Posted on: March 8, 2019 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

While selecting the bride’s gown may be one of the most significant aspects of wedding planning that receives ample attention, the important factor of where the wedding ceremony and reception will be held plays a vital role your planning efforts, your budget, the style of your wedding and much more. Because so many factors hinge on the venue that you select, consider searching for a venue as soon as you set your date or even when you have narrowed down your date to a few specific possible dates. Many of the most popular venues are booked at least six to nine months in advance, so now is the right time to begin your search. As you do, keep some of these common venue selection and booking mistakes that other couples have made in mind so that you can avoid making them.

Not Focusing on the Type of Ceremony Desired

The two broad categories of wedding ceremonies are religious and civil ceremonies. Many religious ceremonies are held in churches or other similar venues while civil ceremonies may be held in a wide range of other venues, including resorts, parks, wineries and more. If you choose to have a ceremony in a religious venue, you may consider choosing a wedding reception site located relatively nearby so that your guests do not have to travel far between the two events. If your ceremony and reception will take place in the same venue, ensure that there is ample room for both events at the venue that you select.

Failing to Take the Venue Size Into Account

Before you begin touring venues, you should compile a guest list. You may need to ask the parents of the bride and groom about special family friends or other significant people who should be invited as well. Smaller venues may accommodate 50 people or less, so your guest list size may immediately rule out some venues. On the other hand, hosting a small wedding and reception in a very large venue may not create the right intimate ambiance that you may be trying to achieve. Therefore, your wedding venue size should closely correspond with your guest list size. Remember to take into account plus-ones and children who may be in attendance with their parents.

Not Taking Pictures

If you are like most couples who tour various wedding venues, you may visit numerous venues over the course of several weeks before you make a final selection. As you tour more venues and as time passes, you may forget important little details that you liked or disliked about each one. With this in mind, it makes sense to take ample pictures of each location. In addition to taking pictures of venues like Byron Bay Wedding Venues by HoneyWed and other venues, consider jotting down notes about pros and cons for each venue that you visit.

Overspending

It is easy to fall in love with a gorgeous venue, but you should always keep your budget in mind. In fact, it may be best to get prices over the phone or online before you visit each wedding venue. You can simply eliminate venues that are too expensive for your budget from consideration before spending your time visiting them. By doing so, you can concentrate on venues that are financially reasonable for your event.

Not Asking About Inclusions

Before writing some venues off, however, keep in mind that some venues may provide perks or benefits that others do not. For example, some venues may simply be rented as an empty shell. Others may provide some décor, tables and chairs, a dancefloor and other features. Inclusions may save a substantial amount of money in other aspects of your event planning efforts. Therefore, you may reasonably be able to afford to spend more on a venue rental that has inclusions than on one that does not. These should be value-added inclusions on things that you already intended to rent or purchase for your event.

Overlooking Required Service Providers

Your budget may also be affected by a venue’s requirements to use specific service providers. For example, some venues may provide a list of approved caterers, and you may only be able to select from these caterers. Some venues limit you to a specific bakery, florist, DJ and more as well. These requirements restrict you from shopping around to get the best price. They likewise may limit your ability to create the perfect wedding ceremony and reception in some cases. On the other hand, as you research the required service providers for a venue, you may discover that these providers perfectly meet your needs and are affordable for your budget.

Not Booking Quickly

The best wedding venues are in high demand. The last thing that you want is to find the perfect venue and to discover that it is no longer available for your wedding date. Other couples may have already visited the venue before you and may have decided that this is the venue for them, and others may visit the venue soon after you leave. Any of these couples may decide to book the venue for your wedding date. Once a venue receives your deposit, the date is no longer available to others. However, a deposit is usually non-refundable. Therefore, you should quickly and firmly decide on a venue, and you should make a deposit as soon your decision is made.

Once you have booked a wedding venue, you can begin making all other relevant plans for your event. For example, you can make plans for the venue’s décor, select a caterer, decide on a menu, hire a bartender and more. In the event that you fall in love with a venue that is not available for your preferred wedding date, consider changing the date. Once your venue has been reserved, however, you are generally locked into a date and time. Keep these factors in mind as you prepare to make a venue selection, and you may proceed through this step with minimal hassle or stress.

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