Wedding isn’t until July 2023

We're getting married in March 2023 but started looking at venues in July 2021 — it's good to be ahead, in my opinion!


We looked at probably 7 or 8 venues that said they were available on our date last summer and it came down to a combination or pricing, location, and venue type/aesthetics before we really narrowed it down, but really what stood out with the place we booked was the relationship we began building with the Director of Events / our Event Manager. He was so patient, kind, and super hospitable and approachable and didn't feel sales-y, pushy, or dismissive of anything (we asked a million questions — we had an email thread of over 50 emails and had a few phone calls and visits before we confirmed our booking). The customer service part was so important to us because it helped ease our minds with a lot of stuff.

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much! I have so much to think about.

View Quoted Comment Good luck!


Finding the right venue was one of the harder, bigger decisions for vendors for me. 🤞

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much! You as well

For venue selection, I would start speaking with your partner on vibe, budget, and guestlist. The bigger the guestlist, the bigger the cost. Start stalking online venue websites and getting recs from friends. Many venues have a brochure as to costs and expectations. Start out with selecting 2-4 favorites, and start emailing or calling to arrange tours. Hopefully you both will get that special feeling. Bring your questions for the events planner because this is the one big sit-down you'll get for a while. Find out room capacity, indoor/outdoor options for ceremony and/or reception, flow between rooms, # of bathrooms, available dates in selected season, f&b price per person, taxes, service fees, included gratuity %, and any perks (bridal attendant, printing, included valet, decorations, etc.).

I did not need multiple emails or much correspondence because our venues were prepared with brochures and other documents first. Time is money. After putting a soft hold, we reviewed contracts and signed. Later, if we had additional questions we sent an email, but we didn't have our final phone meeting until closer to the date to settle vendor timing . Many venues will have set dates for group tastings, but sometimes you can tell by their menu their food style. Best of luck!