A wedding is a beautiful and deeply personal event. Decorative and scheduled details essentially reflect culture and personal preference, though all weddings require a place to happen in. For your wedding to be perfect, this needs to be perfect too. However, like everything else involved, starting the search to the venue that will be perfect for you can seem like a monumentous task indeed. The three main elements of your final choice will be your vision, your guest list and your budget. Read on to find out more.
Your vision
When embarking on this journey to finding your dream venue, there are some tips that can make your life easier. The first is hiring a wedding planner. Whether you let them decide some venue options to choose from or just want to chat and gather some experience-led guidance, a planner can be a massive help. They will lead you to creative ideas to help you fully express you and your partner’s personalities at your wedding.
After discussing your ideas with a planner, mind-map them. Decide what you envision when you imagine your wedding. Do you see particular colors or themes? Do you imagine yourself happier in a more modern or more traditional setting? Whatever you want your wedding to look like, writing your ideas down will help you narrow down the massive range of venue options available.
“If you have a clear vision in mind, but lack the knowledge of how to execute it, get inspired. Places like Pinterest can provide great materials to create a mood board for your wedding venue, which is like a fancy mind-map. Stay true to yourself, but let yourself get ideas from others too.” Says Heather Smith, lifestyle writer at Do My Paper.
Guests and budgets
Two other main factors to consider other than your own preferences are:
The guest list
Filter the venues available to you by size. This will reduce the stress later when it comes to organizing the room or rooms you will use, especially if you intend to have seating arrangements. Know a significant proportion of your guests will bring plus ones, unless you specify for them not to. Having extra room gives you less need for worry.
Aside from plus ones, having an initial guest list will give you a feel for how much space you might need. Create a range for the minimum and maximum guest number, and match these to the respective numbers for each of the venues you consider.
Also consider what your guests need. If they’re travelling far, they will need places to stay – nearby transport links and hotels will be appreciated. If the weekend incorporates a retreat, guests will likely want places to resupply their everyday needs, like a good grocery store in the local area. Location is very important, and will also have a lasting effect on what people remember.
Your buget
With little research online, it is clear there is a very wide range of venues in terms of cost. You may find venues that appear low in cost and friendly to your budget. However, always consider what work would need to be done in the venue you hire. More expensive venues usually come with other amenities such as linens for the tables and cutlery.
Again, planners can help a lot with planning around your budget if you find yourself stuck. You may also want the freedom to choose your own décor and services. This will require more planning and more division of your budget, but will make the venue even more personalized.
The best place to start is with a list. Your initial one will be long and full of way too many venues. It will seem a bit overwhelming – that’s okay. As you narrow down on your vision, themes, guest list, location, budget and all other factors, your list will become shorter and shorter. At the end of it, you’ll have a few venues that will all match your needs quite well. Visit them in person to see which one feels best. If you still have more than one match, take it less seriously!
