YOU SAID YES! YAY! Congratulations! Now what? If I were you, I'd definitely celebrate. Savor this moment. Enjoy being engaged! And when the time is right and you're ready to start your wedding planning, then start. Don't let anybody force you to start until you're ready.
Usually, when couple start their wedding planning, they looked at their Pinterest board and start looking for their wedding venues. While other decision will impact your wedding, choosing the perfect wedding venue will have a bigger impact one way or another. Choosing the right wedding venue will determine everything on your wedding planning. It will determine your wedding date, your wedding style, your wedding photographer availabilities, and also other wedding vendors.
A few general guidelines on how to choose the perfect wedding venue:
The big picture. What is your wedding vision? Do you want something elegant? Classic? Industrial? Coastal? Royal? Natural? And how big do you want your wedding to be? Once you decide on your big picture (the theme and the number of your wedding guests), start your research online.
Number of locations. The majority of our couples have one venue for their wedding day. From getting ready to reception, they do it all in one place. But, we've also had couples that have different venues for their ceremony and their reception.
The budget. A lot of couples allocate about 10-15% of their budget to the venue, but if the venue includes something else, it could be up to 20%.
The plan B. What is the venue's rain plan? If they don't, do you need to have room in your budget for tent rental in case of rain? Do they have a generator in case you need it?
Number of venues. Some wedding venues, especially the big ones, they allow several events in one day. And if they do, you need to know how many other events will there be on your wedding day. This might affect your portrait schedule with your wedding photographer.
Besides these general guideline on how to choose the perfect wedding venue, today, we have gathered information from a few of our favorite friendors. Each of them is an expertise in their profession. These pro are here to share tips on how to choose the perfect wedding venue based on their service/product so that you can have the best experience with their service/product.
Here we go! These are the tips on how to choose the perfect wedding venue from our fellow friendors.
How to choose the perfect wedding venue through a cake designer's perspective...
"My best advice for brides searching out venues is to think of giving your cake the best shot at being gorgeous and undamaged by choosing a venue that is temperature regulated! Non-air conditioned buildings leave your cake (and your guests) at risk of melting during the hottest days of the year, and we are in Georgia, so even a seemingly safe month like November has been known to have 90 degree days! Your cake needs to stay standing for hours between setup/delivery time and the cake cutting, so do yourself, your cake, and your guests a favor and choose a reception location that has air conditioning! And a smooth driveway doesn't hurt either!"
"As a cake designer we all have our favorite venues but what is extremely important for me is load in. Honestly I can’t tell you how difficult sometimes it is to get cakes delivered, if a venue is going to offer outside food, please make it accessible as possible. I think for brides looking for a venue, obviously choose what is your style and what you love but great atmosphere is something that would make or break it for me. Don’t book the first venue you tour, I would suggest touring multiple venues because Atlanta has a ton incredible venues. Obviously if the first one is your favorite BOOK IT :) I have heard many times that brides wish they would have look at other venues and done better research. At the end of the day , no matter what happens, the most important part still happens.. you marry the love of your life."
How to choose the perfect wedding venue through a wedding planner's perspective...
"It's sometimes difficult to look beyond your style and budget as a bride or groom selecting a wedding venue because it's such an emotionally driven decision. As a wedding planner, our job is to of course... plan, but also help to execute the logistics of the wedding day. We look at a full spectrum of offerings from a venue that run far beyond the price or its immediate aesthetic to help ensure you are making a well educated decision that is going to work for you!
One of the main things that I like to take into account when helping a client find their perfect venue is its location in relation to hotel accommodations for guests as well as any nearby activities. As wedding's have evolved, many couples are choosing to incorporate bridal luncheons, large rehearsal dinners, after wedding parties and post day brunches as part of their celebrations. If you have tons of guests coming from out of town, taking into account the ease of transportation and access to these events can be crucial.
Not all weddings are city centered of course and there's nothing wrong with a rural local, but don't forget to ask where the nearest hotel is and if uber or lyft frequent the area! You don't want your guests stranded without a safe ride at the end of the evening.
A couple other items that we like to see in a venue to ensure our clients have the best experience possible are:
A separate area for both bride and groom. Whether you are getting ready at a hotel before hand or at the venue site, we still prefer separate gathering areas at the venue to ensure all parties are comfortable before the ceremony, as well as the ease of keeping the couple from seeing one another before the timing is right.
Communication is everything. Our favorite venues often have really great venue managers or coordinators on site (not to be confused with your hired wedding planner or coordinator, as these are two completely different roles). If the venue is slack in replying to messages during the inquiry and booking process, it does make us a bit weary about communication going forward. We want easy, quick answers to questions that we or our clients might have.
The above are just a handful of the many ins and outs to consider when selecting your wedding venue. If you are considering hiring a wedding planner, you can and should think about doing so even before you book your venue- for me it's one of my favorite parts of the planning process :)"
How to choose the perfect wedding venue through a makeup artist's perspective...
"Through my professional opinions, I love it when bridal suites have lots of natural lighting and easy access to bathroom and sink as well as plenty of electrical outlets. From previous venues that I've worked in, rooms with spacious counters and hair and makeup chairs are pluses. It can be a bit frustrating when bridal suites/rooms are a bit crowded with too much of decors. I think keeping it chic and minimalist is great for aesthetics and most of all, easy to move around. One thing that I see lack of and would love to see more is having body mirror in the bridal suites. While doing hair or makeup, it is just easy access for the bride to take a peak at herself and easy for hairstylists to see what they are doing.
One thing that doesn't pertain to me as a makeup artists and other hairstylists but really matters to the bridal party is food restriction at the bridal suite or the venue in general. Does your venue allow you to eat in your bridal suite? I've been to a few venues where they restrict the bridal party to bring in food to eat while getting ready. This is a matter of preference, but, as a professional that knows that you need all the energy you can have for the wedding day, I would suggest that you eat before the photographer arrived whether it is inside the bridal suite or somewhere else. You'd need all the energy :) "
How to choose the perfect wedding venue through a wedding photographer's perspective...
And the last but not least, here are a few tips from yours truly aka me, the noodle lover, Italy obsessed wedding photographer. These few tips on how to choose the perfect wedding venue from a photographer's perspective will help you have the most stunning wedding album for your future generation.
Check out the surrounding areas for portraits location. Think about your portrait with your fiancé, the bridal party, and your family. Is there a spot you love for those romantic portraits? Or first look?
Ask about the getting ready space. If they don't have a getting ready space, check out if there's a hotel nearby for you to get ready. A big space with lots of natural light will not only ease your stress on your wedding day, but it will also make you look glowing on your getting ready photos.
Where will the sun sets. If your ceremony is outdoor, it is very important to know where the sun sets. A certain situation is un-salvage-able. It's also true for indoor wedding. Make sure they have even lighting that falls on your face so that there is no shadow on your face. Email me if you want to know more!
Feel free to consult with a wedding photographer before you book your venue. Oh yeah, so many couples booked their wedding photographer first to make sure that they're available. And then, they will try to find a wedding venue that is available on the date that the wedding photographer's available. To make sure that you have the perfect venue that will have the best lighting option, feel free to contact me! We'll be more than happy to help you.
So, those are tips from wedding professionals about finding the perfect wedding venue for you. I hope these tips help you narrow down your favorite wedding venues. If it seemed a lot to you, I would recommend hiring a professional wedding planner so that you don't have to remember all these tips from all different types of your wedding vendors.
And of course, if you ask me, as a personal that loves Itally and natural beauty, I personally love outdoor wedding venue. An outdoor wedding that's done right will be super magical. Not only it will show the glory of the Creator, but it will also be more natural, fun, and romantic. Imagine saying I do with the backdrop of layers and layers and layers of vineyards or mountain, with a beautiful sunset glow... WOW. Nothing will top that. That is the perfect wedding venue to me. Where is the perfect wedding venue to you? Email us with your answer at info.gloriousmoments@gmail.com.
Glorious Moments Photography
A husband and wife, Atlanta Wedding Photographer + Destination Wedding Photographer team that is passionate about heartfelt marriage and a relaxed wedding day. Let us preserve your moments while you're enjoying it!Wanna get noodle together? Let's do it! #ForMarriage #HowToChooseThePerfectWeddingVenue