How to Choose A Wedding Venue in 7 Steps

CEO and Co-Founder of PartySlate Julie Roth Novack sat down to talk with wedding planner and host of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Michelle Martinez to discuss how to choose a wedding venue.

Choosing your wedding venue is an important yet challenging decision. Novack explains that this process should be two fold: the prep work to be put in before you schedule venue site-visits and the questions you need to ask during those site-visits.

Whether you are holding your ceremony and reception in the same venue or in separate venues, it is important to go into this process informed. Read on to learn the ins and outs of choosing a wedding venue from experts in the industry.

*Below is a summary of the Big Wedding Planning Podcast.

Thoughtfulness and flexibility are key when starting to research wedding venues. It is important to begin asking yourself some practical questions, like: “How far is too far to have my reception from my ceremony?” and “Do I have to use the venue’s list of caterers, or can I select my own?”

In answering these questions, keep in mind your guests’ experience, while considering your budget, approximate guest count, and event date.

Take the advice below before you begin your physical venue walkthroughs. Having the answers to these questions and a short list of venues that meet your qualifications for your ideal venue will make your process more efficient (and even enjoyable).

1. Have an Idea of Your Budget

First and foremost, have an idea of your wedding budget.

Novack notes, “At PartySlate, we are very pro getting a wedding planner. Some people may think they can’t afford one, but you could actually end up saving money by using a wedding planner.” She goes on to explain that wedding planners know the ins and outs of the industry and will be able to help you ask the right questions when choosing a venue that may end up saving you money in the long run.

2. Be Aware of Hidden Fees & Extra Costs

Venues often have set food and beverage minimums, rental fees, and insurance policies. These “hidden” fees will eat up your budget if you do not take them into account. There is a difference in prices between raw spaces, hotel venues, and event venues. Research a mix of these types of venues to discover which is most budget-friendly for you.

Novack offers advice saying, “Ask potential venues ‘what is your typical average contract value worth?'” She explains this will give you a more holistic and realistic view of venue costs. She continues, “Having that information is powerful because you might fall in love with a venue and then be heartbroken that it’s just not going to fit within your budget.”

The last thing to consider in your search for a venue within your budget is transportation from your ceremony to your reception, or the turnover of your venue from ceremony to reception. This logistic comes with questions that must be answered.

• Will the ceremony and reception be held at the same location?
• How far away and how will people get from one location to the other?
• Can the venue accommodate my ceremony and reception in the same space?
• Where will people wait while this turnover from ceremony to reception is happening?
• Will it be a good guest experience?

Again, Novack emphasizes, “You don’t need to know your exact budget at this point, but you need to know your ballpark budget in the key categories, like food and beverage, photography, entertainment, etc. You can’t make the selection on your venue in an isolated experience, you need to think holistically.”

3. Know Your Approximate Guest Count

Second, know the approximate guest count for your event.

Knowing your approximate guest count ahead of time will help avoid booking a venue that is too large or too small for your event. Novack recommends creating a list of “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves,” saying, “priorities matter because it may not be possible to get everything you love in one venue.”

Your guest count will factor into the decision of the style of venue and possibly even the style of décor you choose to go with. Indoor venues will accommodate guests in a different way than outdoor venues will be able to.

4. Be Flexible with Your Event Date

Third, ask yourself: Can I be flexible with my event date?

Novack urges couples planning their wedding to have flexibility. She continues saying, “I would really encourage thinking about four possible dates.”

She offers budget-saving advice by saying, “If you’re open to a Friday night or a Sunday night, you’re going to get a lot more flexibility than a Saturday night. Right now with the rush for people that have not been able to get married over the last year and a half, you will have more options by being open to another night of the week.”

Begin by talking with the most important people you’d like in attendance; ask them about any major date conflicts. Novack offers a solution to the technicalities of triangulating on a wedding date. A website called Doodle.com may be able to help you and your family or wedding party settle on a few dates that work for everyone.

Your event date will also help in determining your wedding style. Your wedding season will greatly inform your venue choice (and vice versa).

Find more inspiration in deciding which season to say “I do” in the articles linked below.

Now that you know:

• Your budget
• Your ballpark guest count
• A few dates and a season that you know you want your wedding to be held
• Your short list of venues that meet these qualifications

You are ready to begin and schedule your venue walkthroughs.

5. Do Research to Prepare for Your Venue Walk-Throughs

Novack explains that on PartySlate, real events are posted to venue’s profile pages so couples planning their wedding can see what the space looks like with a real event happening. Not staged photos, not glamour shots, but photos from real events. This is important to look at before going in to see the space empty, so you can envision your event in the room.

See how a venue can be transformed to fit any wedding style, from modern to classic, in PartySlate’s Your Venue, Your Way series.

“Just remember, the most important thing is having the people you love and that you care about the most in the room together with you to celebrate a milestone. Be open to the possibility that what you thought for your big day may not be. It could even be better than you originally thought, but I think the key is going in with a flexible mindset,” Novack says.

She notes, “I think you have to just keep in mind that a destination event may work for you, or it may not work for you.”

Find more advice on planning your destination wedding here: 41 Honeymoon Destinations That Also Make Perfect Wedding Venues

6. Decide Who Will Accompany You on Your Walkthroughs

Decide who should go with you to these site visits. Martinez and Novack both agree that you should choose one or two of your closest friends or family members, who’s opinions you trust, to accompany you.

Once on-site, Novack suggests walking through the venue the way a guest would experience it. From parking, to the entranceway, to the ceremony and/or reception space. Ask about the details of the space, from where the dressing room is, down to the details of the acoustics in the room.

You want to walk from beginning to end and take a video of the walkthrough, along with photos of certain details. You want to be able to rewatch these videos with the people helping you make these decisions and get their feedback. Talk to the venue manager as you walk through with the video. Ask questions and let the video pick up what you’re discussing. This will allow you to go back and take notes and remember every detail.

7. Prepare Questions to Ask the Venue Manager

• Ask about noise ordinances. Especially if you have an outdoor component to your wedding, this will be an important piece of information to know. The last thing you want is your party to be cut short because of a 9:00pm noise ordinance set in place by the city and/or venue.
• Inquire about potential layouts for the space for each part of your celebration.
• Ask about A/V capabilities so you’ll know what you’ll have to pay extra to have brought in.
• Request to see the restrooms (and coat check, if you’ll need one).
• Ask what basic rentals the venue comes with, and ask to see them. Keep in mind that you will most likely have your chosen linen covering the tables, but the chairs will be exposed. Look at the quality of the chairs, china, barware, and more  — so you’ll know the size of rental budget you’ll need.

Find more advice on choosing the right wedding rental chairs.

Concluding Thoughts

Although this is a lot of information, with the help of your wedding planner and loved ones, you will be able to select the best wedding venue for you and your significant other.

Novack advises, “I think the one thing I would say is in order to have fun with the process is to go in with a flexible mindset. The most important thing is that you’re with your friends and family, the people that love you most, to celebrate a huge milestone — not that you get that dream raw space that you imagined for the last five years that’s not available or out of your budget. Going in with a flexible mindset and doing your homework online will make your life a lot easier. Use PartySlate and other research platforms to your advantage and get as much information. Then, go in smart.”

She notes, “It should be a fun process. And just remember: it’s all going to be worth it.”

Listen to the full podcast episode.

People Also Ask…

How do I choose a wedding style?

Choosing a wedding style may come before or after choosing your wedding venue. While choosing your venue, keep in mind your wedding style if you have one. If you don’t already know your style, browse PartySlate to find endless wedding style inspiration.

Check out these Idea Slates for more wedding venue inspiration: