Alright, brides and grooms-to-be…time to get real. We all know planning your wedding can be stressful, especially when it comes to choosing your destination. Now, we are no expert wedding planner, but we have been to enough weddings to know a tip or two! Hopefully, we can be of some help in relieving some of those stresses with these handy-dandy tips and tricks to help you narrow down your choices. So sit back, grab a cold beverage–maybe a can of Infinite Monkey Theorem–and relieve all of your wedding destination stress with us!
Step 1:
Like we mentioned earlier, we are not wedding planners! So first and foremost, consult your wedding planner when it comes to choosing your wedding destination.
Step 2:
Imagine your wedding day, now what do you see? A barefoot, blue jean wedding on the beach, or a cozy fireside wedding in the middle of winter? What is truly important in narrowing down where you choose your wedding day is to choose a venue that aligns perfectly with your vision, and while this may seem obvious, seek the venue that fits the aesthetic that you have in mind, and surely this will bring you to step number three.
So what is your aesthetic?
In a Brides article, Kait Costanti, co-owner and creative director of Bash in Bozeman, Montana says,”If you’re planning a modern wedding, look at art galleries, well-designed restaurant spaces, or warehouses. On the flip side, a wedding incorporating more natural elements works well with outdoor venues such as parks, backyards, and ranches. Choosing a venue that fits in with (and enhances) your theme will enable your wedding to feel more connected to the space.”
Step 3:
Before you go looking at potential venues, picture your guest list. Is it going to be small and intimate or big and grand? Knowing how many guests you are expecting for your wedding will save you from headaches when choosing between venues. After all, you don’t want to choose a small venue if your guest list can’t fit in the space, and like Diane Kolanović-Šolaja from Dee Kay Events says, “be sure to aim low in your numbers — it’s easier to add guests than to deduct.”
Not only does this help figure out where you will have your wedding but it will also help you break down your budget, as some costs depend on the number of people you are inviting.
Step 4:
Before falling in love with a venue that is well out of your price range, save yourself the heartache and determine how much you can afford. Budget matters… and although we wish it didn’t… it does! But that’s okay, knowing your budget will help ease your wedding destination stresses. According to Alliey Kline-Weichelt, lead planner and CEO of Sash & Bow in Green Bay, Wisconsin, there is more to it than “just how much renting the space will cost.” Much like hotels– most (but not all) venues will have in-house catering that will charge a price-per-plate. Not only does that come into account but, “decor and floral design will also drive the cost up.”
Pro Tip:
Holly Patton Olsen, wedding planner and owner of Seattle’s Perfectly Posh Events says to “break down your overall budget by category, prioritizing more funds for vendors that are a higher priority. If you select your venue first, and then realize it’s more than you should have allocated, it’s an uphill battle to stay within your budget when you still have a dozen other people to hire!”
Step 5:
So have we relieved those wedding destination stresses yet? No? Well, we still have one more tip that may just do the trick!
STAY TRUE TO YOURSELVES.
Ultimately, what you as a couple want for your wedding is what matters the most. Don’t let outside influences like “perfect Pinterest weddings” persuade you in choosing a venue solely off of the style of wedding you fell in love with. What represents you as a couple the most? Is it that country song that plays every time you eat at that restaurant that you met in? Is it those quirky Star Wars quotes that you know word-for-word? Things like this matter and it is important to do what feels most authentic to you two as a couple. So remember this while you are trying to relieve your wedding destination stresses… While a venue might have looked gorgeous with a different theme or design scheme, it may not be the perfect canvas for yours.
We hope these tips we have gathered and borrowed from real wedding planners have helped! If you want to check out sites that we love, check out our Pinterest or contact us today!
