There are a few things to keep in mind when considering a venue, the most important of which is your guests. Sure, your wedding is about you, but if you’re planning to invite people then it’s also about them. For example, if you’re inviting a number of singletons in the 20-30 year old range, then you probably don’t want to ask them to strain their budgets with a destination wedding in the Bahamas. Weather and time of year can affect outdoor venues, while the number of guests and budget can affect your choices further. Churches may have restrictions on decor and even what sort of gown you’re allowed to wear!
Here are some tips to help you pick the best venue for your wedding:
1. Build a list of questions to ask a contact at the location. You’ll want to ask everyone you meet some of the questions just to see what their perceptions are of how busy the venue can be. And remember, not everyone knows everything that may be going on. Your venue coordinator may not know of some planned construction that a maintenance man knows about during the month of your wedding!
2. Take a camera! Get pictures of everything at each of your potential locations so that you can go back later and evaluate them with less emotion. These can go in your binder so you can show them to other people as you work through your decision. Check out everything, even the dressing room, bathrooms and kitchen!
3. If you can visit the venue during the time of year you plan for your wedding to be that is excellent, but at least try to visit around the same time of day so you can get an idea of lighting! You’ll want to see everything from the different angles as the sun moves through or lights are turned on. It’s even better if you can visit while they’re preparing the venue for a wedding!
4. Is your venue full service? You’ll want to know this before you begin planning as it can affect the costs significantly. Ask for a proposal covering all the pricing and policies so that you can go over it and know what the costs are for your ceremony and/or reception. Remember, if you are doing a separate reception; book your ceremony venue first!
5. Get everything in writing! Make sure you understand what, exactly, locks the site in as your venue. Most places will require you to sign a contract and leave a deposit. Be sure you know what’s required of you so you can get the venue you want!