Hey, darlings! Today is Michael and I’s 3rd anniversary! I can’t believe it’s already been 3 years since getting married. Isn’t it crazy?
June 26th, 2015 was the most amazing day. The weather was a perfect 72 degrees and everything was seamless. We were blessed in abundance from the start of the morning all through the night. To this day, we’re still so overwhelmed with gratefulness at how perfect our wedding day truly was.
Part of the reason why we feel our day went so smoothly was that we chose the right wedding venue for us. We chose to have both our ceremony and reception at the Plantation Party House in Rochester, NY.
We took a tour of the venue and knew right away that it was the one for us. After having our wedding there, we seriously cannot rave enough about their venue! The grounds are absolutely stunning – tons of greenery and a pretty pond. They also have a gorgeous gazebo and two-tier deck. The interior of the hall is just as stunning as the grounds are. It has a large dance floor underneath a gorgeous chandelier, a full bar, and plenty of space for seating. We had just under 200 people attend our wedding and even with so many people there, it still felt immensely comfortable. We also had the best maître d’ ever! He was on top of everything and was the most instrumental part of keeping everything running on schedule.
If you’re looking to get married in Rochester, NY, we highly recommend Plantation Party House!
[bctt tweet=”How To Choose The Perfect Wedding Venue” username=”SummerTelban”]
If you’re currently planning your own wedding and you’re still on the hunt for the perfect venue, I’ve got some helpful tips for you!
8 TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING VENUE:
1. Choose A Venue That Aligns With Your Vision // As someone who’s largely involved in creativity, this is a very important tip for me to give you. When you’re looking for a venue, you want to choose one that aligns with the overall vision that you have for your wedding day. If you’re wanting an upscale wedding, you’re not going to want a wedding in a rustic barn. If you’re wanting a very outdoorsy wedding, you’re not going to want to pick a venue that doesn’t have gorgeous landscaping. Your vision goes much deeper than the overall aesthetic you’re going for, though. Most of your vision for your day is in the details. Always keep those details at the forefront of your wedding venue hunt.
2. Check Reviews Online // Everyone wants their wedding day to be seamless, so if there’s ever a time to check reviews online, it’s for anything and everything wedding related. Don’t just read the 5-star reviews on their website, read the lowest rated reviews on Facebook and other review sites, as well. As always, take everything with a grain of salt. If there’s a red flag right away, don’t ignore it. Address it. Ask yourself if this is still a venue you want to consider to throw the biggest party of your life.
3. Ease For Guests // While your wedding day is all about you and your love, you still really need to consider your guests in your planning. You have people taking time off work and traveling to come and celebrate your big day, so really consider them in your planning. Here are some idea starters for your venue search when considering ease for guests…
- Have your ceremony and reception at the same place
- This is what we chose to do and we highly recommend it! Having everything a the same place is less stressful for you and is easier for guests.
- Have your reception at a hall connected to a hotel where guests will most likely be staying
- If you have to have two separate venues for your ceremony and reception, try to keep travel time in between the two places as little as possible. No one (including yourself) wants to travel an hour to the ceremony and then an hour to the reception. It’s exhausting!
4. Take Venue Tours // You can’t choose your wedding venue by looking at photos online. There’s no way! Schedule a venue tour of the places that are on the top of your list. Come with pen and paper, as well as an open mind. Take notes during your visit. Write down everything that comes to your mind – red flags and all. Take photos during your visit, too! Ask every question that comes to your mind! Again, this is the biggest day of your life – don’t hold anything back.
Related reading: Our Ceremony Photos
5. Highly Consider Your Photographer’s Ease // Wedding photos are so important and in the day in age we’re in with photography, wedding photos are even more important! Don’t book your venue without asking your photographer’s advice and opinion on the place. If a venue is too dark, it’s going to be really difficult for them to capture all of the details of your day. You also want to choose a venue that has many photo opportunities. This is really where the grounds of the venue come into play.
This also leads me to a question that you need to ask during your venue visits… Ask if they provide additional lighting services or if you’ll have to hire an outside vendor. Lighting is so instrumental in creating the mood you want for your wedding, as well as getting great photos.
Related reading: Decoration Details
6. Look At What’s Included // Not all wedding venues are the same in what they offer. Some offer in-house catering and some don’t. Some venues will require you to use their catering. Some offer a full bar and some don’t have that. Some venues offer tons of perks like having a maître d’, for example. Some venues require you to pay for chairs during the ceremony, in addition to the cost per plate for the reception. There are so many details. If you have your mind set on very specific things to be included in a venue, I want to encourage you to keep your mind open! If there’s something you want that’s not included, see if you’re able to hire an outside vendor.
7. Quality Of Food & Drinks // I really cannot stress how important this is… circling back to your guests for a moment here. While your wedding day is all about you, I’m a firm believer that the reception isn’t just about you. Your reception should also be about your guests and their enjoyment. One of the most important factors in your reception is the quality of food and drink. If your venue does in-house catering, see if you can come in for a sample tasting and again, read the reviews online. You have guests traveling to come and celebrate you, so make sure you’re taking care of them to show your appreciation.
8. Stay Within Your Budget // This one is an obvious point. 🙂 Know your budget for a venue and stay within it. Don’t dream over the most expensive venue if it doesn’t fit in your budget. Don’t look at the pictures. Nothing! I promise you, there will be something in your budget. It can be tough to find, but it is possible. You don’t want to go into debt for your perfect day.
[bctt tweet=”8 Tips To Choose The Perfect Wedding Venue” username=”SummerTelban”]
To those who’ve gotten married, what are some other venue-hunting tips you can give brides-to-be? Let’s chat!
Let’s connect! >> Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Snapchat
