be having a very large wedding, so we will need to find a venue that can accommodate for a lot of people. Thank you for the tips on choosing a wedding venue.
I like that you mentioned that it is important to know how many guests are going to be attending your wedding so that you know what size of venue you need to get. My fiance and I are thinking of hosting our reception at a country club. We'll have to keep your advice in mind as we continue looking. https://www.wycliffecc.com/web/pages/membership
I appreciate the advice on how it is important to take into consideration the design of a venue's space when looking to book one. My fiance and I are getting married soon. These tips you shared will help us find the right venue to hold our reception at.
I agree with the point about choosing a color scheme and design that fits the venue and its elements. My fiance and I are wanting to do a more modern or classic wedding with neutral colors for our wedding. We'll keep in mind to look for a good venue place that fits the look we're going for while also fitting within our budget.
That's a good point that you should choose a color scheme and design that works well in the context of the venue and its existing elements. My fiance and I have been thinking about having a rustic-style wedding with neutral colors. I will keep in mind to look for a venue space that already fits this aesthetic to some extent.
I'm glad you talked about choosing a venue that matches the color palette of the wedding. My sister is planning her wedding for early summer and is stressed about finding the perfect venue. I'll be sure to pass this along to her so she can know what to look for.
Thank you for reminding me that there are wedding venues that already have their own aesthetic design, so if I were to choose them, I have to adjust my own to fit well. My husband and I want to hold our wedding in a garden since we met in a tulip garden on an overseas trip and doing so will make our event more special. I just hope we'll be able to rent some toilet trailers that our guests can use if we were to hold an outdoor wedding.
Wow, I didn't realize that some venues can book up to two years in advance. My fiance and I just got engaged last weekend, so we are starting to consider what we want for the wedding. We will start looking at venues now and try to get that booked as soon as possible.
I didn't know those popular wedding venues could be booked two years in advance, which is why it's important to start looking for one immediately. My sister recently got engaged, and they plan to have the wedding next year. I'll tell her about what you said so she will start looking for a wedding venue. Thanks for this!
I like your advice about making sure that I compare the various wedding venues' all-inclusive prices to avoid surprise costs. My fiance and I are currently looking for a wedding venue for our wedding in October next year. I'll consider your advice when we start shopping around for a wedding venue. Thanks a lot!
My younger sister got engaged two weeks ago and she wants to start planning her wedding, so she needs to find a venue. I like how you suggest making sure that the venue includes drinks and parking for the wedding. I will make sure to help my sister find a reputable venue for her big day that offers accommodations such as parking and a drink bar.
Great Blog!I really appreciate your efforts put on this post. Thanks for sharing this...
I agree with what you said that it's important to ask the wedding venue you're considering on the number of people who would be "comfortably seater" in their venue instead of asking their maximum capacity. My fiance and I are starting to look for a wedding venue for our summer wedding next year. We'd want our guests to be comfortable during the whole ceremony and reception, so I'll follow your tip. Thanks.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this great information with us! I believe for a flawless wedding, a venue must meet all your needs. Hence it is important to not rush into making a decision. Keep your budget and the weather in mind while selecting a location.
So true!!
Very Informative!!
very informative article
I had no idea that popular venues can book over a year in advance! I'm hoping that I can find a wedding venue sometime this month. My fiance and I just got engaged, but we really need to find a nice venue!
My sister and her fiance decided to have their wedding this spring so we're all now pitching in to help look for a venue. I wholeheartedly understand that weddings may be hosted in just about any place, so don't just settle for the list of locations that pops up when you conduct a Google search. I will relay this information to them since they've always wanted to have it at a chapel but are scared it'd be too cliche.
Thank you for the reminder that you should select a color scheme and general style idea that go with the venue you select if it has a distinctive design aesthetic.� My best friend is getting married this summer and I want to help her find the best wedding venue we can find and book so I came here for tips. I wasn't disappointed because wow, your advice is a gem! We can't wait to check out locations and take all your suggestions into account.
Thank you for bringing up the idea to consider unconventional options while picking a wedding location. You noted that weddings can be held virtually any place, so don't just stick with the Google search results for venues. Since my sister is worried about having a lakefront wedding, I'll make sure to share this with her. I'll undoubtedly look for lakefront venues she can visit.
I've been following your blog for a while now, and I have to say your event trends articles are spot on. Your insights help me stay up-to-date with the latest in event planning. Happy to follow it for our event at blue leaf cosmopolitan
Thank you for the advice to take your money into account while comparing costs for various venues. I believe it would be a good idea for me to keep this in mind as my sister has been planning to get married in a few months. I'll make sure to let her know about this and look at event spaces that could be able to assist her.
As my daughter has been preparing her wedding for this year, I thought I would do some research to support her. I appreciate you reminding me that popular wedding locations often fill up to two years in advance. I'll make sure to let her know about this so she can make sure it's available for her wedding day when she books a location. I will also look into possible locations for her.