What to Know Before Touring Venues
Committing to a venue is the biggest decision you will make regarding your wedding. It determines SO much, some of which you might not even have realized. There are a few things to determine before you can even start looking at options.
What time of the year do you want to get married and how important is your anniversary date?
A few things can determine what time of year you get married. The first being when you get engaged. I never wanted an engagement that was over a year, but I said “yes” in the summer. Trying to put together a wedding for the upcoming fall season would literally have been crazy (thinking back now, I probably could have pulled it off, but I also wanted a moment to breathe and enjoy being engaged). Spring would have been a good option, but I live in west Michigan, where snow in April is a possibility. I do not like the cold. So we decided on summer, meaning our engagement would be a year. These days engagements are typically well over a year, thanks to COVID for pushing back all bookings, and because people just can’t prioritize planning a wedding on top of dealing with all of life’s other demands. So our date was determined on when he popped the question.
The other thing that determines the time of year you want to get married is whatever grand vision you already have predetermined in your head. If you’ve always dreamed of getting to wear a fuzzy shawl and take pictures in falling snow, picking a date in August is just not going to work for ya. If you dream of orange and gold hues, dotted with burgundy and maroons, an April date might not be your friend, get what I’m saying? If picking the perfect season means a shorter engagement, don’t panic! Just enlist some helpers to delegate tasks to so you can pull it off. If it means a longer engagement, don’t be bummed you have to wait longer, it’ll fly by.
The last thing to consider is your actual anniversary date. Was every member of your family miraculously born in October? Maybe don’t add another special occasion to that mix? Just.. a thought. And- write out the numbers and see what they look like on paper. It might be silly, but you’re stuck with that date, so choose wisely. I personally prefer it when all the numbers are odd or even. My birthday is 04/28, wedding date is 07/15, don’t those look nice and neat? (I obviously didn’t get to choose the birthday, but I got lucky, thanks mom)
Budget & Capacity.
Okay, you probably saw these coming. But real talk. If your venue budget is $5k, and you see one you love for $10k, no. You don’t see that venue. It doesn’t exist. But- think about why you love that venue. Is it bright and open? Can you get a photographer with a light and airy editing style instead to create that illusion for you? Does it come with a beautiful flower garden for photos? Can you focus on having beautiful florals on your arch for photos instead? This is like when I watch ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ and the consultant has her try on the perfect dress that’s way over her budget and I’m yelling at the consultant for even showing it to her in the first place. OBVIOUSLY she’s going to love the most expensive option. Anyways. Stay focused when it comes to your budget. If you blow it all right away on a venue, you’re going to have to sacrifice things later.
Next is guest capacity. If a venue says their capacity is 200, their comfortable capacity is less. Let me tell ya, venues will try to squeeze your guests in like sardines and it is not pretty. IF you were going to invite 200 people, and your venue’s max is 200, that’s.. okay. Only because not everyone will come, so your actual headcount will be less. That is still not an ideal situation but it can work. But when I hear couples saying they’re inviting more than their venue states is CAPACITY, we have issues. Do not send out 220 invites anticipating you won’t get more than 200 positive RSVPs back. You’ve also left your vendors out of this equation, though sometimes we prefer to run off and have our dinner in a closet just to have a breather. So if you’re looking at venues that require you to max out their guest capacity, I implore you to cut your guest list, or look at bigger venues, before you put yourself in an unpleasant situation.
Have solid numbers picked out for your budget and guest count and STICK TO THEM.
All inclusive or bare bones?
When it comes to venues, there are two ends to the spectrum. One end is all inclusive, and the other is bare bones. And of course, there are all sorts of venues that fall in between. No two venues are going to be the same, so it’s important to know what your priorities are and what questions to ask.
Let’s start with what’s included at an all inclusive venue. For starters, they’ll set the room with tables and chairs from a predetermined floor plan created for you. They’ll also provide you with linens, meaning tablecloths and napkins. They’ll set these out for you, and clear them at the end of the night. An all inclusive venue would also have an in-house catering company, complete with menu options and servers to work your event. These types of venues will also have their own bar service, accompanied by a supply of alcohol and bartenders. They might even have a sound system for you to take advantage of. In plain terms, this is a one stop shop for your big day and the only thing you’re really missing at that point is florals and photography. Sounds dreamy, right? It is. It’s also the most expensive option when it comes to finding a place to host your event. So that right there is your biggest con. Another thing to consider is the lack of customization you are allowed. Places like these know what works best for them and like to be consistent with how their events are run. For some of you, that’s exactly what you want, but for others who have very specific images in mind when it comes to your wedding day, you may want to go with something that allows you more flexibility.
That brings us to a bare bones, or ‘shell’ venue. This is going to be the type of space that delivers not much more than lights that turn on and toilets that flush, but they are also the most inexpensive. A backyard is a great example of the barest of bones venue. In this situation you’d even have to bring in your own restrooms and lighting. This venue type provides essentially a space big enough for all your guests to gather and not much else. This leaves you needing to source tables, chairs, linens, dinner and barware, and so much more. Sounds like a lot of work, right? It is. BUT, you have all the freedom in the world, or at least all the freedom your budget and your venue’s contract allows. You get to bring in your own food or hand select your catering team. You can have whatever type of tables or chairs you want. You can have as big or as little of a bar as you want with no minimum spending fee! This will take loads more planning and organization to pull off smoothly, but allows you more options and gives you the opportunity to save some money. Beware of thinking a backyard wedding is loads cheaper than having it at a venue, bringing in all those required amenities adds up fast, but that’s a conversation for another day.
Now, every venue, of course, falls somewhere in between the two types of venues that I’ve just described. Some will require you to bring in your own alcohol but provide bartenders. Some will have specific catering teams you have to choose from. Some charge extra if you want to bring in your own desserts. Think about what you’d like to handle on your own, or what you want to be totally taken care of for you and go from there.
In Conclusion
All of these factors should be considered before your search bar sees “wedding venue near me”. Have a clear conversation with your partner and discuss what your priorities are when it comes to your venue, and then WRITE THEM DOWN. That’s right. Pen and paper. You need those reminders in front of you at all times. I want you to feel guilty looking at a venue that starts at $8k when you clearly have in front of you “budget: $5k”.
Now that you know what you want out of your venue, start that search! Stick to the guidelines you’ve written down and schedule some tours! Even if you’re not finding any that you love right away, it can be helpful to get out and see a space in person. Remember to ask loads and loads of questions while you’re there! If you’re not sure what to ask, you can fill out the form below to get my free list of venue questions. It has you covered from contract to logistics to vendors and rentals!
Don’t rush this first step of planning your wedding! Your venue is an extremely important (and expensive) item to book, so make sure it’s right for you!
Fill out the form below to have our Free Venue Q&A List sent right to your inbox!
Remember to grab the freebie list above full of questions to ask while on venue tours!
Happy touring, and happy planning, friends!
