Finding the perfect venue is not always easy

There are sooo many beautiful venues right now. So believe me when I say, I understand how it would be hard to pick the perfect one. But there are several things you will want to think about or ask when you visit them before deciding. Below are a few that I thought of:

How many guests do you want to invite?

The number of guests you have should be the starting point of your planning because everything else depends on it… Remember, it’s YOUR DAY alone and you don’t have to invite everyone you know….

What’s your budget?

As it’s well known, one does not talk about money – in this case, however, I advise you to speak openly about this topic and have no illusions…. Be sure to set yourself a limit that no matter what may come up, you must not exceed it, and remember – after the wedding party, real life begins! Don’t go into debt! You don’t want to have to do without everything for the first few years! And I can tell you one thing for sure: A lot of money does not make a “dream wedding”!

How and where do you want to get married?

Do you imagine a fairy tale wedding in a beautiful castle, or do you prefer the exotic on a stunning beach? Should it be more rustic and rural in nature? It doesn’t matter where you imagine your wedding celebration – don’t trust “hearsay”, but rattle off everyone, take photos and ask without hesitation, after all it’s about a lot of money and responsibility!

Season?

Four seasons, each with its own special flair… Listen to your gut feeling! No matter how ridiculous it sounds, but create pro and con lists… these allow us completely different insights… Think about bad weather alternatives, or talk to the service providers about it… It’s no use if you choose the most expensive and most beautiful location and your guests are left out in the rain….

Availability?

Is the location even available at the time you want to get married? Can guests traveling easily access the venue? Are there available hotels and accommodations nearby? Think about these thinks when looking for your venue. You don’t want to get married in BFE where the closest DECENT hotel is 2 hours away! And coming from a small town in Eastern Kentucky… let me tell you that is SO TRUE.

How far is the distance between the ceremony and reception?

Is there any possibility to say yes in the vicinity of your dream location? Will there be enough parking spaces? Do not expect your guests to take long car journeys and look for a parking space! This will only put you in a bad mood and spoil such an important day for you! The rule of thumb is still a travel time of up to (at most!) 20 minutes!

House rules, cleaning and staff?

Is there a volume control? When is curfew? What about candles, confetti/rice, fireworks, etc.? Is cleaning included or do you have to take care of it yourself or pay something extra? How many waiters do you have available? Are they working all evening and ONLY for you? What about an additional hourly rate? tip? Tasting of the service providers? Make sure you are definitely asking these questions. I wish I had at my wedding because we were setting up late the night before, but they had to “close” and we couldn’t be there. So I had to leave a bunch of stuff out 🙁

Catering?

At a wedding you MUST be able to eat well! You don’t want hangry guests! Clarify whether the location itself will provide the food (and drinks) or whether a catering service is required. Also, have refreshments/appetizers during your cocktail hour so your guests aren’t starving. You’ll think me later.

How many events are planned that day?

Some locations offer several events at the same time based on their size. Make sure your waiters don’t have to work at both weddings and that the events don’t get in each other’s way spatially and acoustically. That could be a total disaster.

Music?

Is there enough space for a band or DJ? Does the location have the necessary equipment? Is there enough room for dancing? Another thing I didn’t think about at my wedding! There was NO WHERE to dance… so no one was dancing 🙁

Decoration?

Would you like to make your decoration yourself or will the organizer do it? If so, do you also have a say in this? What additional costs will you incur? Another thing that didn’t really exist when I got married was vendors who provide decorations. They come, set them up, and then come back and pick them up. Think of how much time that would save you! I could have done so much more the day before my wedding to prepare in other ways than to decorate myself.

As you can see, there is a lot to think about… and a lot of questions to ask. Save this so you can come back to it when you’re visiting your next venue. You’ll wish you had asked these questions or at least thought about them. I sincerely wish you a breathtaking wedding!

What is your favorite venue or where are you planning on getting married? Comment below!

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