Choosing a Wedding Venue: How to Make it Right?

From a casual beach wedding to a grand ballroom, your venue sets the tone, no matter what kind of wedding venue you choose for your big day. If you are unsure of where to begin when looking for your perfect wedding venue, it can be a daunting process. There will be many questions that need to be answered by you. Are you planning a large or small wedding? Would you rather have it outside or indoors? Is it more rustic or more glam? Choosing the right kind of wedding venue for you and your partner will enable you to narrow down the many venues out there by deciding what the basics of your ceremony are. 

In spite of this, it is important not to underestimate how important it is to choose the right wedding venue. As part of the whole wedding planning process, choosing a location for your wedding is an important part since it will be the backdrop for your wedding photographs and the place where you will make memories that will last a lifetime for all of your guests. Are there any ways that we can ensure that this is a decision that can be made with the greatest amount of confidence? The following is a list of steps that need to be followed when choosing a venue for your wedding.

Locations for the wedding

In the generation before ours and our grandparents, the hometown of the bride had traditionally been the place where weddings were held. Nonetheless, in recent years, couples have been able to choose from an array of locations for their wedding - whether it be their partner's hometown, their home city, a favorite vacation location, or even an exotic destination, they have always dreamed about. The advantages of a hometown wedding (convenience) are many, but the advantages of a destination wedding are also many. It is important that you choose your event location first and foremost when it comes to your budget and venue options. Depending on how you plan your big day, everything from your budget to your choice of venue will be affected by this decision.

Think about where you want the ceremony and reception to be

Some couples prefer to have their wedding and reception held at different venues, as they find it convenient to have both events at the same location. The reason for this is that this creates the possibility for the couple to be able to have their ceremony at a house of worship, but they can also choose to do the ceremony in a park, a court house or any other location they choose, followed by a reception at a wedding reception facility. As an alternative to having a separate venue for your ceremony and reception, you should decide whether you would like both events to take place in the same location. 

Prepare a budget

One of the most important decisions you will have to make when choosing an event space to host your wedding is the price range of the venue. Approximately half of your wedding budget will go toward the venue and catering costs. In the United States, couples are estimated to spend anywhere from $2,500 to $11,000 on the event itself along with the reception venue; this is by no means a small amount by any means, but it is not inconsequential. The cost of renting a wedding venue in a major city may be considerably higher than that of renting one in a more rural area, so it's important to take into account your location when planning your wedding. If you have decided on an all-inclusive venue, then you should discuss your budget with your partner and any family members who may be contributing and divide it by half to determine what your budget can go towards the venue and catering. Once that is determined, you will have the total cost for the venue and catering.

Calculate the number of guests

It is always the case that a wedding venue can accommodate a maximum number of guests comfortably, regardless of how many guests are invited. There is no flexible count for this number, so even if you don't need the exact number of guests, we would recommend that you have some kind of approximation before choosing a venue. It is quite different from a venue that can hold 100 guests in comparison to a venue that can hold 1000 guests, which is quite a large difference. You should keep in mind when deciding the number of guests you want to invite that you are not making up numbers randomly ("I want a 50-person wedding!"). In order to avoid any surprises later on, you should seek ideas from your partner or family so that you will not have any surprises (you can always ask for more or fewer guests if necessary). If you have an extended guest list of 200, you probably do not want to hire a wedding venue that can accommodate 100 guests.  

Make a list of your priorities

It is then possible to start planning your dream venue once you have a clear idea of where it will be located, what kind of budget you have, and how many people you expect to attend. The following are some of the features that you may want to include in your ideal venue if you could take a moment to consider them. For instance, if outdoor wedding ceremonies and cocktail hours are on your must-have list, in-house catering may also be on it. Accommodations may be required for your guests near the venue if they have pets or if they are located in a convenient location. The possibilities are endless because every couple has different priorities, so there is no right or wrong way to go.

Think about the advantages and disadvantages

There is an element of excitement that comes with finding a venue that immediately catches your eye at first glimpse. Tours are not a time to pressure you into signing anything. It's a good idea to visit a few venues if you are considering a destination wedding and to discuss your options with your partner and your family if desired if you would like to have a destination wedding. When you have visited a number of venues, you should make your top choice based on the pros and cons of all of them. Your partner may have some concerns concerning the venue you've chosen for your wedding day, and so you're considering a change in venue. 

Even if you and your partner don't agree on what venue you should choose for your wedding, you should both be happy with the decision you make. Make sure you don't hesitate to check out a couple more venues so that you are certain you have found "the one."  

Conclusion

Once you and your partner decide on the venue, it is of the utmost importance that a contract is obtained as soon as possible. Despite the ease with which contracts can be signed without much thought, it is highly recommended that you take the time to read the venue agreement very carefully before signing. Don't hesitate to ask questions about the payment schedule, and do not be afraid to ask any questions that you might have regarding the contract. The contract should be reviewed thoroughly, and once you are confident you are in complete agreement with everything in it, you should sign it, return it to the venue, and pop a few bubbles. You have officially begun the process of planning your wedding, and we'd like to congratulate you on that. Making this important decision in your life is, without a doubt, one of the biggest ones you will ever make.

If you want to create the perfect big day, making the right wedding-related decisions is crucial to making it truly special. However, some decisions will have a greater impact than others. It's a big one, isn't it? Your wedding will be held at a specific venue. Your wedding venue plays an extremely important role in setting the tone for the rest of the day, so it is crucial that you pick it carefully.