Is your wedding date set? Then surely a next step could be the wedding venue. Decide well in advance what your requirements are at the rope location. Do you want to get married on the beach? In nature? In a castle or in a community centre? It’s all possible. If you find it a bit difficult to find a good location, maybe make a collage with pictures, colours, quotes and so on to create an image of what your style will be of your beautiful day. But also what do you think is important to remember about your venue in five years’ time?

Visit multiple wedding venues

It is important to actually visit several locations. There are often several open days throughout the year, where you can visit several locations in one day without any obligation. This way, you can really feel the vibe for a while. How does the communication feel? What does the decoration look like? How is the entrance and so on. At some venues, it is also possible to experience a piece of a real wedding to have an idea. Often at the open days, I already hear that a choice can be made faster. Photos and flyers unfortunately do not say everything about a venue. Therefore, experiencing to make a good impression is really important. See if you know any other couples who got married at those venues so you can hear about the experience. And perhaps you have recently had a wedding or several weddings and go over what you thought of those venues. In any case, always compare multiple locations.

Exclusivity

What about the exclusivity of your venue on your wedding date? Are any other groups running around on the day? Is the restaurant also open still for other guests? Are there multiple halls and, as a result, multiple groups that can celebrate something that day? And where do you stand on that? Do you really want the venues all to yourselves or don’t mind multiple parties at the venue on your day?

Quantity of guests

When choosing a wedding venue, also think about how many guests will be there. For small groups, a venue may still want to provide a different room compared to larger groups. This may also possibly be a different will than you thought of beforehand. Again, then, how does this feel? And maybe you are out on a particular venue but are the rooms suitable for really large groups, how does it look with a smaller party? And with a larger group, is it suitable for that? Enough space for dining, dancing and the like? It is sometimes better to have a room that is too big, where the right decoration can make the room seem smaller than a place where everyone is probably crowded. Think carefully about this too.

For example, with dinner, would you prefer a long table with all the day guests, does this fit? How is the setting at dinner at round tables and the like. You do not have to consider all this if it is not important to you, but take it into consideration if necessary.

Accessibility & accessibility

How accessible is the venue to your guests? Do you have many guests coming by public transport, how accessible is the venue for public transport? Or should you possibly then arrange shuttle buses. Are there enough parking spaces for your guests? If not, is there any options for parking in the surrounding area? Are there any guests with mobility problems or in wheelchairs? How accessible is the venue for these people?

Budget

Always get a quote from the wedding venue for your requirements. Also, does the venue fit your budget or is this far off? In case the venue exceeds your budget in terms of cost, see what else is possible in, for example, moving the wedding date. Some months or certain days are cheaper than getting married in the peak wedding season. If your date is not the most important then, you can definitely consider this.

Contract and conditions

Before you finally commit to a venue, take a good look at the contract and terms and conditions. Is the price fixed for a certain period that you book, or may the final price be altered due to possible inflation? What about cancelling from you guys should something unexpected happen? And what about this if something might happen at the venue what are your rights then? And until what time may the party take place what about any options to extend this if you would like.

What are you required to purchase from the venue to hold your day there? What is the minimum number of guests you should bring? Or is there some turnover guarantee? What about decorating the venue? Is the venue already so decorated that nothing else is needed, or are there any decorations needed and does the venue have that available, if any? And keep in mind when dressing also what times are given for this. Some locations only allow you to build up and dismantle from a certain time until a certain time on the day, and if you do want to do this a day later, this can also incur additional costs.

If you choose a venue that allows outdoor wedding, does the venue possibly have a back-up plan in case of the bad weather scenario? And should you possibly provide your own tent if needed or will the venue arrange this and the like.

These may be many questions and many considerations, but some questions are not unimportant to consider for yourselves to avoid unexpected surprises and possible higher costs. Therefore, be well prepared to fix your final venue.

A wedding venue might be easy to choose, but secretly there can be a lot involved. Did you know that a wedding planner can also play a role I think along with this?

Want to schedule a free introductory meeting? You can do this here: https://calendly.com/weddingplannerrosella/adviesgesprek