Picking a venue is the first thing that you should do when you are starting to plan your wedding. Why? Because the availability that they have will impact all of your other vendors. The best advice that I can give you to help you pick a venue is to focus on these three things:
Location
Price
Atmosphere
Location: Do you want a destination wedding, or a short drive where all of your coaches, aunts, and uncles can attend? A destination wedding is defined as any location over 2 hours away, so keep that in mind when considering hotels in the area. While an intimate Bahamas wedding would certainly be beautiful, is the plane ticket and risk of not having as many people there, worth it for you? If yes, then great! But if no, I would recommend looking at venues within at least a 2 hour proximity to all of your closest friends and family that you want to be in attendance.
Price: Ah yes, this one is always no fun. People often ask me, “How much should I pay for a venue?” While I wish I could give you an answer, there is really no cookie cutter solution. While some people will pay upwards of 30 – 40 thousand dollars for a luxury estate, other couples would much rather save their money and marry in their hometown church for 800 dollars. Either way, I don’t think you can go wrong. You just have to decide what you truly value the most. I would say that on average, a wedding venue in the south that holds around 200 should cost anywhere between 6 – 10 thousand dollars. Just remember, that is not always the case!
Atmosphere: Now comes the fun part!! What is your dream for your wedding “vibe”? For the couple who has a lot of older guests and wants minimal dancing, I might suggest an older church or country club. But for someone else that wants to dance all night long, maybe a newer venue that is away from residences and does not have to comply to noise ordinances. There is a lot to take into consideration. Also, think about the kind of photos you want. If you are really into modern couple portraits, book a venue in the city.. not a barn in the middle of nowhere.
At the end of the day, you and your partner will feel a sense of peace when you know that you have experienced the right venue by the people you meet and the way it makes you feel. God’s plan for you is greater than anything that you could possibly imagine, and He already knows all of the details about what your perfect day will bring! So, don’t stress about the big decisions! He’s got it under control!
Xoxo,
Madelyn
