When it comes to planning your wedding, deciding on a venue might be one of the most important considerations. Finding the right location for your upcoming nuptials is almost like a courtship, as hotels and events centers try to win you over with promises of all-inclusive catering and private function rooms.
As with most aspects of your wedding – including the person you’re going to marry – gut and instinct are helpful. You might well know when the wedding venue feels right. But just in case, here are some of the questions to ask and aspects to consider when the next bridal fair is in town. Narrow down your list of prospective vendors with our help, and then follow your heart the rest of the way!
Budget: The Right Place for the Right Price
Before you start approaching wedding coordinators and requesting walkthroughs, however, you should take your budget into, well, account. Not only will you have to pay the owners of the venue, but you need to factor in photographers, signage, favors, transportation, and a lot of other fees and costs. Decide on how much of the pot you can spend on venue hire – along with an extra 10% just in case – and have that in mind when taking your tours. If you need more wiggle room for that dream location, read our article on “How to Create Your Wedding Budget.”
Availability: Have You Set Your Date Yet?
Once your budget is fixed and an approximate date is set, the search can begin – and we recommend commencing the hunt early to avoid disappointment. Balmy months like July and August fill up particularly quickly, and even winter weddings are becoming popular (gently nudged along by our “Should You Have a Winter Wedding” article). For either season, and to allow enough time for guests to RSVP and get your Save the Dates, aim to be penciled in around a year in advance. And if you need even more wiggle room in your budget for that dream location, ask the venue manager to suggest dates that aren’t so competitive.
Theme: A Venue That Matches Your Vision
Most weddings have a kind of keyword or theme that brings all the other elements into alignment. Think of the word ‘rustic,’ for example, and you can immediately picture the country music playlist, mason jars filled with fairy lights, and hay bale décor. Once you know your keyword, look for a location that complements that aesthetic, like the beach for that tropical lūʻau or a barn, farm, or vineyard for that rustic setting. If the venue would require too much work in order to fulfill your vision – is it too modern to appear old-fashioned? – then perhaps you need to look elsewhere. Seek some advice on the rules of the property as well: they might not appreciate you converting their ballroom into a botanical garden!
Capacity: From Cozy Gatherings to Grand Affairs
The size and capacity of the venue play a surprisingly vital role in determining the ‘vibe’ of the wedding. For example, if you want to evoke a cozy, homey atmosphere, then the room can’t be too large – otherwise your guests will be swamped inside it. On the other hand, you don’t want to have friends and family squeezed into the margins of your seating chart when the space is too small. Try to visualise the fully furnished venue – complete with food station, DJ, photo booth, and more – and consult with the venue coordinator on the exact details and dimensions. And if you do think that space could be an issue, consider a free-form beach, garden, or marquee wedding!
Backup Plans: In Case of Emergency
Nothing dampens good cheer on a wedding day like a freak thunderstorm, so speak to the venue in advance about their fail-safes and back-up plans. Does the proprietor have the option of ferrying everything inside, or of setting up a tent or canopy? Do they have an alternative power source in case of an unavoidable outage? Last-minute cancellations aren’t something any couple wants to think about, but it’s also worth informing yourself of the venue’s policy on refunds. Overall, the more your venue coordinator can tell you about their contingency plans, the better – their experience at overcoming these kinds of obstacles should become obvious!
Location: And Location, Location!
One of the foremost concerns for your guests, as opposed to you, will be the location. How far do they have to travel, whether cross-country or overseas? Is it possible to drive directly to the location and park there? Issues of accessibility and stranded relatives aren’t the kind you want to encounter on the morning of your big day! Depending on how far your loved ones have to travel – and especially for long-haul destination weddings – the more notice you should give in their invitations. Keep in mind that any on-site accommodation is an incredible bonus, as guests will be able to stay nearby (and presumably at a discounted rate). If more than one location is involved (a church ceremony then a hotel reception, for example), inquire as to whether the venue can shuttle guests back and forth.
The list of tips above should hopefully get you started on your search for the ideal wedding venue (along with everything else you need to organize, including wedding stationery and wedding décor). more wedding planning tips as your big day approaches, stay tuned to Zazzle Ideas. Take a look at our articles on “Last Minute Wedding Planning: Tips for a Beautiful Wedding on Short Notice” and “The Step by Step Wedding Planning Timeline from Start to Finish,” for instance!
Eoin is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork. He’s recently bought a house with his fiancée, and thus most of his time these days is spent trying to keep the walls from caving in and the wolves from the door. Still, he’s always open to book, game, and movie recommendations, so if you have some, let him know: he’ll add them to a very, very long list.
