How to Choose a Wedding Venue
Can’t decide on a wedding venue? I can help! When I’m having a hard time making a big decision, I like to write out my thoughts along with the pros and cons of what I’m considering. This helps to smooth out ideas and put a more analytical spin on things. Here are some questions for you to use when trying to decide on a wedding venue.
What are 3 words that describe the style of wedding you want? (i.e. luxury, rustic, traditional) If you have more than 3 words, write them down.
If you write down any words that feel contradictory, spend some time thinking through what you want to end up with before moving on. This needs to be done before deciding on anything for the wedding.
What do you want your wedding to feel like? (examples: homey, luxurious, casual)
What do you envision your guests wearing? (examples: black tie or cocktail attire)
What do you envision your dress and his suit looking like? (examples: formal, black tie, country chic)
How big are you going to go on your flowers?
What colors do you want to see at your wedding?
Buffet or plated dinner?
Are you going to have a band or a DJ or both?
Do you want to be inside, outside, or both?
How important is nature to your vision?
Do you want to begin with a blank canvas or have some decor built into the venue?
These questions should help you narrow down your options. Once you’ve narrowed down a few venues to meet with, schedule in person meetings with their staff and pay close attention to how they treat you. Look for a very collaborative, relaxed venue rather than one that comes across as controlling with lots of rules and restrictions. If it’s an outdoor wedding, don’t hope for the best, make sure the rain backup location is beautiful too. MANY venues don’t have this! Choose a venue that you’ll be happy with no matter what the weather does.
Straightforward pricing, collaborative and complimentary attitudes towards other wedding professionals, and friendly, professional competence is what will make a great experience. The venues you’ve read or heard nightmare stories about tend not to have these things. If they can’t show easy to understand pricing, have hidden fees, try to control who you hire for your vendors or force their own coordinator on you, or show a flippant or dismissive attitude, don’t go with them no matter how beautiful the venue might be. Your venue is literally the foundation of your wedding, make sure you pick one that will put you first.
There are lots of other things to consider, but this is a great place to start. Email me hello@takenbysarah.com if you need some more prompts, or if you want to bounce ideas off me!
