While I do not consider myself an expert, I have been to quite a few venues, and helped friends find their venues. So hopefully my experience can help you out!
First things first, your budget. Have an open conversation with all parties that are going to be assisting in helping pay for the wedding. It’s best to have realistic expectations before you fall in love with a venue that is thousands of dollars out of your price range. I’ll also be making a post ALL about budgeting for your wedding, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
What’s most important to you and your fiance?
Once you’ve decided on the budget, you’ll have to decide on a few key things when it comes to choosing your venue. Do you have a specific theme for your wedding? Would you like your venue to include all amenities necessary for your wedding? Would you like the option to bring your own catering and alcohol? Will you be required to have a day of coordinator, or will your venue include one? I have worked for The Event Consultants for over a decade, so of course my top priority for my wedding was being able to utilize my own entertainers and vendors! While all inclusive venues are excellent for some couples, I’ve never liked the idea of a venue that requires you to use vendors (specifically DJ’s and photographers). As most of us only intend on getting married once, being able to choose the perfect vendors is SUCH an important part of the planning process. So while I was on the hunt for a venue, that was always one of my first questions “Can I bring my own vendors?”. You’ll want to decide what the most important aspect of your planning is going to be, and always ensure any venue you’re looking at can accommodate.
Important factors to help narrow it down:
- Overall cost.
- Is your date available?
- Location, location, location!
- Can the venue accommodate your guest count?
- Which setting do you prefer? (Do you want lots of natural greenery, near the beach, vintage look, ect…)
Once you’ve narrowed down your most important factor of the venue, you get to do the fun part of touring the venues! Many venues hold Bridal Shows, or Open Houses to showcase their space. They often set up mock ceremony/reception areas, offer food tastings, and you get to meet vendors that work at that venue relatively often. I always suggest my brides attend these shows instead of the larger bridal shows… while the larger bridal shows are fun, it can be very overwhelming getting information from so many different vendors. If a venue you love is not having any of these shows, you can still schedule a tour with the venue’s events team. You can easily find contact information by calling the venue, or you can contact me and I’d be happy to help you out!
Be sure to check out our recommended venue page! The Event Consultants is happy to help you find the perfect venue for your event!
My venue!
I have had my heart set on The Newland Barn in Huntington Beach, CA for far longer than I’d like to admit. This is a city owned space, which means rental is extremely cost effective, and the venue is very DIY. Meaning, I can bring in all of my favorite vendors to help make our wedding spectacular! The most difficult part to book most city owned venues is actually booking it! In order to reserve the venue, you must win a raffle a year to the date in advance. I’m a bit lucky as our anniversary is October 6th, so when I realized that in 2018 our anniversary was going to be on a Saturday… I automatically knew when I wanted to get married.
or even a photo opt area!
