This week we will be going over ceremony and reception venues. Giving you things to think about and questions to ask venues, making sure they can provide you the place of your dreams. But before you can pick out your venue you need to have a rough estimate of how many people you are going to invite. How big or small will your guest list be? Once you and your fiancé have this figured out you can move onto venues. A few things to think about before you start visiting venues are:
- 2 separate locations or all at the same place
- Indoor
- Outdoor
- Both
- Church
- Home
- Winery
- Hotel
- Castle?
Now that you have what type of place figured out you can start looking up similar places. Once you start looking at different venues you may want to consider these things:
- Parking
- Overall feel of space
- Layout of space
- Have you ever been there before, did you like it?
- Ease of setting up and tearing down
You’ll want to ask the venue the earliest you can come in and start decorating and if you are allowed to decorate the space. When do you have to be out of the space? Will they have anything else going on during your event? If you plan on having two separate locations you will want these locations near each other so your guest won’t have to drive forever to get to the party.
Not only do you need to consider all of these things for your ceremony and reception venues but keep in mind all of this will be close to half of your budget, so don’t freak out once you have these things set up and seems like you don’t have any money left. When picking your reception spot, think about the food you want. Do you want a served meal, buffet, hors d’oeuvres, or stations? Talk to your caterer and see what they suggest will best feed your guest count, but ultimately this is your decision and how you want to feed your guest. What type of feel do you want your guest to have once they leave your wedding? Along with food and menus comes the bar. Alcohol will also be a big cost to your budget and is something you should take time to think about, because there are many options on how you can go about getting your guest drunk. When considering a bar think about these options:
- If you even want alcohol at your wedding
- Cash bar vs. non cash
- Signature drinks
- Full bar
- Limited service bar
Bourbon Barrel Bar
There are many creative ways to include alcohol in your wedding without breaking budget. You just have to take some time and think about what makes the most sense for you and your fiancé.
Before visiting each venue, make a list of your must haves and want to haves so you can remember to ask the venues about these things. Make sure you do visit 3 or 4 places if you have the time don’t just settle for the first venue you see because you feel like you have to. Take your time and pick the venue that really speaks to you. Remember this is your celebration you do what you want!
Next week we will be talking about wedding attire and getting that perfect dress! If you have any questions don’t forget to ask them and we’ll get you the answer!