What to Look for When Searching for Venues

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What to look for when online searching venues….

When you begin your venue search, you don’t always know what you’re looking for. We want to make it easy, so here are some tips just for you!

Location

Are you getting married at a church and want a reception venue nearby? Do you want a country or city venue? Do you want a venue near a location that is special to you?

These are all great things to think about when you are online searching for the perfect venue!

Some other tips

• See how far your family and friends will have to travel to get to your venue
• Look for nearby hotels and restaurants for your guests

Aesthetic

Deciding what you want your wedding to look like can be difficult, but the venue is a great place to start with choosing an aesthetic. If you choose a barn venue, you may not choose décor that would be better suited for a beach wedding. This can also make choosing your attire easier!

Styles of venues

• Ballroom & Banquet Hall
• Historical Site & Buildings
• Museum
• Farms & Barns
• Beach & Waterfront
• Vineyard & Winery
• Hotels & Resorts

Capacity

Before you even start looking for a venue, you will want an estimated guest count. Make sure the venues you are looking at can accommodate an event of your size. Many venues have minimums you have to meet, or you could pay a different rate than their normal pricing. 

Budget

Discuss your budget with your partner before you start your search. The amount you are willing to pay will heavily impact your decision and could even rule out some venues completely. There are a few things to think about when it comes to your budget…

Not every venue includes everything you need in their price. For some venues you may pay a per-person price, at other venues you may pay a flat rate for the room rental, and at some, you may pay a combination of both! Take an in-depth look at their wedding information and make sure there are no extra fees for things you need for your wedding. You don’t want to pay extra for your guests to access the restrooms or have a surprise service and bar fee added after you have fallen in love with the venue.

Reviews

Reviews can tell you so much about any business, but when it comes to venues, they can tell you everything! While their overall rating is important, take a look at individual reviews and don’t just look at the ones at the top of the page.

Photo opportunities

Are there good photo locations in and around your venue? This could be one of the biggest deciding factors when choosing a venue.

What to look for

• Does the venue have a lot of photos from past weddings in locations that you like?
• Do they have photographers that they can recommend that know the area?
• Do they have a map of good locations or a list of suggestions you can give to your photographer?

Catering options

Each venue you look at will have different rules and types of catering. Some have in-house catering that goes directly through the venue, some have a list of caterers you must choose from, and some let you choose any caterer you want. A venue’s catering policy can easily weed out some of your options without wasting your time with a tour.

Make a list of your favorite venues and don’t be afraid to call and ask questions or take a tour of each one.