Starting Your Wedding Venue Research

By now your Google search history probably has a stack of searches like “beautiful wedding venues”, “outdoor wedding venues”, and “wedding venues near me” that you’ve done to get a sense of what different wedding locations have to offer, and the process is probably starting to feel a bit overwhelming. But good news: Google isn’t your only option for finding your perfect wedding venue.

We’ve put together this step-by-step article to help you find and book the right venue for your wedding. You can also take our handy venue quiz to find out what kind of venue is perfect for your style and budget.

A great place to start is to first identify what style you and your fiancé want for your wedding day by taking our Style Quiz. Once you’ve found your wedding style you can learn learn more about it here and see some wedding venues that match your vibe.

Guests’ availability

Before we get too much further, let me ask you this: Have you come up with your guest list yet? This is one of the most important things you’ll need to get started.

Not only should the date work for you and your fiancé, but with your VIP guest list too. Run a list of possible wedding dates by wedding guests that are the most important to you both – parents, grandparents, siblings, or best friends.

Speaking of guests, put together a first draft of your guest list. This list may change during the planning process, but you should have a good range. The amount of people on your guest list is a huge factor in choosing the perfect place for your reception venue. Most wedding planners will tell you one of the first things you should do before starting your wedding venue search, is to start with creating a guest list.

A wedding reception venue that holds 500 people will feel very empty with only 100 guests, whereas a reception venue that holds 150 people will feel like a better fit.

One Wedding Site or Two?

Be mindful of what you envision for your wedding ceremony and wedding reception. Do you envision them both at the same location or do you want them to be in two separate places? Will your wedding ceremony be at a church or chapel and then your guests will travel to a separate location for the wedding reception? If this is the case, whichever wedding site is more important to you — the wedding ceremony site or the wedding reception venue — start there for your wedding venue search. Secure that place first, with the date you want, and keep in mind you’ll need to make sure there’s availability for the reception or ceremony location as well.

Draft a Budget

Screen Shot 2020-10-16 at 10.17.50 AM.png — For more info, read our Q&A with wedding venue expert Melisa Johnson.

Before you start scheduling tours, have a budget for your wedding in mind. Our Budget Quiz is a great resource for helping you prioritize the many items competing for your wedding money. If you don’t have a firm budget amount in mind yet, that’s okay. Our Budget Quiz will provide a guideline for you that can be scaled up and down as your budget evolves.

Even with a wedding venue budget in mind, there are a few important things to keep in mind when planning. What does the wedding site include and what will cost extra? Some reception venues may include all the tables, chairs, linens, silver, and china — and thus have a higher price tag — while others may not and then you’d need to go and budget for those separately.

Think About Dates and Times

Another key piece of information that you’ll need before you start touring wedding ceremony and wedding reception venues is a list of dates.

It’s a good idea to have more than one date on the list. Having a list of possible dates gives you flexibility if you fall in love with a wedding venue but it’s not available on your first-choice date.

Keep in mind that dates and times beyond just Saturday afternoons — the most sought after time slot — are also a good idea. Would a Friday evening wedding work for you? Sunday late morning? Having alternative dates and times could land you your dream wedding venue.

Another key to considering a timeframe for your event is what atmosphere you might like for your photos. If you really want golden sunset photos or crisp morning light photos you’ll need to plan your event time around that consideration.

Make Your Wedding Venue List

Now, let’s check on our progress so far. By now you’ve:

Taken our Venue Quiz to find your perfect venue.
Researched wedding ceremony and wedding reception venues.
Taken our Style Quiz to determine your wedding style.
Taken our Budget Quiz to get a general budget guideline.
Made a list of possible wedding dates & times.
Have a rough draft of your guest list.

Once you’ve gone through the above steps it’s time to make a wedding venue list and start calling to ask some questions. Here’s an example of a venue list that our very own Danielle Correa whipped up for her friend to help her organize her venue search in Lake Tahoe. You can read the full article about their Tahoe wedding venue search here.

Call the venue

Once you’ve got a list of venues you’re interested in, it’s time to start making some calls. Here’s a shortlist of questions that you should ask about over the phone before booking a tour:

Ask for a basic overview of the wedding and reception packages they offer,
A budget range for their property,
If they can accommodate the number of guests you’d like to have, and
If they have any availability on the dates you’re looking at.

If it still meets your criteria, book a tour!

Finding venue options

If you’re feeling like you haven’t got a strong list of venues to work with, think of places that are special for you both. Perhaps it’s the beach, the edge of a forest, the planetarium, a theatre a boat in the middle of the Bay or a restaurant you both love.

Still coming up short? If you have friends or family that have attended an event, not only weddings, ask them about some of their favorite places and why they loved them.

Wedding Venue Tour Guide

For your venue tours, be sure that family or friends that you want to be a part of the decision-making process come along, but limit the group to two to four so that you’re not overwhelmed with opinions.

If possible, try and visit your wedding venue at the same time of year as you intend to hold your wedding. For example, if you’re having an outdoor summer wedding, it will be good to know if your guests will be seated in a full sun area or not.

Go to the tour prepared with questions

Bring the same list of questions to each and every wedding venue that you visit so you don’t forget anything and don’t forget to take notes so you have all the information you need about each venue to make a final decision.

Music and your Wedding Venue

When talking to wedding venues that interest you, it’s important to understand any limitations with your band or DJ that your event might have. Many outdoor venues, like wineries or country clubs, may have noise and volume ordinances that dictate when the music can start and stop and how loud it can be, or even require a special permit (a good wedding planner can help you navigate this if required).

If having a dance party until the wee hours is a must for you, know which reception venues can host that for you.

Whoo-hoo! You’re Ready to Book your Wedding Venue!

Fantastic! You’ve found the wedding site of your dreams and you’re ready to book it. For you to officially secure your wedding date at your chosen perfect venue you will most likely be required to put down a financial deposit and sign a contract.

Be sure to read the contract very carefully about what you are legally agreeing to. Note when payments are due and how much they will be. Carefully review what your options are in case you need to reschedule or cancel your event due to any reason. (pandemic anyone?).

Once you have all the “i’s” dotted and “t’s” crossed, sign away and you have completed the first significant step in your wedding planning!

Time to Get Busy Planning

With your perfect wedding venue secured, you can now start booking the rest of the wedding professionals you’ll need for a dream wedding. How much time you have before your date will determine the timeframe for when you need to book whom.

For a good guide on what other wedding vendors to book and when to book them by, just add your wedding date and location on Event Hollow and it will automatically recommend by what date each service should be booked.

Congrats and have fun planning!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected] We’re always happy to help!