Choosing the right wedding venue
Thursday, September 29, 2022Finding the right wedding venue can be almost as hard as finding the right person to marry! With so many options to go with, it’s difficult to know what venue or location will fit you and your significant other the best on you special day. To help you wade through the jungle of wedding venue options, we have put together a little list of things to consider when hunting for the perfect wedding venue.
Your budget
We have purposely put the budget at the top of our lists as it’s one of the most important things to consider. We would even recommend that, before you start your wedding planning and search for venues, you break down your overall budget by category and priority. This way you can get an overview of how much of your funds you can spend on different vendors and how much you can spend on the venue itself. It is also a good idea to ask what’s included in the venue hire fee and what you will have to bring to create the wedding of your dreams.
How many on the guest list?
To further help narrowing down the list of potential wedding venues, ensure you have finalised the guest list beforehand. Many venues have limited capacity, so depending on how big you guestlist ends up being, some wedding venues may be automatically culled from your list. This will also help you break down your budget, as some venues costs are very dependent on the number of people you’re inviting to the wedding.
Choose your location
Another big one! Deciding on the location of the wedding involves many smaller decisions, each with its on set of aspect to consider. Do you want to get married abroad? Then you have to consider how to get your guests there and where they’ll stay for the duration of your wedding. Thinking of having a beach wedding, what’s the weather going to be like? Once you have decided the location and theme of your wedding, the search for the perfect wedding venue will be easier as the options can be narrowed down.
Pinterest - get a vision in mind
It’s time to start pinning those great ideas to your wedding vision board! Pintrest is one of the most popular platforms for brides-to-be when it comes to getting inspiration for their wedding themes and venues. It can be a great tool in visualising the bigger picture. Worst case scenario, if you can’t find the wedding inspo you were looking for, at least you may be able to define what you DON’T want for your wedding – which is equally important.
Tour prospective venues
One of the most important pieces of the puzzle in finding your perfect wedding venue, is the site inspection. There are nothing like visiting a place in person, although if choosing a venue overseas you might have to settle for a virtual tour. If you are visiting multiple venues before your wedding, a little preparation goes a long way. Write out a list of questions to ask, take a lot of photographs and make sure you measure and time distances etc to ensure everything will go smoothly on the day.
Do you need accommodation?
Are you planning a wedding reception away, or are you inviting guest that are coming from overseas or interstate? In any case you need to organise accommodation for you and your guests. You may want to consider venues with onsite accommodation for convenience. Having to travel long distances between the reception and the accommodation may add cost as well as stress on you and your guests. For a seamless and stress-free experience, look for on-site accommodation with in-house wedding coordinators to help plan the entire wedding.
Inclusions in regards to styling/decorations/furniture?
When browsing for your dream wedding venue remember to ask what is included. Just like residential homes get staged before going on the market, wedding venues are stages to look the best in photos. More often than not you will have to pay extra or bring your own decorations and furniture to complete the look. Get in touch with the venue well before hand to ensure you have enough time to buy all items you need should it not be included in the venue hire.
If outdoors - do you have a backup for bad weather?
They say rain on your wedding day is good luck, but let’s face it, most of us would rather have a sunny day than trusting in an old tale. If you’re planning to have an outdoor ceremony or reception, it’s always wise to check beforehand if there are any wet weather options available. While most venues do have other rooms or covered spaces that can be utilised in the event of an unexpected weather incident, in some places, you might need to organise a marquee or some other form of backup yourself.
Tamborine Mountain - Wedding Venue
Cedar Creek Lodges is a premier rainforest wedding destination on Tamborine Mountain within the Gold Coast hinterland. Our award-winning wedding venues are surrounded by subtropical rainforest and palm groves providing the ideal backdrop for wedding photography. Plan your celebration or elopement with the ceremony, wedding reception and guest accommodation all in one unique hinterland wedding location.
Let us help to create your unforgettable wedding day. Browse through our stunning range of wedding ceremony venues and outstanding reception venues, and feel free to give us a call on 07 5545 7996 or enquire online.