Does Your Wedding Venue Take the Cake?

What do you view as the most important part of your wedding day?

That probably will draw a different response from the bride and the groom.

For many brides, their appearance (dress, hair, makeup etc.) probably will get the most attention.

Meantime, the groom is probably not going to single one facet of the wedding out, other than that the bride is totally happy.

When you stop to think, there are myriad of items to draw attention to on a couple’s most important day, not the least of which is the wedding venue.

Know How to Pick the Perfect Venue?

So that your wedding day comes off without a hitch, planning far in advance is always the key.

For starters, some wedding venues (ceremony and reception) are reserved a year or more ahead of time. When it comes to some of the busier wedding months (June, September, October etc.) those reservations can be hard to come by.

In locking down the best venue options for your ceremony and reception (typically held at more than one location), keep these tips in mind:

  1. Book early – As mentioned a moment ago, if your wedding/reception plans involve this year, you’re all but out of luck in finding a place. Yes, you may get lucky on either the wedding venue or the reception locale, but don’t hold your breath. Booking a good year or more out is always wise, especially if the wedding is planned in one of the busiest times of the season. If you are planning on an outdoor wedding, be sure to take the local weather conditions into consideration for any portion of the year. For instance, Southern California’s typical “rainy season” falls anywhere from December to March. While you certainly could end up with a beautiful sunny and warm day in January by the beach, you might also get an overcast and raw day;
  2. Know approximate number of attendees – Whether you are having a large wedding and/or reception or just a small affair with some immediate family and friends; having an approximate headcount for both events is important. This will help you narrow down both locations. The wedding venue could be a large church, small church, city hall or any number of other locales. As for the reception, some couples will splurge for a big event, oftentimes at a restaurant or hotel resort. Tally up the approximate number of people you expect for both, making it easier to select the best venues;
  3. Budget accordingly – Knowing your choices of sites for the wedding and reception will help you in your budgeting needs. Some couples opt to have a simple wedding and then splurge on the reception. Meantime, other couples will reverse that notion, opting instead for a fancy wedding and a more scaled-down reception venue. Since pricing for venues typically changes over time, do your best to lock-in prices earlier, thereby avoiding any late surprises in terms of increased fees for sites;
  4. Make the Internet your friend – Unlike decades ago when there was no Internet, today’s worldwide web offers couples many options when it comes to searching sites ahead of time. Seeing images of churches, restaurant and resort banquet rooms etc. help a couple get some ideas in their heads before they ever set foot in such facilities for a look. You can also turn to social media and get feedback from other couples on which venues they chose for their respective events. Finally, many publications (both in print and online) have websites detailing a wealth of information about the wedding industry in general. These online sites can be of great value to couples still in the planning stages for their big day.

Your wedding day will stand out as one of the most memorable times in your life, so make it count.

When you take the time to plan accordingly, things tend to turn out much better.

While you may opt for a very simple wedding and just a few family and friends gathering for a reception afterwards, planning is still important.

In order for your wedding venue (and reception for that matter) to take the cake, make those plans early.