5 Steps to Choosing the Perfect Wedding Venue
It's important to choose a wedding venue that aligns with your overall vision for the wedding day. If you have trouble finding a venue that best fits your style, we're here to help! The Bridget Davis Events planning team may have a list of locations you haven't thought of or a list of venues that are transformable to make your vision come to life.
Photo by: Danielle Harris Photography
Step 1: Know Your General Guest Count
Most couples have a general idea of how many guests they'd like to invite to the wedding. Venues have restrictions on the number of guests they'll allow so you'll want to ensure your guest list will fit within that range. Alternatively if you're hosting a 50 person reception, a 500 person ballroom wouldn't be the most ideal space for your special day.
Step 2: Keep Your Budget in Mind
The wedding budget can spiral out of control quickly if you aren't keeping track of expenses. (So. many. pretty. things!). Prior to offically booking your venue, we recommend a quick crunch of numbers to estimate what the overall wedding will cost. If your dream venue is over your allocated budget, are there some areas where you can cut cost to make up for it, without compromising other important aspects of the day?
Step 3: Ask What's Included
Every wedding venue comes with a different set of what's included. If you aren't sure, ask! Some venues come with chairs, tables, linens, and candles while others are a blank space for you to create in. Adding the rental of tables, chairs and linens will create a significant increase in cost to your overall budget.
Step 4: Think About your Guest's Experience
Will your great-grandmother need to walk through an uneven grassy area or up three flights of stairs to get to your wedding ceremony? How will the over all day flow - will guests be asked to move from one space to another several times throughout the evening? Are there plenty of parking spaces and bathroom facilities onsite? Questions like these will help you determine if the venue is a good fit for your guests as well as your vision. Maybe great-grandma won't mind walking up three flights of stairs to witness your special day of love, but it's helpful to take these things into consideration so you know what to expect before locking in a venue.
Step 5: Consider Venue Rules
Do you envision a candle lit reception room on your wedding day? Does the venue allow flames? Are you hoping for a petal toss as you exit the ceremony? Does the venue allow the toss of any elements inside or outside the venue?
Prepare for your venue walk through:
We've compiled 21 questions to ask your potential wedding venues here.
