How do you decide on the perfect venue??

Hi Crystal. Have you all figured out a budget as well? I’d start there, then look into some venues to see what is it that you want. If you want a venue that overlooks the water, something small, or an all inclusive venue. This also helps to narrow it down just depending on you alls vision for your wedding. Happy planning!

I will first look on this app in your area and then decide if you want to broaden your choice futher out. And I dont know if you mentioned the month which determines the season. So do you guys want a garden wedding, a rustic so look at all of these factors. Now just know that which ever way you go also consider your budget. Because most of your budget goes towards the venue most of the time it comes with things and some things it wont and that cost goes up$$$. Happy planning

What kind of vibe/scene/aesthetic are you going for? What's your price range? Where are you looking for a venue? We picked our venue after attending a wedding there, as soon as we were engaged we knew the venue and planned around that.


Take into consideration if there's a rest suite that you can go to or if it's limited to just getting ready. What's the minimum for food/drink, do they allow outside caterers, approximate guest list.

You could get ready at a nearby hotel if you really like either of the 2 venues. I don't think you'll ever find a "perfect" venue, but you should be able to find one you're happy with.

Okay, well the venue is first to mark off. You don't have a date until you have a venue. To prepare, discuss budget and guest list with your partner first. You don't want too a large room for a smaller group. Think of the vibe/ aesthetic you want (themes can be limiting). There's no perfect. Everyone has a different vision of how they want to have their wedding. I'd compare pricing, extras, location, and availability to find the one that works best for you and your partner. Ps. you can get ready elsewhere. A separate retreat room may not be necessary as you will be busy with hosting duties.

I would first decide your budget and if you want a venue that includes everything (catering, tables, chairs, silverware, etc.) or if you don't mind hiring for those things separately. Then decide your guest list, including SO's for everyone. Your wedding is nearly 2 years away and people who are single now could be in serious relationships or even engaged and/or married by that time. Any venue you consider should accommodate both of these.

Consider what the venues offer for accessibility and comfort. Is it handicapped accessible if you have guests with mobility issues? Is there adequate climate control for the season your wedding will be held (AC in summer/heat in winter)? Is there plenty of room for comfortable seating? Adequate bathroom facilities? If you're considering an outdoor wedding is there a backup plan in case of bad weather? Do they offer shelter from the elements and extreme temperatures? Also think about the location. Is it close to guests' homes and/or hotels, or is it in a remote location where transportation could be an issue, especially after a night of drinking?

It's important to consider more than just aesthetics and a vision when choosing a venue. You don't want to end up with a logistical nightmare which adds stress, nor do you want your guests to be uncomfortable. No one will care about the aesthetics if they're uncomfortable.

I'd start by looking at roughly how many people you'd plan to invite. There are venues at different prices, some offer more amenities to offset the cost/ need to hire other vendors, and you can shift budget points for different elements of the wedding, but the amount of space/ capacity limits at your venue is finite. FH and I both put together tentative lists and we came to about 125 people. We looked at venues that could accommodate 150-200 since we figured our parents would probably have more people to invite, people would get into relationships, etc.

From there, decide how much you'd be willing to spend on the venue itself as well as catering, bar service, linens, rentals, etc. Some venues are all-inclusive and things like catering or bar service or whatever are baked into the cost. Sometimes the all-inclusive venues seem pricey at first, but once you factor in everything that goes into the cost, it ends up being cheaper in the long run (and less of a headache to find multiple vendors). However, sometimes the opposite is true, and it costs more to use an all-inclusive venue's services, so it's important to know how much you'd be willing to spend overall as well as on separate things.

Once the logistics are laid out, think about what kind of vibe/ aesthetic you're looking for. If you want an upscale elegant affair, you probably won't need to look at barns, but if you want a rustic feel, barn venues may be appealing.

If venues don't have designated spaces to get ready, then see if you can find something in a decent proximity to a hotel. This is also a good thing to consider if you have a lot of people coming from out of town who would need to get a hotel room. If they can walk or get a fairly cheap Uber after the night ends, that'll go over much better than if they're in the middle of nowhere and have to either have a DD or pay an arm and a leg to get home or to a hotel.

Wedding Wire and The Knot both do a pretty good job of detailing venues and letting you filter based on location, cost, guest count, etc. They're great resources to start making a list of places to visit!

My final piece of advice would be to actually visit the venues and meet with the venue coordinators. Everywhere looks great online in pictures taken by professionals, but sometimes that doesn't tell the whole story, whether there's a glaring problem with the venue itself or the nearby area is bad. You also want to be able to feel at ease with the coordinator so you know they'll handle things on their end to make sure your wedding goes off without a hitch.

Hope this novel helps!

Like many people have already mentioned.. budget first! That will give you an idea for how much you can reasonably spend on a venue. Some venues will have dining in the contract, while others you will have to have a separate vendor (and possibly rent kitchen equipment depending on venue location). Wedding Wire's budget tab really helps give you a good idea of what you can reasonably spend for each cost of your wedding based on the budget you enter. The program will adjust costs of cake, dress, food, venue, transportation and so on, as the entered budget is entered. It's also great for tracking payments you've already made to vendors.

We live in a major city and a lot of guests were coming from out of the country. We knew we want a great city view. Of course, that was after figuring out the budget!

You feel it. For me we wanted beachy… but Florida is to HOT! My guests would flip… so I went to hotels… didn’t feel it. I imagined it.. I’d do it too.. but not feeling it. I went to halls.. same. A church.. same. Saw this place.. the castle.. looked kinda so/so. I went inside to do the tour… it hit me. I could not imagine any other place. I was drawn to it. I planned it all in my head immediately! You just know.

For us..... it was sitting down and putting our visions together. What in a Wedding really speaks to you and also what is realistic. Some like water scenery, some like to marry on top of a mountain, some rose gardens.... so just start plotting what speaks to you two and go from there