Wedding Venues: How to Choose the Right One for Your Special Day
For almost two years, wedding season was halted by the pandemic. Strict regulations across much of the US prevented large gatherings for months on end.
This put a huge damper on the wedding events industry. But it also but many happy-ever-afters on hold.
As Spring of 2022 rolls around, the US is poised to see more weddings in a single year than it has in the previous 30. Now that gatherings are once again welcome, couples are ready to tie the know in front of their friends and family.
That means that wedding venues are going to be booked up year-round. So the sooner you start planning your special day, the better.
Wondering how to plan a wedding, and more specifically, how to choose a venue? Keep reading below for important wedding planning tips below.
Choose a Destination
Your first decision is choosing where you want to get married. All other decisions come after this one.
Do you want to get married in the town or city you currently live in? Would you prefer to get married in your hometown, where many of your friends and family live?
Or do you want something a bit more exciting? Maybe you want to get married in the mountains, or on the beach. Maybe you need to travel an hour or two to get to your ideal location.
Or maybe you want to host a destination wedding down in Florida, Mexico, or Europe. Choosing an area is the most important thing you need to do.
Choose a Season
Once you have an idea of where you want to get married, you can start thinking about which season makes the most sense. If you’re planning a wedding event in the Midwest, and want it to be outdoors, your best bet is going to be late spring or early fall.
Summer is popular as well, but the heat and humidity can be too much.
Or maybe you want to choose a Florida destination wedding. In that case, summer is off the table, as no one wants to travel to Florida during the intense heat and hurricane-prone season of summer.
Rather, wintertime is ideal for a Florida wedding. Temperatures are mild, often around 75 degrees. Plus, most people would be happy to escape the cold northern temperatures for a vacation in Florida during the winter.
Click to get more information here about planning a wedding in Southwest Florida.
Select a Target Date, but be Flexible
With a region and season in mind, you can try choosing your ideal date. However, if you’re choosing a popular wedding venue, this isn’t really up to you.
To reserve a venue, you’ll need to accept whatever dates are available. Most weddings happen on Friday and Saturday, though many take place on Sunday as well.
If it’s a destination wedding, and everyone attending is on vacation anyway, you can probably get a better deal by choosing a weekday.
If choosing an anniversary date is really important to you, you might want to consider a private wedding where everything is officiated on your chosen date. Then host the wedding whenever a venue is available.
Indoor or Outdoor Wedding Venues
When learning how to plan a wedding, one of the most important decisions is choosing an indoor or outdoor venue. Both have their pros and cons, though one is much safer than the other.
Everyone dreams of getting married outside, under a shaded awning overlooking the ocean or the woods. But mother nature is unpredictable, and weddings need to be planned months in advance.
While you might plan a wedding during a month where there’s barely any rain, you might get unlucky when your wedding day arrives.
Due to all the uncertainty regarding the weather, many people play it safe by booking indoor wedding venues. That way, you can have the wedding during any time of the year, helping you to get better rates. When it comes to indoor venues, there are various options to consider for the perfect wedding venue, and some examples are a museum, a historic mansion, or a luxurious hotel ballroom. These venues provide not only shelter from unpredictable weather but also an exquisite ambiance that can be tailored to your wedding theme and style.
With an indoor venue, you don’t have to have a backup plan. But when you book outdoor wedding venues, a backup plan is important.
You need to know what you’re going to do if your wedding day arrives and a storm is taking place. Does the outdoor venue have an optional indoor area you can use?
A good middle ground is to host your wedding in a greenhouse or a building with floor-to-ceiling windows and tons of natural light. That way, you get amazing views through the window, but get the peace of mind of a safe, dry, indoor venue.
Style of Venue
Next, you can start narrowing down your list of possible venus by deciding on what style you are looking for. Many people want rustic, barn-style weddings that feel like you’re out in the countryside.
Others want clean, modern, minimal, and urban. There’s no right or wrong answer. It all depends on what your style is, what you want the vibe of the wedding to be, and what you want your pictures to look like.
Venues come in many different styles. You can host weddings at museums, wineries, hip downtown studios, or in a barn out on a farm.
Amenities Included
Consider the amenities offered by each venue on your list. Weddings need a lot, so it’s important to see what’s included in the rental rate.
Are tables and chairs provided for both the ceremony and reception? Or do those need to be reserved and delivered?
Does the venue have an in-house catering team? Or do they have a list of preferred vendors?
What about the bar? A sound system?
A dancefloor? Outdoor tents?
Restrooms? Not all outdoor wedding venues have restrooms, so you may need to have high-quality porta potties delivered.
Take Your Time When Choosing a Venue
When planning a wedding, few things are as important as wedding venues. They will make or break your special day, so it pays to plan ahead.
Weddings take a long time to plan, and the biggest decision is when and where. So don’t rush the decision. Take your time and research all your options, take tours, and ask lots of questions. You’ll be glad you did.
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