Having trouble finding your perfect wedding venue? Chelsea Boehler from Dream Team Events offers her advice on the important factors to consider.
Deciding on a venue for your wedding might be the hardest
part of planning a wedding. It seems
like it would be easy, but in today’s wedding culture the sky is the limit and
many non-traditional wedding venues have opened such as barns and tree
farms. In fact, most weddings are now
held not in churches but in private sector venues.
The main factors for determining your wedding venue
are:
- Cost/budget
- Location
- Convenience
(parking, ADA compliance)
- Ambiance
- Your personalities.
The options are vast ranging from warehouses and lofts to
beaches and 5-star hotels. I help my
clients narrow down their options by asking a number of simple questions about how they envision their big day. Are they want to be outside or inside? Riding into the ceremony on a horse drawn carriage? What are your favorite activities? Do you like the movies? Do you snow camp or mountain climb? Is your favorite thing going to the spa? Is your favorite place the beach or your
parent’s backyard? Are you wine
connoisseurs? Do you love sailing? Where did you first meet and what did you do
for your first date?
All of these questions help to narrow a couple’s vision down to who they are, how they want to represent
themselves and how they want to celebrate their day with their friends and
family. I am a true believer that
people are most comfortable and will have more fun in a place they feel safe
and that feels familiar. If you can
choose such a place you will be more relaxed and have a much better experience.
Once you have your dream venue in mind it’s time to think
about all of the other factors. If your
venue is specific, like a hut on a mountain, you won’t have as many options.
It’s time to test the venue, and ask yourself the following questions:
- Does it fit our budget?
- Does it include
catering or can I pick my own caterer?
- Will I need
additional rental items for this venue and do those things fit our budget?
- Is it convenient
for all of our guests?
- Is it easy to
find?
- Are there any
limitations with the venue and do those limit what we want to do there?
- Does the capacity
of the venue allow for all of my guests or will I have to limit our guest list?
- Is the ambiance
what I really want for the ceremony and reception?
- Will I have to
pick a separate ceremony and reception venue or is it all inclusive for both?
- Will they allow
all of the vendors I would like to use?
- Do they have ample
parking for our guests?
After you answer the questions, if the venue fails the test,
look for other options that might be in the same type of category of
venue. If the property your aunt said
you could use won’t work, look into area venues like barns and farms that may
work better and already have what you need on site. If you want a beach theme but don’t want to
be on sand, maybe a yacht is the way to go.
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| Wish lanterns floating out over the sea off the side of a yacht courtesy of Wishlantern |
Venue selection is like finding a shoe that fits, you will know it
when you try it on. Don’t just pick a
place by the visual displays online. You
need to go to the venue and take a tour, preferably at the same time of year
you will be married. Ask for references
from past couples and do your
research.
If you are using a wedding
planner, this is when you can utilize this person to get answers to your big
questions before you go. Your wedding
planner is also a great resource for already knowing what a venue includes in
their packaging and the price you will pay for their services. Most wedding planners have toured multiple
sites and have worked at dozens of locations and will know firsthand what it is
like there.
If you need help planning your wedding we would love to be
of assistance to you. Please check out
our website at www.dreamteampdx.com. Happy Wedding Planning!
Chelsea Boehler
"Best Wedding Planner in Canby" by The Wedding Industry Expert Awards 2012
Dream Team Events LLC
o. 
(503) 522-7680
Labels: Wedding Co-ordinator, Wedding Planner, Wedding Planning, Wedding Venue