Deciding on the perfect venue location for your wedding day is such an important task to mark off on the forever long to-do list, and one of the first things you should accomplish shortly after your engagement. It’s the shell the holds your wedding and is the starting point of creating the overall ambiance of the day. And it’s one of our favorite tasks for our clients to find the perfect venue for their special day, so here are some helpful tips how what to consider when trying to pick your perfect venue!

*Photography by* *Jemini Photo* *| Venue:* *Magnolia Hill Farm*

Consider the places that are ideal with the look/style that you want to achieve and the feeling you want to bring to everyone there. You could even consider another location (city, state, or country) or just the venue style itself within your local city that you think will provide the perfect structure to design.

*Photography by* *Abigail E. Photography*

Looking for venues in places that correlate with a mutual interest the both of you enjoy or something important to you both such as a hobby you both share, a personal favorite location, or something rooted to where you are from.

Deciding on your ideal settings for each area of the day including - indoor, outdoor, or a mixture of both? This could also include a tent instead of a building venue to give you a more open feel for your reception. And if you want something outside, be sure to have a backup plan with the venue on a space inside in case of bad weather. With this, be sure to check with the venue on their policies for last-minute changes to set up on the day of the wedding. This is very important to decide on beforehand and to have your planner work out the details for a seamless transition in case everything needs to be moved inside.

*Photography by* *Savannah Kay Photography* *| Venue:* *The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel*

Ask yourself if it’s important to you to have a rare venue location such as a rooftop, sandy beach, or vineyard? If so, make sure to check any specific regulations, permits, certificates, etc. you may need in order to perform your ceremony and reception at these types of locations. And if so, be sure that you are up to the task of getting these items if needed, even if they might take some time to receive. There may be delays or wait times involved due to this, so be sure to check this out before checking out a space, falling in love with it, and realizing there is a lot more to attain in order to book the space.

*Photography by* *The Malicotes* *| Venue:* *Sunset Ridge Farm*

Is it important to find a venue that has everything in one location? And if not, are you okay with providing transportation for guests? This is also something to consider if your ideal venue is further than a 20 minute drive from where most guests are staying overnight.

*Photography by* *Georgia Miller Photography* *| Venue:* *Shangri-la Hotel*

Making sure the space can accommodate your guest count and everything you want to include on the day of your event. This not only includes ceremony and reception seating, but also bars, dance floors, stages, any other entertainment setups and more!

*Photography by* *Lacey Harvey* *| Venue:* *Heron Pointe at the Wharf*

Be sure to schedule a tour of all of the venues you love and ask every question you can think of and take measurements if you can. It’s also helpful to bring your wedding planner with you because they will most likely ask questions that you would never consider asking, but are very important.

*Photography by* *Ali Valdez Photography*

What are their policies and restrictions that may be a deal breaker for you in terms of things you definitely want and they may not allow. Such as not allowing flame candles and only allow remote battery candles when you absolutely wanted taper candles. Every venue is different and has reasons behind why they say no to things, because this industry is not one to usually say no, but they say it for very reasonable reasons, not just to be mean.

Seeing everything the venue includes with their overall price (equipment, decor, catering, etc.) This can be a huge factor in foreseeing how easy or hard planning will come after booking with that venue. And if you have multiple venues you’re considering, make a pros and cons list to compare between all possible options.

A big one for us planners that we always like to check is to see how early you can get on-site for setup and decorating. And if they even allow for the day before setup then we would give this venue 5 points!

*Photography by* *Kirsten Butler* *| Venue:* *The Round Barn Stable of Memories*

And last but not least - making sure you can work with the structure and layout of the space. Some venues are so unique but can be difficult to work with to create your overall vision. And even though we say “difficult” we don’t mean that it can’t be done, it just may take more work than you were hoping to put in. So make sure to take it all in and really get an understanding of everything before you make the final decision and send in that security deposit!