your wedding venue search
So you’re in the market for a wedding venue. You’re getting married!
That’s the biggest decision (the getting married) the rest is details. Well, sort of. There’s a lot to organise to put on a wedding and finding the wedding venue is one of the big ones. It feels like a lot of pressure right? There are so many out there! So many to choose from.
There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is you can’t visit them all. The good news is you can’t visit them all. How is that good news?! Well you just saved several years of your life…
Ok so if you can’t visit them all, how many wedding venues should you visit? I promise we’re going to dive into this question and give you the tools to figure out the number for yourself.
visiting venues
I know for some newly engaged people, going to visit venues is part of the planning, part of the excitement. Going around, trying to imagine yourself there on your day. I don’t want to burst a bubble here but viewing venues is not a leisure activity – at least not for the venue! So don’t make a list of 12 venues you’ve always wanted to see and decide you’re going to spend the next couple of months ticking them off your list. That’s not fair to them.
Take the time to really work out what kind of venue you want. Is it outdoors? By the sea? A stately home? A country house hotel? A field with tents?
If you dream of an outdoor garden wedding, then a stately home is probably not for you. If your dream is gliding down a sweeping staircase with gilded ceilings then a country barn is probably not your venue.
Look carefully at the websites of the venues that appeal to you and figure out what they have in common. Do they all have landscaped gardens? A cool bar area? A ballroom? Is it the look or the facilities they offer that you like? Try and find a common thread that links them all together. Can’t find the thread? Back to the drawing board to try and drill down to what you’re really looking for.
Back at the drawing board
If you are back to that drawing board and you’re stuck for inspiration, look at wedding magazines, online wedding blogs, pinterest. What jumps out at you? Write down what is it about that photo you like. If it’s a wedding bouquet with no venue clues, what is it about that bouquet that you like? Does it look wild and hand-picked? Or is it more structured and contained? Does that describe how you want your wedding to be?
Write down 3 words (no more!) that describe your dream wedding. If you can’t think of 3 words, pick 3 photos and come up with some words which would describe the photo to someone who can’t see it. If you’re still struggling, try some of these words, they’re words I’ve picked up from emails from some of our booked couples who have said what they were looking for. If they’re definitely not right, that tells you something too. Knowing what you don’t want is just as valuable as knowing what you do want…
relaxed
laid-back
intimate
romantic
outdoors
rustic
not too rustic
elegant
English garden
secret garden
enchanted garden
Midsummer nights dream
stylish
rustic-luxe
glamorous
black tie
modern-luxe
garden festival
garden fete
The only one
Some couples are completely the opposite, they think they’ve found their dream venue – should they visit other venues just to check? Of course that’s up to you but here at Ever After we often get couples who say we’re the only venue they’re seeing. Sometimes they get nervous that they’re not checking out other venues but they say that since there isn’t another venue like Ever After, what are they going to compare it to? We have plenty of couples who book without seeing another venue so if that’s you, don’t worry, you’re not alone!
So now you’ve got your shortlist of venues you really want to view because you really think they might be your wedding venue. You know what you’re looking for from your venue, you’re pretty sure they can provide it and you’re just going to see it to make sure. The point I’m making is know what you want BEFORE you visit your venue. Your time is valuable too, don’t waste it on venues which can never work for you because of guest numbers, budget, menu options, distance from your church, curfew etc.
There’s more handy info on booking your wedding venue here on the blog. Have you tried:
The top 3 ways to find your dream wedding venue online
So are you ready to view or do you still have some work to do on what you’re really looking for? If you’re ready to visit, email me at [email protected] Let me know the best time for you to visit and I’ll give you some times. Let’s get that date in the diary!
