Choosing the Right Venue for Your event!

Choosing The Right Venue For Your Event

By Paige Mateski

   Your engagement is a moment you will never forget, and a story you will be telling friends and family for years to come. But what happens after the happy news? Well, you start planning your exciting day!

One of the biggest decisions you'll make about your wedding is deciding what venue to use. Here are a few important aspects to think about before selecting the location of your event.

   In your travels, you have probably made an emotional connection to certain places and memories with your partner. This connection could play a role in choosing a venue. Do you love the ocean or do you prefer spending time among the pines in the mountains? Think seriously about the type of location you'd choose for your once in a life time event. And remember, if it's outdoors, there should be a back up plan (and if there's rain, well, that's said to be good luck!) A good first decision is a simple one. Out doors or in? This will help narrow it down a bit, and give you a jumping off point. Many event venues have in door and out door options and built in back up plans.

    Location is important. My husband and I wanted to get married in the mountains, beside a lake. We love camping in Big Bear, and wanted a venue that was reminiscent of the area, but when we spoke to our families, some issues that we couldn’t ignore came to the surface. We had family members that would have trouble at that altitude, so the choice was made to keep the event outside, but at a more comfortable location for all parties involved. It's important to keep the seasons in mind as well. Will the weather be predictable or could it be a problem? 

Having an idea of how large or intimate you'd like your event to be will narrow your choices down. If you know you want a large guest list, then you know a small venue is out. 

Try to make appointments, be flexible, and visit several places before making a final decision. It's important that the venues you go see have time to plan for you. It's bad form to show up at a venue or an event just to see what the place looks like. Also, listen to your gut. This is the just the first of several meetings with the events manager If there is an immediate disconnect, be weary!

Efficiency is important. If you attended an event, did it run well? Was the manager behind schedule from the moment you walked through the door? If so, chances are that the event will not run as smoothly as you'd like. Make sure you get quotes and ask how much discrepancy could be in the final bill.

This leads to affordability and what is included in the price. Planning a wedding can be huge endeavor, and, sometimes, the more included in the package, the better. Find out if the venue includes extras like floral arrangements, centerpieces, a DJ or coordinator on the day. Venues that do this all the time will have a lot of vendors they work with regularly. I always suggest using the list of vendors that the venue knows. They have worked together previously and know the staff, and the way their events usually work.
 
This will be a day you remember for years to come, and you’ll want to take your time planning it. The day will fly by, and having the right venue and staff will make it that much better.