Wondering how to find a wedding venue? Planning out every detail of your wedding day is one of the most exciting times in any young couple’s journey together. During this time, you get to shape the way you will enter your marriage, including all of the personalized touches that perfectly emulate your love for one another.
One of the most important considerations you’ll make along this journey is venue selection. With so many different wedding venues available, sometimes it can feel easier to find a spouse-to-be than a suitable ballroom to host your big day. Not to worry: Whether you just said “yes” or have been planning your wedding for months, the tips below can help you understand how to find a wedding venue for your special day in no time!
7 Tips for How to Find a Wedding Venue
#1 – Envision Your Dream Wedding
This might seem like a no-brainer, but many couples don’t take this critical step into account before beginning the planning process. Take time to envision the overall aesthetic and theme of your day. Will you host a Hollywood-style banquet? A rustic, indoor-outdoor extravaganza?
Whatever your couple style may be, it’s important to figure this out first before falling in love with an aesthetic that your venue can’t accommodate. For instance, a ballroom wedding reception venue might not be the best backdrop for a country-chic event — especially if that ballroom doesn’t have any outdoor space available to celebrate.
#2 – Know Your Guest List
While a venue might appear perfect at first glance, you may find that your desired space is unable to support the size of your guest list. You don’t need to have an exact count, but knowing a rough estimate of your total guests will help you avoid selecting a venue that’s too small to accommodate your celebration.
Likewise, some venues that are particularly large may require a minimum guest count in order to book the space. If you aren’t able to provide a large enough guest list, you may not be able to reserve the venue at all.
#3 – Abide by Your Budget
As with all the wedding planning processes, you’ll need to keep your budget in mind when selecting a venue. It’s not simply about how much it costs to rent the space, either: Décor, floral design, catering, liquor licenses, and other factors weigh heavily into the total cost of your wedding venue. If you find that adding these items on top of the cost of the space rental far exceeds your budget, you’ll either need to scale back your design or seek out more affordable spaces.
One way you can plan your budget more carefully is by breaking it down by category, prioritizing funds for vendors that are more important to the execution of your dream day. Booking a venue that’s too expensive to accommodate the rest of your vision is a critical error that’s tough to come back from, so avoid this mistake altogether by planning accordingly.
#4 – Consider the Guest Experience
If you’re planning on having a lot of guests travel from out-of-state or out-of-town, it’s important to consider their experience. Look for venues that are close to amenities that your guests may need, including food, hotels, and transportation.
It’s important to also consider your guests’ comfort level at the venue itself: Does the venue have enough bathrooms to prevent against large lines forming during the reception? Can handicapped guests safely enter and exit the premises? While touring the venue, consider your guests’ perspective to ensure you not only select a space that’s best for you, but that’s best for all who come to celebrate your love.
#5 – Think About What’s Included
Some venues only offer space rentals while others provide full-service experiences. At QC Dance Studio, for instance, wedding packages can be completely customized to include:
- Custom audio and visual displays
- Professional DJ
- Full technical support
- And much more!
Kitchen, catering, and decorating services may cost extra, so be sure to consider this when choosing the venue for your wedding. You may need to hire multiple vendors to coordinate with one another at your selected venue. If this is the case, be sure all necessary parties have all the contact information they need to execute your vision as seamlessly as possible.
#6 – Know Your Date Availability
Some couples fall in love with a venue only to learn too late that their desired date has already been booked. This is why it’s important for couples to know when to book their wedding venue. Before touring a venue, be sure to ask if your desired date is available so you can avoid falling for a space that’s unavailable.
If you find that multiple venues are unable to accommodate your date, it may be worth exploring alternative dates for your big day. The more flexible you’re able to be, the better your chances at finding a venue that’s able to meet your needs.
#7 – Read Multiple Venue Reviews
Before booking your big day, make sure you scour the internet for reviews of the venue you select. While your tour guides might have given you a great first impression, nothing speaks louder than the praises of happy customers that came before you. If you find that the five-star reviews are in short supply, you’re probably better off exploring other options in the area rather than settling on a venue that will deliver a sub-par experience.
Wedding Venue FAQs
As one of the greatest wedding reception venues in Charlotte, NC, QC Dance Studio receives numerous questions about wedding planning in the area. If you found this blog helpful, we think you’ll like our other articles, including:
