What to Consider When Choosing a Wedding Venue

The wedding venue you choose provides your wedding with its backdrop. As such, you want it to be beautiful as well as functional. If you’re just beginning the wedding-planning process, then you’ll want to address this element right away. The following list gives you an idea of some of the factors that will affect your choice of venue.

Indoor or Outdoor

Whether it would be appropriate to have your wedding inside or outside, depends on several factors: budget and availability. A simple backyard or park wedding often presents the least expensive option and sometimes the most personal. That said, you may have to deal with issues, like parking or weather. On the other hand, if you have to rent a tent and tables and chairs, your outdoor wedding costs just went up.

Additionally, if you opt for an indoor wedding the venue that you want may not be available for the day and the price. In some respects, there are ways around this. You can choose an alternative day or time. For example, if you marry in the off-season - think April or November - the costs for the venue go down considerably.

Space for Guests and Festivities

If you plan to have a big wedding, then you’re going to pay more for a venue, even one that runs on the less-expensive side. You’ll not only need space for parking, but also to allow vendors to bring food and equipment in and out of the venue. (If the venue itself doesn’t provide food.) When you’re making your guest list, you’ll want to consider this cost. Sometimes, couples only think about big wedding costs in terms of the food budget; more wedding guests equals more food equals more money. However, the same can be said for hiring out a big venue.

Matching Wedding Theme

If you have your heart set on that Alice-in-Wonderland-themed wedding (or Game of Thrones or Batman or whatever), then you’ll want to make sure that your venue space can accommodate this. A wedding’s theme affects the color scheme, the amount of space you need, and other factors. If you’re planning a themed wedding, then you’ll want to make sure that your venue matches your vision.

Catering Options

Do you want the option of fine dining or something more casual when you choose a wedding venue? Your answer could impact your wedding venue as well. Some wedding venues don’t allow people to bring their own food into the venue. That may be part of the price. If that’s the case, then you’ll also want to find out if they provide service for the food as well.

A lot goes into your choice of a wedding venue, including whether or not you want and indoor or outdoor wedding and its theme. Your space and catering needs also affect this. When you first start planning your wedding, you’ll want to consider all of these factors. Otherwise, you may end up with the wrong venue or paying more for your venue than you planned for.