What You Should Consider Before Tying the Knot with the Right Wedding Venue

Wedding venue designs

Becoming a bride is every girl's dream. A lot of them have already begun to plan their dream weddings, even without the prospective groom in the picture. They look forward to this momentous day fantasizing about wearing a white gown, deciding to have a wedding cake, and selecting ideal location. Planning a wedding can be very exciting but also harrowing at the same time. With wedding season is in full bloom, especially around May-June, beginning a new chapter in your life at the perfect wedding venue is every bride’s priority.

Understand the Logistics

While certain aspects of a wedding are optional, a venue is not. After all, you need to have somewhere to celebrate the most important day of your life with your friends and family. Learning how to pick a venue for your wedding is a big deal to every bride. It can be very expensive depending on the location. The process of looking for a wedding venue is incredibly overwhelming as there are many options to choose from whether you are looking for an elegant ballroom at a hotel or reception hall, a cozy restaurant, outdoor scenic view, or at the beach overlooking the ocean. Regardless of where you decide to have your wedding, the layout will determine how many guests to invite, the location of your wedding as well as the motif and style too. You need to invest a good portion of your time and budget in planning your wedding (with the help of a wedding planner should you require her service) and finding the perfect wedding venue. All these options can add to the stress but following through with these wedding venue tips can make the process a smooth journey and your wedding day an event to forever remember and cherish.

Have It Your Way on Your Day

First and foremost, deciding on the type of wedding you want to have is a privilege you are automatically granted with – especially if you are doing most of the planning and covering most of the expenses. But having a budget set up in place with careful consideration on how much you can afford is important. You should have this discussion with your future spouse and perhaps seek advice from your wedding planner if you should hire one. Knowing what you want is the most vital step you will ever take. Do you want a low key and more intimate wedding surrounded by your close friends and family? Will you have a destination wedding and where? Or are you leaning towards having a spacious country house wedding venue with large capacities? Is a garden marquee preferable? Once you have everything mapped out, you can begin compiling a guest list and search for venues that suite your requirements.

Know When to Book

Most people on the average book their chosen wedding venue 12-18 months prior to their wedding date. But sometimes they become blindsided by the excitement and emotion during the early stages of wedding planning that they sign a contract upon deciding on the first venue they see. Thinking matters through rather than making rapid decisions can save you big headaches later on. Everything from setting a tentative budget, how many guests the venue can hold, the season and time of day you want to have your wedding, and any other special accommodations your guests may need should all be taken into consideration before you finalize your wedding plans.


The big question is should you pick a venue before creating a guest list or would already having a guest count help you decide on a location? It’s not always possible to have a guest count, especially two weeks into the wedding planning process but if you don’t have an idea how big or small your wedding will be, you won’t be able to learn how to pick a venue with confidence. Having an estimate of your wedding size - whether it be 50, 120, or 200 guests – will allow you to narrow down the choice of venues without having to visit them since most of them feature the size of their facilities online. Being able to determine the seating capacity of the facility can give you a better picture as to how many people you can host.


Most couples have already decided on a season to tie the knot which can also help shape the wedding venue search. It’s also a good idea to know ahead of time if your wedding date falls on the same day as a charity walk, trade conference or other local/national events that could affect traffic and the availability of the venue you choose. If you decide to hold your wedding ceremony at an outdoor location, you should find out if the venue has a “backup” indoor space if it should unexpectedly rain. You should also make certain that the venue provides heat and air conditioning if there should be a need for them. Lighting is also an important factor as guests should be able to see. Likewise, big popular wedding venues get quickly booked up in advance during peak season (usually June through August) so it as advisable to book as soon as you find your ideal location.

Decide on a Wedding Style and Theme

Wedding events designs

The venue you choose will have a strong influence on your wedding theme. For instance, boutique hotels are perfect for those looking for some added glamour and glitter on their big day. The right furniture such as Chiavari chairs goes a long way in terms enhancing the sophistication of the facility’s décor and ambiance by extension. If you have your sights set on a more rustic, country-garden style wedding, a barn venue may be a perfect location for you. Having an exquisite wedding doesn’t necessarily require you to break your wallet. There are myriads of creative and cheap outdoor wedding ideas you can research and get inspired from such as a beach cheap wedding or an informal barbecue/picnic wedding, as long as the weather allows. A romantic vineyard or an urban industrial loft sounds appealing enough for a wedding space as well. Note that it’s not easy to plan a style-specific wedding at any venue. Even though many couples think they don’t need to make an immediate decision on a wedding style, it may be one of the most important decisions as it can save you money on décor if the venue you select coordinates with the style of your preference.

Location is Everything

Whether you plan on having a religious/civil ceremony at one location and then transferring everyone to a separate reception venue, or decide to have everything at the same place, the location needs to be suitable. Distance is something to keep in mind as it can have an impact on your big day. Many couples pick somewhere local that is either where they are currently living or where they grew up when considering a location. Regardless of whether you decide to keep the ceremony and reception separate or not, the location should be easy for guests to find. You should make any notes regarding free parking, easy access to public transportation, or other transportation considerations when scouting a location. Whether the location of your choice provides in-house catering or not is also something you need to know. Overall, the location should fit your general vibe. Though it may be difficult to nail down as it is usually a gut feeling and entirely depends on the type of wedding you want to have. This all needs to be accounted for, especially on your big day that will change your life forever.

Save the Date

Wedding dates can be significant for a variety of reasons. Some couples purposely choose to get married on the day they first met, or on their parents wedding anniversary, or for auspicious reasons that numbers have on their religion or culture. Other people may just pick a certain time of year and season to wed but not necessarily a specific day. There is room for flexibility and you may be able to secure the perfect wedding venue at a lower rate if you should have your wedding during an off-season month. The time of year, day, week and the length of your engagement will impact negotiating and leveraging with vendors for package deals. As your wedding nears, review your checklist to see which components are important and which can you discard. Once you have done your preliminary research and completed your spreadsheet, you are ready to honker down and proceed with your big day.

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