The 5 Most Important Things to Consider in Your Venue Search
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: settling on your venue in your wedding planning journey is of the utmost importance. Outside of your selection of fiance of course (!!!), if your venue selection is not at the top of your priorities list, we highly suggest placing it before everything else. So what do you need to know to find the perfect wedding venue?
If you think about it, your venue is the physical container for your entire event. The date availability, size, accommodations, and layout will determine a myriad of factors and without having these details solidified, it makes it impossible to settle on much of anything else. Therefore, we recommend venue selection to come before reaching out to any other vendor outside of your wedding planner.
As you begin your search, here are 5 key factors to keep in mind:
- WEDDING DATE
Seems like a no-brainer, but newly engaged couples could be surprised to find that many sought-after venues are fully booked years in advance. So before you sell your hopes to a dazzling Instagram feed of a venue you’re interested in, be sure to inquire on their availability so you know if it’s a real possibility.
Prior to submitting an inquiry to a venue, we suggest sitting down with your spouse-to-be and choosing three to four preferable months in the calendar year that you want to tie the knot.
Maybe this would look like a spring month, two summer months and one fall: March, June and July, and November, for example.
Take time to brainstorm on all relevant factors like family flying in to attend the wedding, weather conditions, work obligations, and pre-planned trips. That way, when you begin reaching out to venues that have you excited, you’ll be able to work with a few different points in the year if they’re tightly booked.
- BUDGET
Roughly, you can expect to spend around 37% of your overall wedding budget on your venue. It’s the biggest investment of the day–another reason why we suggest making this selection, among the thousands you’ll make in your wedding planning, FIRST.
Another conversation to have with your boo is determining your overall budget. This will guide you in vetting venue options in your search ensuring you don’t overshoot or waste precious time inquiring from venues that are outside that established range.
One thing to consider is the price variation for peak-season and off-season wedding dates. If a venue responds to your inquiry with a price range you can’t stomach, it can’t hurt to inquire if that number changes for a wedding date outside their peak-season.
- SIZE
Guestlists can be one of the most difficult hurdles for couples to overcome in the wedding planning process. If you’re like us, you’re so excited for your big day that you’d invite your mailman if you could.
Sadly, budgets can’t accommodate the whole world to attend, but when it comes to searching for a venue, it’s imperative you know your maximum possible guestcount. Having this number ensures you’re inquiring from venues with that guest capacity. If your guestcount ends up being less, no problem. The trouble comes when the guestlist exceeds the available space of the location. Understandably, the fire department will have a thing or two to say, and if we can avoid that headache, we should.
After you have your preferred wedding date months and rough budget determined, tackle the draft guestlist with your fiance. This will not only give you a list for your Save the Dates, but also a number you can communicate with the venues you submit inquiries to.
- INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SETTINGS
As wedding coordinators, weather is like our tipsy uncle at the Christmas party we need to constantly keep an eye on. It can cause a lot of trouble, is often unpredictable, and just when you think you’re in the clear, you hear it making a far-off ruckus.
We do everything in our power to anticipate the challenges weather can bring, however, considering the indoor and outdoor accommodations of a venue location in the early stages of planning is a vital way to curb the risky nature of wind, rain, and heat.
This looks like taking into consideration the fact that perhaps you’re getting married in early March and where you live, rain is possible at that time. If your venue offers ceremony and reception outdoors but also provides a covered barn space, this is a big plus! It offers the flexibility to bring guests to a protected area in the off-chance it starts to drizzle or if they’re in need of some shade.
As a couple, it’s important to take time to share what you envision for both your ceremony and reception spaces, and as you search for venues with your wedding date and probable weather in mind, work to find a venue that is flexible in its indoor and outdoor accommodations.
- SERVICE OPTIONS
Depending on the vision of your big day, you’ll need to determine the level of service you need when it comes to the event staff helping execute your plans and research accordingly. For venues, this could look like offering tables, chairs, linens, etc. or for the setup and tear down of third-party rentals. This could also include catering services or onsite lodging for guests and honeymooners.
What venues have available to offer varies drastically so it’s vital you take a careful look at the package descriptions as you research and inquire. One of the most common hiccups we see for newly engaged couples is a disconnect in understanding of what a venue provides and what they don’t. But we don’t blame you! Contracts can be difficult to decipher and service language isn’t always straight-forward.
A second pair of industry-trained eyes (like ours!) can help ensure you fully understand exactly what you’re investing in and make additional arrangements if needed.
Settling on a venue within your budget with the services and features most important to you is a vital step to kicking off your planning journey strong. While you Google your heart out, keep these key factors at the front of mind. Careful research and considering all the details will undoubtedly lead you to booking a solid venue that will service as the perfect backdrop for the day you say yes to forever. Where are you thinking of saying “I do”? Check out our blog post of our favorite Northern California venues!
