What should couples look for in a wedding venue?
I could write a book as an answer to this question! As a wedding professional, I believe the venue is a huge factor in the overall success of the wedding (both the planning process and the big day itself). All of the other details of the day center on the venue so not only is this is a big decision and should be one of the very first things that couples research. However, some important foundational work must be done before the venue hunt begins. I encourage couples to follow the following five steps before they ever visit a property in person.
1. Determine the Size/Scale of the Wedding Guest List: Get in touch with key family members and start putting together a draft of the guest list. Have a general idea of how many people you wish to celebrate with you before you even start looking at properties. This one thing will help you narrow your search to only properties that can accommodate everyone. Your guest list is also a critical factor in determining the budget. Which leads me to point number 2:
2. Budget: Be realistic about how much you have to invest in the wedding. This is going to be different for every couple. Many couples have multiple family members contributing to the budget, some are paying for everything themselves. Have those conversations BEFORE you start looking at venues. Your budget may need to expand in order to get everything you want, or you may need to compromise in a few areas to make things stretch. But it is dangerous to start the venue search without having any budget guidelines whatsoever.
3. Flexibility for date: Now that you have a general idea of the size of the wedding along with a budget, consider dates for the wedding. If you can be flexible, you will have more options when it comes to selecting the venue. I suggest discussing date options with key family members before you start your venue research to save time. If the date is set, this will eliminate the venues who may already be booked and you won’t need to waste your time reading through pages and pages of brochures and pictures of a space was never even an option.
4. Style: Do you want to be outdoors? In a house of worship? On a family farm? At a historic property? Think about the aesthetic qualities that appeal to you and consider any restrictions or limitations for key family members. I also like couples to consider the time of day that appeals to them. The same space can look very different in the morning than it does in the afternoon or evening. This goes for both indoor and outdoor spaces. Also consider the overall style and color palette that you want to use.
5. Amenities: Every venue operates differently. Some include catering, some include tables and chairs, some (like CJ’s Off the Square) are more all-inclusive. Some are just an empty room and it is up to you to figure out how to fill it. Consider what you want and need for the day and make sure that matches what the venue offers. If you have your heart set on using a specific caterer, make sure they permitted to work at the spaces you are considering.
Once you have done a little homework, your venue search will be much less daunting!
