Venues

It would be hard to think of a single item in your wedding plans that has more options to consider.  

There are venues for every style and budget.  Before you go out to look at places there are a few things to keep in mind:  Are you more comfortable with an “all-inclusive” venue that will provide catering, bar, staff, etc. or do you want a “raw” venue where you can hand pick every element?

Once you understand the difference between these two options you will be in a better position to start your search.  If you are on the all-inclusive side you will want to concentrate on hotels, banquet facilities and venues that can provide it all.  If you want a celebration that is all “you”, concentrate on converted buildings, natural settings and other types of venues that simply offer you a place to do your own thing.  

If you are leaning towards an inclusive venue, the amount of money that you allocate towards venue, catering and (maybe rental and décor) can be combined.  If you are looking at raw venues you will have a venue fee plus catering, rentals and décor. 

Hotels generally offer a good bang for the buck.  The catering fee may be on the higher side, however, tables, chairs, linens, dance floor, staff, etc. are included.  A raw venue will require extra leg-work to get all of the elements that you need for the celebration. Your celebration will not look like anyone else’s because every single detail will need to be brought in.  Your rental, décor and floral decisions will be key in getting this as you envision. 

Most hotels and venues will have a vendor list.  This can be really helpful as these vendors will be very familiar with the logistics of the location which can make a big difference.   There are two basic types of lists, Preferred and Exclusive.  An exclusive list is just that, you must select from that list.  A preferred list gives you a good place to start but you will be able to work with other vendors who are not listed.