Are you ready to start shopping for your wedding venue? Awesome! You may be tempted to log into The Knot and just start scheduling tours with every venue that has pretty profile pictures. But, that would be a mistake, a BIG mistake.
I encourage you to take the time upfront to narrow your venue search down to three venues to tour. Trust me, three is the magic number! If you do your research you won’t waste time visiting places that aren’t a good fit. You’ll get lost in the details, everything will start running together and you’ll loose enthusiasm if you visit many more than three. Even if you fall in love with the first venue you visit, still tour your other options. You learn so much about the entire planning process from venue tours. Every venue offers a little something different. If nothing else, you will come to appreciate what your favorite venue has to offer and feel more confident in booking!
To narrow your search, request as much information in writing before scheduling a tour. Don’t go blind into a venue tour. At the very least you will want to know the following:
10 Wedding Venue Details to Consider
- Venue Capacity : Is the venue a good size for your guest count?
- Rental Rates : Is the rate within your budget?
- Property Amenities & Inclusions : Does the venue include the items you’d like? Does the property have the features you want?
- Availability : Is the venue available on the date you want?
- Customer Service : Does the venue provide great customer service?
- Vendor Restrictions : Does the venue allow the vendors what we want or do we have to pick from a set list?
- Venue Location : Is the venue located where it is accessible to my guests and to wedding day essentials (ex. overnight accommodations, stores & restaurants)?
- Venue Style : Does the venue style fit our vision for our event?
- Client Reviews : Does the venue have glowing reviews from their clients?
- Legitimacy : Does the venue meet safety and building code requirements to legally operate? Do they carry the proper insurance?
Don’t forget to look beyond the aesthetic of a venue to consider the logistics of your event too. Though certain amenities may not be important to you personally, they may be super important to that of your guests or vendors. Compare your options and make a decision that you’re excited about, meets your needs and fits your budget. Remember, all the details are important, but so is your gut feeling!
Take Action
Download our free Wedding Planning Shopping Guide with Quick Reference Wedding Venue Checklist and detailed Wedding Venue Comparison Chart to compare your venue options on a feature by feature basis.
If you feel overwhelmed by ALL this information and ALL these decisions, you may need to step back, take a deep breath and read our previous blog post, “8 Questions to Answer Before You Start Wedding Venue Shopping.”
If you have already selected your wedding venue, have no fear, we have resources for you too! Check out some other great wedding planning content here.
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