[shareaholic app=”share_buttons” id=”4830626″]Wedding planning is a tough business, but venue owners intimately understand all of the things that a bride needs to take into account when choosing a venue. In order to help all of you Connecticut brides, Wedding Reports has spoken with venues in Connecticut to get some of the best advice around on prepping for the big decision of choosing your perfect venue. Every bride knows the usual questions to ask when researching venues, but venue owners know what makes a space great. So, without further ado, here are Wedding Reports’ 5 Unexpected Things to Consider When Choosing a Wedding Venue.
1. Venue Personnel
In seeking a venue, brides should never overlook those who she’ll remain in contact with after the selection has been made. Your venue choice should take into consideration the staff who will be assisting you. Make sure venues have a dedicated staff person who will be there for you through the entire planning process. One great idea is to have not only a point person for the ceremony but also a banquet manager for your dinner. Getting overwhelmed is an understandable part of planning, but venue owners suggest there always be a person willing and able to field all of your questions. Planning a wedding is not an easy task, and having someone that you trust is crucial to ensuring a sense of calm on your special day.
2. Venue Atmosphere
Whether they be indoor or outdoor, ballroom or private chapel, venues provide different types of spaces for weddings. When choosing a venue, it is important to consider all of your options as well as the venue’s policies. Insiders recommend asking venues how many ceremonies they have per day. If a venue will be hosting more than one event always make sure to double check which spaces will be available to you and at what times. If your wish is to take photographs outside before your ceremony, make sure another event won’t be taking place in those locations. In addition to the allocation of spaces, brides should always ask about cocktail hour locations that are separate from their dinner area. Some great questions to ask are how many rooms will I be able to use for my event? Will I be in separate rooms for cocktail hour and dinner? Creating mystery between each part of your ceremony adds drama to your big day and allows you to engage your guests’ imaginations about what is coming up next.
3. Catering
Caterers are an integral part of your wedding, and while some venues may offer in house catering, others may have a list of preferred vendors from which you can choose. We’ve gotten some great advice from area venue owners about how to interact with off-site caterers. So brides, keep in mind that caterers are working with three key elements: the price, the date, and the space. In a successful compromise, you should be able to secure two of those three elements. For those of you with venues that feature an in-house caterer, make sure you speak to the venue about service ratios. How many servers will you have for your dinner, and will it be enough to provide impeccable service for your guests? Alongside service ratios, chefs are often times overlooked by brides. Always remember how important a staff will be the day of your wedding. In person conversations with chefs and servers about what options a venue can provide are crucial in getting exactly what you’re looking for at your reception.
4. Technical Needs
Generators may not be something that immediately comes to mind when thinking of your wedding. No bride wants a power outage on her big day, but having a contingency plan is still the best idea. Insiders suggest that you not only ask about generators, but also make sure to ask what they specifically power, whether it be the whole facility or just the basic necessities. Alongside the generators, brides should also keep in mind the number of outlets in their potential reception space. While most venues or DJs will provide their own equipment, there is still one important technical need that may be overlooked. How are you going to hear the minister? While sound may seem like only a concern for your reception and dinner, take into account that your ceremony guests in the back row may not be able to hear your beautiful vows.
5. Weather
Leading wedding experts suggest to never book a venue based on an outside space, and we at Wedding Reports couldn’t agree more. While there are a lot of last minute details a venue can control, the weather is, unfortunately, not one of them. Therefore, brides should consider what backup spaces and options are available to them in case of poor weather. Venues should always be prepared with a back-up plan for your ceremony in case of rain or snow, and while a secondary ceremony space is a fantastic idea, there should also be options on how to utilize your outside space if the weather has cleared. Also, if utilizing a secondary spaces, brides should not have to reveal their stunning reception area before time to enter that space as a group. Brides shouldn’t be forced to reveal all of the hard work and planning that has gone into making a dinner space stuffing. Ask if screen may be set up to hide your tables if you’ll need to use the dining area for your ceremony.
There are several, important factors to take into consideration when looking for a wedding venue. From the capacity to the costs, brides should weigh all of the pro and cons of each space. However, there are a few things that brides may overlook, and that’s where wedding experts and venue owners can help brides. We at Wedding Reports hope these tips help, and we wish happy planning to our brides!