Choosing the perfect wedding venue is no easy feat! It takes time, persistence, patience, and more importantly an agreement between future husband and wife. For many, a wedding is usually one of the biggest and most memorable moments in a person’s life and there is usually an expectation that the day has to go absolutely perfect. There are several very important factors that go into not only choosing a wedding venue but also the planning which comes with its own laundry list of tasks and milestone that must be met in order to pull off the big day. While many couples choose to hire a professional event planner that specializes in weddings, alleviating a lot of the stress, many more people and couples take the task of planning into their own hands. Let’s discuss some steps you and your loved one can take to make your wedding and the wedding venue the best it can be.
The Research Step
When it comes to preparing and planning for a wedding, no matter what the size it is, there comes a large element of research that goes into it. The research comes in many different forms from word of mouth referrals from friends or family that already tied the knot, to reading newspapers and articles, and even driving around to different venues. In this day and age of mobile phones and all of the answers to life's big questions in the palm of our hands, Google can be your best friend. A simple search term such as wedding venues near me can open the door to tons of information that can ultimately aid you in your big decision. When you use the internet to research wedding venues it would be wise to look at reviews that other people who have either visited the venue have to say or people who they themselves used the venue to have their wedding. Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google, and even social media sites and platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even Twitter can also assist you in choosing the right spot. Instagram, in particular, can be very helpful visually because the social platform is picture based and utilizes hashtags for quick views and access to what the venue will look like. If you download Instagram you can type in the search bar for either the venues page to see other peoples pictures of what the venue looks like. So maybe you could type ACE Daylight Studio & Lounge for example and see what they have to offer! What’s great about using a search engine like Google is that they can find the perfect place according to your location so if your location services are turned on, and you search wedding venues near me, the most relevant, up to date and accurate listings will pop up offering you information instantly. While research can be stressful and your plate may seem full, worry not! It is best to try to have an optimistic attitude and make the searching phase of the process fun and as enjoyable as possible.
Know Your Guest List
Comprising a guest list is probably a good place to start the wedding planning process. Knowing the scope and size of your big wedding day is important because then every other aspect of the planning process will eventually fall into place. Knowing the size of your wedding will, in turn, determine how much food you need, how many chairs, tables, and hotel rooms you need ( given you are utilizing a hotel.) So knowing your guest list is crucial. It is also important to know who is coming so you are able to accommodate certain individuals. For instance, if there are guests coming to your wedding who have disabilities or perhaps some people who are older like grandparents you are going to want to make sure that their needs are taken care of. Are there wheelchair ramps? Is the venue air conditioned? Is the venue close to where guests are staying? Those are all questions that you should be asking yourselves when choosing the wedding venue. Size is also an important factor to consider. If you are planning on having a smaller wedding then your venue should match your interests. Matching the size of the wedding to the venue can also potentially save you a ton of money. What is the sense of choosing a large venue for a medium or small sized wedding? Is the crowd in attendance the type of crowd that likes to party into the night? If so, you may want to consider getting an open bar so that your guest can celebrate your big day the right way.
Location, Location, Location!
So at this point in the process, you should know a couple key things. An idea of how many people will be in attendance at the wedding, the needs of anyone on the guest list, extensive research on what other people have done for their weddings, and what kind of venue you want. Now comes the time to narrow your search down to where it will be located. Do you want somewhere close to home that easily accessible for you and your guests or maybe somewhere more exotic or remote so you can break away from the same old routine? Each one of these decisions comes with its own advantages and disadvantages so make sure you are making the best decision that aligns with not only your vision. But your budget as well. Pleasing your guests is important, however, this is you and your spouses moment. Your wedding will set the baseline for your marriage and hopefully be one of the best days of your lives. So it is ok to be picky and make sure everything is to your liking and preference.
