By Elizabeth Craft
One of the first decisions, and arguably one of the most important decisions you will make when planning your wedding is your venue. You will look back at the memories captured on your special night and reminisce about the beautiful sceneries around you. You and your special someone feel the magic around you, as you confessed your love to one another in front of friends and family. You are creating an everlasting moment that you will remember forever, and that is why it is so important to be very careful when picking the perfect wedding venue. Don’t forget these details when selecting your wedding venue.
Remember the details when booking Your Venue.
Location
Where will you have your wedding? Will you look at venues around where either of you grew up, or perhaps you want a destination wedding and dream of traveling far away? Select a general location and then narrow down your choices based on the types of venues in that location.
Budget
When choosing a wedding venue, budget is very important. Everything has an effect on budget, so setting a budget and sticking to that budget is a priority. A helpful tip for staying within your budget and still getting what you want at your wedding is to list everything you want and then prioritize those things based on what is most and least important to you.
How many guests will be attending?
Some venues can accommodate several hundred guests and have many options, but other’s may be a bit more intimate and only allow for 50 people, so knowing exactly how many guests will be attending your wedding is crucial to choosing what size venue you will need to book.
Ceremony and Reception
Will you be holding your ceremony in the same location as your reception? Many venues will have both ceremony and reception areas, while others will only have one or the other.
When should we plan the Big Day?
Start by narrowing down when would be a good time for you, your partner, and your closest loved ones. You can choose a general time, like “next summer” and then narrow it down to specific dates. Some couples may have to choose their wedding date based on what dates are available at their dream venue. Book your venue way in advance to make sure your dream venue has not been booked yet!
Don’t Forget the Tone
What time a day/night will you hold the celebration? Whether it is sunset on the beach or an afternoon wedding in the park, choosing what time of day can change the mood and will probably change based on your venue choice.
Visit the Venue
Plan a trip with your partner to visit the top venues on your list. Make a date out of it. You can look at pictures on the internet all day, but it will not compare to going to the venue, seeing it for yourself, and imagining your wedding day. Make a consultation and bring a list of questions to ask. Many venues offer a variety of package deals that could include catering, bartending, DJ, décor, floral and more. Some have planners to help plan your wedding entirely so learn all the information at the consultation that you need.
Where to begin
The Bridal Extravaganza Show in Houston Texas has more than two hundred vendors for you to choose from. At least 40 of them are venues. Stop by the Visit the Venues booth to learn about their venue matching services. The venue experts here are familiar with every venue in the Greater Houston area. They will be able to guide you and help you know which booths to visit.
So, in your magical moment, what do you dream of?
Do you imagine saying “I DO” with your toes in the sand and waves crashing behind you, or perhaps you prefer stomping your boots to the rhythm of his in the barn. Maybe you want to remember dancing the night away with your love in the grand ball room, or you dream of marring your forever someone in a grand mansion. Now is the time to express your style by choosing avenue that represents both of you.