Hey Guys,
My fiancé and I are just now starting really looking for a venue, which I want to get first. My resoning is that I find a venue I love, pick a date that is free, and then fill in the blanks from there. A hurdle that I'm dealing with is I just moved down to FL about two weeks ago, and don't know the area all that well, and don't know anyone here.
We went to see 3 different venues thus far (Central Florida) that all had good reviews, all had good websites with good photos, and we were not impressed by any of them. One we rated 3/10, the other two are tied at 6.5/10. We'd like at least a solid 8!
I'm starting to feel lost: I would like to avoid hotel ballrooms if possible, and ABSOLUTELY no golf club/country club venues...which takes out a whole bunch right there. I'm trying to find theatres in the area that have a good space we could rent, however, since most theatres aren't used to hosting weddings, they don't have the kind of information that would help me figure it out.
SO, all of that is a lead up to your stories and advice: How did you find your venue (a website, google searches, knew it already, family member)? Did you look at other venues? What sold you on your venue? What is your advice for finding the unique (perhaps even off-beat) venue?
Re: How To Find A Venue?
Some advice...Maybe start with asking yourselves what kinds of things/activities/places are meaningful to you? What kinds of spaces make you feel great? Outdoors, indoors, or both? Casual or formal? Do you want to have the catering provided or choose your own caterer? I would first brainstorm about what kind of celebration you would like and then go searching for venues. Also post to your local FL board and see if they have any suggestions.
Some offbeat options:
-love your theatre idea (it doesn't matter if they've never done it before, maybe you'll start a trend!)
-coffee house
-museum
-public park
-rented mansion/property
-barn/farm
-city hall or other public building (some are beautiful, have courtyards, etc)
-restaurant
-arboreteum
-nightclub
-train station
-a hotel that isn't cookie-cutter; maybe an old funky one or one with a lot of character
Hope this helps a little bit!
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