Wedding Woes

How did you decide on your venue?

So I have been going back and forth over several venues for the last few months.  Every time I see a new venue I like things about it that the others didn't have.  I feel like nothing has everything I like....I know that no place will be perfect but these are pretty big things.  I am really indecisive and feel like I am never going to make a decision.  Looking at venues is getting annoying  (I have seen around 8).Can anyone provide advice on how they narrowed down there venue and picked "the one"?  Or did you just know?  I feel like maybe I should continue looking until I get that feeling?  Thanks.

Re: How did you decide on your venue?

  • They had our date available.  The pricing was some of the best we had found and the coordinator was amazing.  We had our reception at a country club, so the room was kind of non-descript/boring.  But we just needed a space that would fit about 200ish people. 

    I don't remember being too hung up on my venue having anything in particular, except for enough space. 
  • 1) it could hold the amount of people we wanted to invite
    2) there was parking
    3) it didn't look/smell weird
    4) they had held a wedding there before
    5) it was available
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  • haha "it didn't smell weird". I did go into a couple of those...
  • Date+price+space
  • Enough space for our guests, parking, date available, outside catering allowed, pricing and then atmosphere.
  • 1) they were available
    2) a lot of things were taken care with one coordinator (on site catering kitchen, linens and seating, hooch, dance floor, sound and lighting system, place settings...done)
    3) right price
    4) convenient as shit to the ceremony site

    Bonus:
    * fireplaces provided "ambiance" (for that venue, fireplaces = primary heating)
    * about 4 months prior to wedding, the venue/restaurant's parking was completely eliminated in order to break ground on a high rise. So restaurant HAD TO contract for complimentary valet parking for the entire time the restaurant/venue was open. 11am to midnight. Valets got a huge tip that evening.
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  • cupcake985cupcake985 member
    5 Love Its First Comment First Anniversary
    edited July 2014
    So I love the reception area and interior of one site. I really like vintage old manors or estates for the ceremony and photos, but not not for the reception because everything is old and beat up. So I found this place that is an old manor that president Madison used as the white house during the war of 1812. It is on a golf course so the club house is an addition to the manor and is new. So it is the perfect combo for me...Problem is...it is on a golf course and I want to do the ceremony outside. I don't want to look at golfers, houses, and a road during my ceremony. However, the price is right and is all inclusive. The nearest other location for a ceremony which is GORGEOUS is around 15 mins...but it is hard to find, a little bit of a walk, and I am worried it will be a pain in the a**. Advice??? I know I am being really picky.
  • Weddings are held on golf courses all the time.  I would see if I could find pictures of weddings held at this venue and see if you can see golfers, houses and roads in them.  I think a skilled photographer could find views where you didn't have those things in your pics.
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  • That is a good recommendation. Thank you MNNEBride. You are right...I did and i didn't see these things...
  • One of the main reasons why I chose our venue is because everything is included (day-of coordinator too). Early on I thought that planning a wedding (which I've never done) would be hard enough without having to worry about extra things like table/chair/linen rentals, comparing various caterers, and figuring out the types of alcohol and quantities needed for the bar. I'm so glad we made that decision.

    It was also available when we wanted it, price was good, and is already beautiful so little/no decor is needed (except for the tables). It just happens to be a country club!


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  • Mine was easy...my home parish and parish hall.

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  • -convenient for everyone
    -no ugly hotel carpeting/curtains/woodpaneling
    -Big enough for everyone
    -In budget

    Since I found several like this, I am probably going to go with the venue that emails me back and fast. Then I will just go by the prettiest one.
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  • we used the same location as one of my SILs. we actually liked other SIL's venue better, but they didn't have our potential dates available. 
    we were looking for:
    1) good food (in-house catering)
    2) had preferred date(s) available
    3) had capacity to fit our guest list
    4) convenient/clean/well maintained/parking availability
    5) "pretty"

    the place we would have chosen was much prettier, and we would have done our outdoor pictures onsite as our photographer had his studio onsite and exclusive access to the grounds. since we chose a different location, we just took a bulk of the "formal pictures" at other locations prior to the reception. 

  • cupcake985cupcake985 member
    5 Love Its First Comment First Anniversary
    edited July 2014
    Julybride2015- I am too, I live In Northern VA about 20 miles to DC. Average wedding is $47k around here...my jaw dropped when I saw that. Mine won't be anywhere close to that...if I can ever decide on something. Barbie- I like the idea of doing pictures somewhere else. I never thought of that.
  • It's all about "The Vision" for me. If it looks great and I can manage to afford it, then that's the one! I was very flexible with date though, and willing to cut my guest list shorter if need be.
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  • 1) They emailed me back (seriously, am I invisible with some people
    2) Ceremony and Reception on site
    3) Rooms on site
    4) In budget
    5) Coordinator in site
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  • 1) cost 2) location 3) availability 4) parking 
  • 1) Cost 2) Availability 3) Capacity 4) Food / bar options 5) Single-event venue (aka our wedding is the ONLY thing happening on premises that day - all staff will be available to our event, and no party-crashers) The old carpet & 80s wall sconces are less than desirable... but everything else outweighed that. We're getting nice centerpieces and uplighting to make up for it, lol
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  • Honestly, I surprised myself with my venue choice. When I first started wedding planning (and lets be honest, for at least a year prior) I had always envisioned myself getting married at this one particular place. When I went to finally look at it I fell in love just as I expected.

    Then a few days later I saw another venue and I realized it was just as beautiful, and just as accommodating. It took a lot of back-and-forth but my fiance and I just had to lay out the benefits of one place vs. the other. There was a lot that we liked about one place that the other didn't have, and vice-versa. It came down to what we are spending versus what was most important to us. The venues happened to be pretty much equal in price, but the one we ended up choosing (which isn't the one I thought would be the one) gave us not only the same value for our wedding, but a free wedding night suite at the adjoining hotel, pre-planned after-wedding party, 50% off for all guests who wish to stay as well, free wedding favors (i couldn't believe this one!), and a thank you breakfast the next morning included.

    Yes, we got lucky to find such an amazing place. I hope you do, too! It comes down to how much you love the venue, how much you are getting for the cost, and if worst comes to worst I always go back to this same method:

    Flip a coin. Heads, one venue. Tails, the other venue. You will know by your happiness (or disappointment) which one you were REALLY deep down hoping for. I know this sounds odd, but it always works for me: When I am torn, I suddenly know where I really stand based off of where the coin lands. 
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