Congratulations, you’re engaged! Now, how do you choose a wedding venue? This can be an intimidating task, especially in beautiful Frederick, where there are many wedding venues to choose from. A great idea to start, is to find photographs of real weddings in Frederick. Use this online search as a starting point in your quest for the best Frederick wedding venue. Looking at all the different venues will help you and your partner to narrow down your tastes. Next, you can use our 5 easy steps to choose a wedding venue below!
- Create a list of what you and your partner are looking for in a wedding venue. What kind of feel do you want on your wedding day? Do you like rustic and natural, sophisticated, church or outside wedding? Also consider if you would like to have the wedding ceremony and reception at the same venue. Hashing these points out will make it much easier to stay focused on the perfect wedding for YOU.
- Once you have decided the type of feel you would like for your wedding, create a budget. Keep in mind that some venues include in-house catering, wedding rentals (chairs, tables, linens, etc.) in their package pricing, while others do not. This will of course affect the overall dollar amount of what you’re hoping to spend on a venue. An outdoor catered wedding may sound like a more cost effective option than an in-house caterer until you add up the costs for renting all of the necessary supplies (plates, knives, forks, spoons, water glasses, bar glasses, tables, linens, chairs, cake knife, tent, dance floor…just to name a few!) so be realistic in your planning. You can also read this great blog post which includes all the necessary budget elements to holding a wedding and reception.
- Choose a couple of dates, in order of preference, that you might want for the wedding day. Try to be open to other possibilities as wedding weekends fill quickly and you may need to change your day to get the perfect wedding venue.
- Try to figure out how many people you are going to invite to your big day. Completing a rough guest count will help you to narrow down your wedding venue because venue has their own guest limit imposed by law. Ensuring that your guests have enough space to mingle, dine, & dance is a top priority. Also, take a look at the individuals you are inviting: can elderly & physically disabled folks be accommodated at the venue? To avoid hearing the clanging of dishes during dinner clean up, you may consider choosing a venue that holds dinner in one room and reception in another. Changing rooms also gives your guests the ability to mingle more, instead of being stuck with the same table guests the whole evening (hey, we’ve all been there).
- Okay, you’ve hashed out how to choose a wedding venue, now you can start looking at wedding venues! While touring venues, consider what time of year you are getting married. Some wedding venues are not available in the winter. If you are considering an outdoor wedding venue, ask direct questions about what to expect in your wedding season and if they have a back up plan if it rains or snows on your wedding day. Ask for seasonal real photographs, such as the weddings posted in our wedding blog. Bring a camera & take photos of your favorite things. Carry a notepad and pen to take notes – many of the venues will run together in your mind after a long day of tours! For more information about what to ask when touring a wedding venue, read this blog post!
Posted in Event Planning Tips