Booking Your Perfect Wedding Venue
Once you’ve become engaged, one of the many steps you’ll take towards your wedding day is to look for your wedding venue. This article will take a look at venue capacity, cost, coordination, and best time to book!
Venue Capacity
If you have 60 people attending your wedding reception, you'll want to find a wedding venue that accommodates around 60-80 people. Why get a great venue that holds 150 people then not even half fill it, your wedding guests will be rattling around inside, and all atmosphere will be lost.
Assuming you’re planning a DJ or Band for the evening’s entertainment for your wedding guests, then ensure they have enough space to set up their equipment, consider where you can visualise the wedding party dancing and see if there is room for the entertainment to set up.
If you are planning a big wedding breakfast at the venue, speak to you wedding venue and ask how they will arrange all the tables, they may say they can accommodate hundreds of wedding guests but if they are sticking tables down the corridor, your guests will feel left out.
In short, when searching for the perfect venue, ensure you visit the venue, don’t just choose it from photos or the internet, and try to visualise your wedding party being held there.
Cost
Lets face facts, the wedding venue and reception can easily be the most expensive part of your big day, but only if you want it to be.
Depending on what your personal choice is, whether it’s a grand Victorian house you’ve rented for the day, or the local church hall, ensure you set your budget and stick to it.
Large wedding venues sometimes offer set packages, which include a single price per head for their meal, wine, toast drink and evening buffet. All venues should provide you with a price list before you book anything, check if there is a cost for hiring the venue, on top of the consumables. Some wedding venues charge less for Sunday – Thursday weddings, while Fridays and Saturdays are more popular wedding days and may cost more.
If you book a wedding venue that does not arrange your catering needs or is simply a hall hire, consider the costs of what else you may need to make it a perfect wedding venue, food, drinks, dinnerware & cutlery, decorations, DJ, service staff – they all add up.
Spend time working out your numbers and decide what suits your wedding budget.
Coordination
Once you’re happy you’ve found your perfect wedding venue, pay your deposit, get a receipt and ensure it’s fully booked for you on your wedding day.
Try and take a few family members or close friends to see the wedding venue before your big day. Not only does it make them feel more involved but you can get their opinions and ideas.
Discuss with the management of the venue what you can and can’t do. Find out the times you can enter and what time you'll need to vacate the premises. Speak to the caterers and ensure the dining that you need is properly organized and coordinated. Check what things the wedding venue will provide, and what you’re expected to take care of. Things like a large silver knife or cake stand, if these are not provided by the wedding venue, you’ll need to organise them yourself or face an awkward moment when it comes to cutting your wedding cake. Find out when your wedding DJ can get in to set up, all the little things need consideration, make a list and ask all the questions of your wedding venue.
Book Early!!!
Finally, once you’ve spent the time searching for your perfect wedding venue, and you’re happy you’ve found your dream day location, book it! Most places get booked well in advance, often years in advance. Don't wait or you may lose out to some other couple getting married on the same date. Usually whoever comes up the first deposit gets the location so be prepared to lay down the money necessary. << Back
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