The location of your wedding will serve as the backdrop to the entire event and will play a crucial role in setting the overall atmosphere of the celebration. Selection of a venue is normally one of the most crucial decisions that any couple is likely to make when planning for a wedding. Given the fact that weddings can take place at banquet halls, wineries, hotels, restaurants and many more it becomes difficult to choose. The following is the ultimate guide to aid you in the search and decision making process to choosing the right wedding venue.
Assess Your Priorities
Talk with your partner and decide what aspects are most important, or make a list of priorities to bring with you while visiting possible locations for the ceremony and/or reception. Understanding both of your priorities will help define the sphere of interests within which the search for a gift should be conducted. Important factors to consider include:Important factors to consider include:
- Destination – Are you specific about the locale or is the wedding to happen in a particular place preferred by the couple? : If local, is it necessary for it to be a central area to where the guest may be located?
- Capacity – Consider making a guest list so that you determine the number of guests you expect to invite, and thus select a venue that can comfortably contain all your invitees.
- Money – This entails setting your limits on the amount that you can afford to spend for a venue rental fee. So many other costs relating to the wedding are attached to the selection of the venue.
- Facilities – Determine if you are to have a venue where all the facilities are provided by the venue or you order each and every facility separately. Contrary to this, it is advisable to focus on any of the essential ancillary services such as food and drinks, beverage services, on-site planners among others.
- Atmosphere & Aesthetic – Discuss with your fiancé which feel or ambiance you would like to set for your wedding and make sure the venues matched your ideas.
Looking for Accommodation Places in Your Region
After that, you should make a list of the chosen criteria and begin a search for possible locations, which are located within your region, and have the required number of seats and approximate cost. Great resources to search for wedding venues are The Knot, Wedding Wire, Here Comes the Guide, Event Up, and so much more.
Ideally, while you’re searching, jot down the places that you find enticing and wish to learn more about and arrange a visit. Also observe those venues that have presented pretty photos of previous weddings in order to judge their design if it will suit you. Check if there are any recent reviews for some latest insights about the experiences of the couples.
If you have shortlisted a set of venues, call the coordinators of the venues and ask whether the particular date in your wedding is available. Some of the most sought-after locations, including restaurants, banquet halls, and other halls, are booked a year or more in advance, so whenever the couple does not have a long planning period, it becomes an advantage.
Tour the Venues In-Person
The next step is to set visits once you have your list of the 3-5 venues you are considering. First of all, it is highly recommended to visit all the available wedding venues with your eyes and meet with the representatives in person. It helps one to gauge the movement in the place, mood and how it will work best for an occasion. As you tour, pay attention to the following elements:As you tour, pay attention to the following elements:
Overall Design & Layout
Begin the tour with the ceremony and reception sites. Do you like the style of the house, the outlook of the house’s floor plan, and the interaction between the rooms? Ensure there is enough space for people to dance, take photos, serve food and drinks, buffet, bars etc.
Lighting & Decor
Take some time to observe the surroundings and determine how the venue is set up and decorated. Most of them let you bring your own decorations and lighting to the venue; some even offer a list of preferred vendors with whom you can negotiate. Ponder on the question of what is included and what can they add if they were allowed to bring extra items.
Amenities Offered
Some of the things that are necessary for guests to know include the specific services that are included when one rents the venue. What is encompassed in food, the service personnel, alcoholic drinks/cases, coordinators, parking space, the sound systems, etc. ? It should help you identify exactly what you may need to offer or source or coordinate moreover yourself.
Ambiance & Atmosphere
Pay attention to what is going and the feel of the place. While you are strolling around the venue spaces, try to picture how your wedding will be perfect for the place. Take your chance and imagine yourself speaking your vows or having your first dance with your new partner in this place.
Photo Backdrops
Look for beautiful backgrounds that are ideal for the photos of your wedding party and photoshoots on the terrain. What I have seen is that most venues already have fountains, stairs, beautiful view of landscapes, ornaments, etc. , which make for great photographs.
After going on your tours, eliminate any potential suppliers which you do not want to consider for your wedding. If any of the venues are ideal, you should sit down with the venue coordinator and discuss on matters concerning the price, inclusions, availability, payment structure, refund policies and any other issues that you might encounter when visiting the site.
Compare Your Finalists
When selecting a venue, make a list of two to three options that you wish to compare after conducting an audit tour and collecting estimates and other essential information. Factors to juxtapose include:
Pricing:
- Rental fees
- Compared, those which are included versus the à la carte services offered
- Projected average total wedding expenditure of every place computed for the number of guests
Offered Services:
- Tables, chairs, cutleries, extra kitchen requirements, bar services, bouncers, coordinators, decorations, etc.
Capacity for Guest Comfort:
- Density, distribution, ease of access to dance floor, seating, and other activities.
Location & Convenience Factors:
- Ease of access, that is, sites located in proximity to hotels, airports, parking facilities, etc.
Design Aesthetic & Photo Backdrops:Design Aesthetic & Photo Backdrops:
- Appearance or even architecture or layout
Perhaps by such comparative analysis of the strengths of the different venues across the categories mentioned above, the best match in terms of meeting all your requirements will stand out.
Make sure that you have final confirmation of the venue and the date of the event.
When you have selected the wedding venue, it is customary to pay some advance to secure your preferred date. Make sure to obtain the signed copy of the contract stipulating all the rental charges, the manner of charging, what is included, and other important policies in the venue.
There are many places that have a specific area for the wedding ceremony and immediately after, the room is switched for the reception. Some of them permit the buy out for full access. Nonetheless, ensure you provide enough buffer time between weddings so that you can flip the venue as required without the bare notice of the guests.
This guide and checklist contains all the relevant information an individual needs to be able to find and book a perfect wedding venue. They literally set the stage for everything from the first dance to exiting the reception venue. So, it is wise to spare some time and follow these steps to select your right marriage hall or reception venue.
