Certainly, your wedding venue is a top priority when it comes to celebrating your special day. Therefore, you should choose wisely and carefully if you want your wedding day to be the ultimate success. Today, we are going to be going over how to choose the wedding venue of a lifetime that won’t disappoint.

Your Budget is the End All Be All

When deciding on your ideal wedding venue, it should be 60% of your overall budget (including catering and drinks). You never know when those unforeseen expenses might creep up, so it’s important to stay under this margin. To keep costs down, consider having the wedding during the weekday, keeping catering expenses within reason, and provide the booze. A good way to save on booze is to see if you can purchase alcohol at retailers like Costco to take advantage of a bulk discount.

Furthermore, here’s a great article by Markel Insurance. They give a few suggestions on questions you should ask your venue. One of them being what’s included and what is not. Depending on the amenities included or not, this can significantly affect the amount of money you are willing to spend such as rentals, decor, floral, etc. Remember to factor in entertainment, coordinator, cake, and stationery as those might not be included.

Know Your Numbers

Here, we’re not just referring to your budget, but to how many people will be attending your wedding. As TheBigDay.my notes, choosing a venue that is proportionate to the size of your guest list is what is going to make all the difference between a venue that looks cramped or empty once all the guests have filled the space. Additionally, you may want to consider how much it would cost per person to attend the wedding. As in, how much does each guest’s plate cost? What about their chair, charger, cutlery, glassware? Or if you were able to add in 10 more guests to your list, thats a whole table of decor. Then, you’ll have to add in another centerpiece and decor for that table plus more rentals and linens. This is why it is very important to be mindful of how many guests you are inviting and who you’ll allow to bring plus ones.

Choose A Wedding Venue That Is Convenient For Guests

Guests are an important part of any wedding celebration. Hence, why catering to their needs is just as essential as other wedding considerations such as food, flowers, music, and the general ambiance. For example, if wedding guests are traveling from out of town, then selecting a venue that is convenient will be a helpful addition to your wedding planning that guests are sure to notice. 

Parking is also a vital consideration to take into account too, as limited parking space can be a headache for guests pulling up to the venue only to find there is no space to park their vehicle. Furthermore, this can also cause unnecessary delays to the wedding ceremony itself while you wait for guests to arrive. If this is an issue for the venue of choice, you should heavily consider working with a transportation company.

Wedding Venues That Are Out Of The Ordinary

Say you don’t really envision yourself getting married in a traditional wedding venue, then there are plenty of out-of-the-ordinary venues that may still tickle your fancy. Also, you can choose to use professional wedding services that plan destination weddings for those of you that are not as fanatical about wedding planning. 

Why An At Home Wedding Venue Can Be Just As Good

Perhaps you would prefer not to be worried with all the details that goes into planning a wedding and focus on the best wedding venue to host the event. Maybe home is where your heart is. In this instance, you can still plan a grand wedding celebration that probably won’t cost as much as renting out a traditional wedding venue would. You can either have the wedding in your backyard or rent an estate. Try looking into sites like Airbnb, Vrbo, The Venue Report, and Peerspace to find the perfect property.

Planning for your wedding day is an exciting process. But it can be dampened if you don’t have all your ducks in a row beforehand. Take your time in the planning process to ensure you’ve covered all the bases to ensure your wedding day goes as smoothly as possible. If you are in need of planning services, contact us today at our website Not Jess A Planner and consider us for all your special event planning and design needs.

Guest Blog Written By: Erin Reynolds of DIY Mama