Choosing the perfect wedding venue is a big decision, and you don’t want to make any mistakes when selecting the place that is best for you. Unfortunately, there are many mistakes that many couples end up making because they’re easy to overlook. To help prevent you from having venue remorse, here are five mistakes you need to be aware of.
1. The Venue Is Too Small
One common mistake that many couples make is not taking into account the maximum number of occupants a venue can hold before booking it. For small guest lists, this may not be a huge problem, but when you start having over 150 guests, you can run into spacing issues. Always ask about occupancy before booking your venue to ensure everyone can be included and that there is plenty of space to move about in.
2. Who Is Catering?
Another mistake to avoid when picking a wedding venue is not thinking about catering at the same time. Preferably, the venue you choose will provide catering options as a part of a package deal, but if they don’t, you’re going to have to search locally to find someone who can provide what you need. Having to do this can eat up time, and you may end up not having the food that you wanted. If possible, try to find a venue that can provide catering onsite.
3. Paying for Decorations
Another mistake that couples often make is not asking about decorations that the venue can provide. If you don’t know what decorations they can provide, you could end up unnecessarily spending more money bringing your own, when you could have had them provided by the venue you’ve chosen. Optimally, the wedding venue can provide things such as linens, napkins, lights, candles, and table decorations. With the average budget for a wedding and reception being $28,385, you’ll want to make sure that you get the most bang for your buck without needing to spend more than needed.
4. Where Are the Guests Staying?
When picking a wedding venue, you’ll also want to ensure that it is easy to access for guests, particularly those coming from out of town. Some venues will be partnered with hotels to provide accommodation for the bride, groom, and guests, as well as shuttle services to and from the venue. This can be especially helpful as you won’t have to worry about people being late or getting lost on the way. The biggest mistake you can make is not asking about services like this when booking your venue.
5. The Venue Is Booked
Lastly, and possibly one of the most significant mistakes, is not booking the venue far enough ahead of time. Selecting a venue is something that you’ll want to do as soon as possible because they may book up fast. You don’t want to have the perfect venue in mind only to find out that it’s already booked on the day of your wedding. Try to book as soon as possible to avoid this mistake.
If you are looking for the perfect wedding venue, make sure to keep these five mistakes in mind so that you can avoid them and ensure that you have the best wedding day experience possible.