How to find your perfect wedding venue
Everyone wants a perfect venue for their wedding, a beautiful and affordable wedding venue that reflects their personality and embrace their style. A couple will probably have to go see several local wedding venues before deciding on a final one for their wedding. This article provides you with 5 criteria for your wedding venue comparison. The following elements should be considered when finding a wedding venue:
Capacity is the first thing to look at in a wedding venue
Obviously the venue should have enough capacity for your wedding. Usually you can see from the space yourself, or ask the venue manager how many people the place can hold. Many beautiful historic estates and garden wedding venues can only host around 100 guests. Thus if you have a big wedding with more than 300 guests for example, you should look for ballrooms and hotels where they have more space for your event. On the other hand, a small intimate wedding with 60 guests would feel too empty in a hotel ballroom and would be better if held in an intimate wedding venue, for example small estate, country club or some garden.
Rental fees – the main criteria in wedding venue comparison
Rental fees differ from venue to venue. Some hotels might not have a rental fee but you would have to use their food and alcohol services. On the other hand, some venues charge up to $10,000 just for renting you the place. Thus when you compare between different venues, you should calculate the total cost per head.
You should also take into account if the venue includes some extra services in their price. For example many venues include cleaning service after the wedding in their price package. Or some venues already have tables, chairs and tableware included in the price so you do not have to rent them from a rental company.
Taxes and service surcharge easily overlooked when comparing venues
Remember to ask the venue manager in the first meeting all the details of their service charge. Many hotels do not include taxes and service surcharge in their initial package price. Thus when you compare between different venues, remember to take this element into consideration as the venues which do not include taxes and surcharges in their price list may appear to be cheaper than other venues. Many venues also have hour limit and every hour extra, they will charge you additional rental fee. Thus you have to consider it when choosing your wedding venue.
Venue’s rules and restrictions
Every venue has its own rules and restrictions. This is especially the case for historic venues. Historic estates, gardens, museums could have very strict rules about the number of guests, the types of rental chairs and tables allowed, types of food and drinks allow. For example some venues do not allow dark colored drinks like red wine or flowers decorations with dark colored petals as they might leave stains. Venues with strict rules usually have a list of local vendors that they approve. In this case you would want to know the services and price level of these approved vendors before making a decision.
Setup time
Many wedding venues have certain rule about what time the vendors are allowed in for the set-up. Vendors normally need at least 4 hours to set up the reception venue, depending on the size of the wedding. If the venue only allows the vendors to come in less than 4 hours before the wedding, you would have to discuss with your vendors to see if that time frame is possible for them to finish the work. The vendors might have to hire additional assistants in order to get the work done on time.
Finding the perfect wedding venue is a long and tiring process. However in the end it will be totally worth it. Seeing many venues will give you an insight about the venue availability in your area. By doing some wedding venue comparison, you will surely find a beautiful and affordable wedding venue that conveys perfectly your style and your wedding theme.
