Nail Your Dream Wedding: 5 Must-Haves for Your Venue

There are so many wedding venues to choose from and it can sometimes be overwhelming to know where to start. I’ve been planning weddings since 2020 and have seen couples make the same mistakes when searching for a venue, leading to disappointment and frustration. In this article, I will break down the steps you should take to narrow down your list of venues for scheduling tours.  It’s exciting to start touring venues right away, but touring before doing sufficient research can lead to burnout and further overwhelm.

Here is a list of 5 considerations for selecting a wedding venue.

Wedding photography by Melanie and Tyler (Colorado Springs). Visit their website or photography on Instagram.

01. Price

The first step to wedding planning should always be to identify a realistic budget.  I do not recommend couples start looking for venues without knowing their overall budget. Just as you don’t want to try on a wedding dress that is too expensive (in case you fall in love with it), you don’t want to tour a venue that is out of budget for the same reason.  Knowing your overall wedding budget is essential to the entire planning process, but further identifying a venue-specific budget will help you stay on track.

02. Location

Just as with real estate: location, location, location. Are views important to you (i.e., mountains, city skyline, etc.)? Do you want something close to your home/most guests’ homes or a destination where guests are able to make a mini-vacation out of it? If yes to mini-vacation, you will want to select a city that offers lots to do and see.

Many couples are hesitant to choose a destination wedding because of the perceived hassle it would cause for guests.  I tell couples to choose a location that is meaningful to them and makes them happy – their friends and families will gladly travel to celebrate with them!

After identifying a budget, if you don’t already have a location in mind, this is the next big decision to tackle.

03. Venue Categories

There are three main categories of venues: All-inclusive (everything from venue to food and beverage), Semi-inclusive (venue plus some items such as chairs and linens), and Venue only.

Each category has its pros and cons, but they all come with a price tag.  When comparing venues across categories, I recommend creating a spreadsheet to understand all costs associated with the wedding, allowing you to compare apples to apples.  These are the line items I recommend including:

• Venue rental fee
• Rentals (chairs, tables, linens, flatware, and glassware)
• Food
• Beverage

For the all-inclusive venues, your venue rental fee will likely include all rental items, so you will input $0 for each.  As part of the proposal from the venue,  a food and beverage estimate should be given that you can input.

For semi-inclusive venues, the venue fee will likely include rentals, but no food or beverage.  For the sake of creating a preliminary budget, I suggest using these averages (please note that these are only averages and actual costs may be lower or higher): $120 per person for food and $60 per person for beverage.

For venue-only, I suggest using an average of $40 per person for rentals (in addition to average food and beverage costs noted above). 

04. Venue Aesthetic

There are so many styles of venues including modern, industrial, rustic, barn/ranch, and luxury.  To help couples decide on the vibe they are going for, I will ask questions about their lifestyle, personalities, and what they like to do for fun.  This information can help me identify which style of venue may fit them best.  Once you narrow this down, head over to Google and search for “[type of aesthetic] venues in [location].”

05. Capacity

If your guest count is over 125, your venue selections are generally a little more limited.  Make sure this is one of the first things you inquire about when looking into venues. Just as with buying a house, you generally need to compromise on something.  When it comes to capacity, I find that this can dictate the venue aesthetic and may be something couples need to compromise on.  If it doesn’t quite match your ideal aesthetic, consider bringing in decor to help transform the space.

Bonus! Date Availability

If you are only open to a Friday or Saturday wedding, those dates fill up first, so start your search early!  Venue fees are also highest on those days, so if you need to keep venue costs down, consider a Sunday or weekday wedding.

Conclusion

There are a lot of venues to choose from, but if you consider these 5 things, it will help you stay focused and get to a selection faster.

Jillian Pohlman is a Master Certified Wedding Planner based in Colorado and owner of Jillian Marie Events. She takes a hospitality-driven approach to event planning and offers Coordination through Full-Service Planning packages. Get to know Jillian by following her on Instagram or visiting Jillian Marie Events.