Choosing Your Wedding Venue
The venue is the first thing a couple should do once they begin their planning and are officially engaged. When choosing the venue that speaks to your heart be sure to start looking at minimum a year before the wedding. There are so many venues that are booked almost two years out, so plan as far ahead as possible.
How can you possibly find a venue that you can afford and will love? Another thought is the convenience to your guests, and how expensive to book the venue. Will the venue be low maintenance or will you have to go over the top in decor to make it more attractive? Getting in touch with a seasoned planner can help narrow down your search. Many planners have worked with various venues, and they can offer up some great advice. Ask all the venues you reach out to or visit for a copy of their offered packages and their Ala Carte menu. Look over the materials with your fiance and discuss the best scenario for your wedding.
If you have a planner, you may want to jot down some prerequisites to help the planner get started. What type of venue, and does the area support it while capturing your wedding vision? It is no secret that your budget is the meat that goes with your potatoes and you have to be sure you can afford the two to complete a well-balanced meal. You can still have the best wedding at a beautiful venue and not have to serve deli sandwiches with bags of chips and can sodas. You just have to have patience and the willingness to negotiate the must haves and the not so needs for your wedding.
Barns have been all the rage with its rustic beauty and a sense of nature. The architecture of many barns are breathtaking, charming and offers much elegance. Some Barns have vibrant colors, with split levels that can offer up more accommodations for your wedding. Barns are picturesque with large barn doors and peek through windows.
An outdoor wedding is a breath of fresh air and offers a beautiful landscape. A tent is preferable when hosting your wedding outdoors in the event of rain or other weather prohibiting factors. The outdoors can bring out so much creativity to the artistic eye. Please be reminded that you may want to rent air conditioning for your guests especially if your wedding is during the peak of summer.
A Museums has excellent art pieces, and it cuts down on how much you have to spend on decorations for your wedding. Although you have an opportunity to cut costs in one area, you may get stuck with another like no kitchen for the caterer in addition to a substantial loss on rentals like your tables, chairs, china, etc.., so weigh the variables.
Hotels and events centers can be the effortless way to go, but it too can limit what you want for your wedding. Many hotels only allow their caterer with no outsiders welcome. Some hotels only allow their onsite baker, and this can ruin the envision you have for your big day. The upside to using a hotel is that they have full packages and will forgo the rental fees as long as you meet their qualified price point on food. If using an event center or hall, you may end up in the same situation as a museum venue with the exception that many Halls will have tables and chairs and often a small kitchen.
A church can be great for many reasons. Your guest won’t have to go far from the ceremony to the reception. Some churches can only host smaller weddings inside, but often enough you can use their grounds for outside tented reception. Utilizing a church does allow for some wiggle room because they usually have kitchens, tables, and chairs. The costs to rent out the church may be the least expensive route, and it cuts down the traveling from the ceremony, but you may have an issue with serving alcohol. You also have a great opportunity in making it a potluck style wedding reception and cut the catering expense out.
Whatever you choose it must be the envision you want on your wedding day.
