How to Choose a Wedding Venue for Your Special Day!
Choose the perfect wedding venue!
Your wedding day is absolutely one of the most memorable days of your entire life. That’s why we spend weeks, months and sometimes even years planning for the event so that it goes off without a hitch for not only the bride and groom, but also our family and friends.
One of the biggest questions that must be decided very early on is where you’re planning to have the wedding and the reception. Today, we’re going to give you some awesome tips on how to choose a wedding venue.
Planner Discussion
The first thing you should do when deciding on a wedding venue is to contact a wedding planner. Part of their job is to stay aware of the venues in the area and they’ll often be part of a network of people who can identify venues outside of your local area and often outside the country as well. He or she will also be able to tell you about any unique details concerning a given venue, including any restrictions or package options.
Venue Location
The location of your wedding is most likely going to be the biggest detail of all. If you’re planning to have a destination wedding, then you need to take your guests into consideration just in case some of them might not be able to travel. Depending on your budget and where everyone in your family lives, you may want to decide to keep it local or in an area that is convenient for the majority of your guests.
Wedding Budget
Everyone wants to have their wedding at their dream venue, but logistically and financially, it sometimes isn’t possible. You need to figure out how much your wedding budget is going to be and the amount that you’re willing to spend for the venue itself. There are many costs involved with a wedding and even if you visit your dream venue and fall in love with it, you might be better off sacrificing the location so that the ceremony and reception can be even grander.
Desired Date
Picking a wedding date is typically one of the very first things that a couple does once they decide to get married. This can also determine which venues you can choose from, because some of them might be booked very far in advance. And as you probably know, the time of year that you decide to get married could mean the difference between fighting over your chosen venue with other couples and having your pick of the litter.
Number of Guests
Another big indicator of which venue you’ll want to get is your guest list. Some couples may only have a dozen family members and friends that they want to invite while others may have a couple of hundred people. When looking through venues, pay close attention to their size and how many people they can reasonably accommodate. This is especially important right now because some venues may continue to limit capacity due to the ongoing pandemic.
Event Vision/Theme
In recent years, having a themed wedding has become extremely popular. Perhaps you want to celebrate your love of Marvel movies or maybe you want to have a steampunk wedding. Even if you don’t do anything quite so out of the ordinary, you need to make sure that the venue will match your vision or theme that you’re trying to achieve. After all, you don’t want to have a sci-fi theme at a venue that looks like an Old West town.
One or Two Locations
Finding one venue can sometimes be tricky enough, but there are certainly many couples who decide to have the wedding ceremony in a different location than the reception. If you choose to keep them separate, then you’ll need to figure out transportation needs, a guest list for each location, and other details that your wedding planner will discuss with you. To make it easier, you may want to rent a venue for the wedding itself and then use a relative’s backyard or maybe even a park for the reception.
Package Options
Many venues will offer a variety of package options that may make things a whole lot easier for you. They may already have wedding arches available or perhaps they’re equipped with an outside tent. Some venues will even have a specific caterer that they work with. Just be sure that you crunch the numbers, because some of the packages may not be worth the extra cost.
Catering Restrictions
Speaking of catering, you should always ask whether or not there are any restrictions imposed by the venue. Sometimes, a venue will only allow you to use a caterer of their choosing, because they have a deal with the caterer or it’s someone that they trust. Plus, there could be restrictions on alcohol or certain types of foods or beverages based on a negative experience that they’ve had at the venue.
Local Accommodations
One thing that can sometimes be overlooked concerns out-of-town family and friends who will need hotel accommodations. You certainly don’t want them to be inconvenienced by being unable to find a hotel room or being forced to pay exorbitant prices because of a special event that’s going on. The best way to avoid this is to call around to local hotels near the venue and find out if the date of your wedding may present any problems with guests finding a room available.
Contact Elite Events & Rentals for More Tips on How to Choose a Wedding Venue
If you need any help on how to choose a wedding venue, the staff at Elite Events & Rentals can assist you. We also have many high-quality products for rent such as tents, tables, chairs, catering equipment, tableware, and a whole lot more. If you have any questions about our Tampa wedding rental equipment or would like a free quote for our services, reach out to us through our website or by calling (727) 791-7082.One of the biggest questions that must be decided very early on is where you’re planning to have the wedding and the r or in any other city across the country or even abroad.