Choose Your Wedding Venue Like the Professionals Do
Planning your wedding can be a daunting task. With so many details to plan and so many decisions to make, planning that perfect wedding can mean dealing with lots of details and making tons of decisions — picking the right space, arranging transportation for your guests, planning the perfect menu and choosing the perfect cake, flowers, photographer — just to name a few.
Many people can't afford the services of a professional wedding
planner, which means they need to get creative when it comes to
finding the right venue and services online. You want your wedding
venue to be a memorable and cost-effective setting that matches
your vision for the event at the price you are willing to pay. Armed
with some of the techniques used by professional wedding planners,
you can succeed at finding the right venue for your special day
at a reasonable cost.
Here are some ways to save a chunk of money without skimping on the quality of your wedding:
1) Hotels are in the business of selling meals and sleeping rooms. If you’re using a hotel for overnight stays for your guests, negotiate a group rate for the overnight stay and the cost of the venue (ballroom, garden gazebo etc.). Look for hotels with all-inclusive and custom wedding packages that include the menu, preferred florists, caterers, special overnight rates, limo and a champagne breakfast.
2) If you’re not committed to the idea of holding
your wedding in a hotel, compare locations that offer food service
with those that don’t. Sometimes you can do better
hiring your own caterer.
Think outside the box. Look at a bed and breakfast, an armory, a
small inn, banquet facility, retreat center, your local community
center and even parking lots. Alternate venues are always looking
to attract event business and would welcome the opportunity to work
with you to plan your special day.
3) Outdoor venues such as a scenic outdoor park, a beautiful secluded beach, an arboretum or a zoological park make exceptional settings. Schools and churches rent space inexpensively, as do civic organizations. Many have wonderful facilities and offer catering as well. Museums and Art Galleries are a popular venue for elegant wedding receptions.
4) In our experience working with more creative venues, like Maine camps, we've discovered that many camps have fabulous event space — such as a Main Lodge equipped with cathedral ceilings and stone fireplaces. Camps are always looking for off-season (non-summer) events, and welcome a variety of wedding events at their site, ranging from bachelor/bachelorette parties to receptions and other family gatherings.
5) Ask if you can bring in your own caterer, photographer, entertainment, and audio-visual equipment. Many facilities only let you select from their preferred list of vendors. Make sure to ask if the facility owns the tables and chairs and dance floors. Keep in mind that if the facility has to rent, they will pass the costs on to you.
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 Dahesh Museum of Art in NYC is an example of a museum that offers elegant settings and interiors to grace a formal wedding. |
6) Use online databases and search engines to shop for facilities and pricing. You can find them by entering key words such as “wedding site”, “party hall”, “reception facility” or “wedding space.” Many sites allow you to search by location and facility type to find the best space. Everything is negotiable. Don’t be afraid to ask a venue if they can beat the price their competitor gave you.
7) At www.eventective.com,
planners search for a wedding venue from 45 different facility types
nationally — from arboretums, yacht and country clubs, museums,
galleries and schools to boats, ships, theatres, banquet facilities,
castles, estates, mansions, vineyards, sports stadiums, ski lodges
and spas. Novel locations for weddings is a definite trend,
as long as the venue can accommodate catering and entertainment.
Every bride wants to have that dream wedding. You can have your
perfect wedding at a price that won’t cost you your honeymoon
by searching for venues, caterers, photographers and other service
providers online.
Article and Photos Provided with Permission By:
The Meeting and Event Space Search Engine
Sabina M. Freedman, Vice President
Published by Private Arrangement with FavorIdeas.com
August 6th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
My fiancé & I have decided on a venue for both the ceremony & reception. It’s a converted horse stable and we plan to have round tables set up for our guests instead of rows of chairs so that after the ceremony, they can serve themselves (at the buffet) and eat while we take the last few pictures. What’s an appropriate way to end our ceremony? We don’t really want to turn and walk down the aisle only to turn around and walk back to the front where the pictures are to be taken. I’ve heard some couples who have similar ceremonies have turned around and thanked the guests with a toast. Should we walk out into the small lobby and be announced after a minute? How do we fit in final pictures, cake cutting and the reception without losing guests?