Things to keep in mind while picking a wedding venue

Finding the perfect venue is the first step to planning the wedding you’ve always wanted. But it takes time and patience, and you have to be prepared for conflicts. The venue you finalise sets the tone for your wedding, and who doesn’t want their wedding to be one for the ages? 

From budgeting and paying attention to the packages to ensuring the venue is accessible, here is your guide to picking the perfect wedding venue!

Budget  

Let's say you’ve been dreaming of having a beautiful beach wedding at sunset and you found the perfect resort in Goa to do that. However, the cost of that venue is twice your budget. What do you do? It’s a true dilemma. You could either adjust by not buying the designer bridal outfit you wanted (or cut from somewhere else) or just find some other venue even if that means not living your dream. The best way around this is to do some research on the average cost of a venue and leave some buffer budget for each of the major criteria. If the venue cost exceeds even the buffer, say no. 

Before you decide though, look at what the venue is offering. For instance, is catering included? If it’s a destination wedding are they giving you a discount on the rooms for your guests? Will they be doing the decor? Make a well-informed decision.  

Accessibility 

It’s understandable that you want a serene location to celebrate one of the biggest days of your life, but you have to make sure the venue is not so off-the-beaten path that it takes way too much time to get there with Google Maps making people go round and round. Another thing to keep in mind is whether your grandparents or other elderly people you might have on your guest list be able to access the venue easily. Keep all this in mind before deciding on any venue. 

Indoor v/s outdoor  

When you’re out venue scouting, make note of the indoor and outdoor sections of each one. This will help you decide which functions you want indoors and which ones you want outdoors. For instance, while the cocktail or reception should be held indoors, the main ceremony could be an outdoor affair. Of course, you’d have to keep a close watch on the weather. Read and re-read the forecast if you have anything planned outdoors.  

Restrictions  

If you’ve already visited a few venues, you know that finding one without any restrictions is not possible. Every place will have some catch. Some of them will have a ‘no music after 11:00 p.m.’ rule while some will have a ‘no alcohol’ policy. You just need to find a place that has restrictions you can work around. Be prepared to bargain.