After you get engaged, the first two questions you will be asked non-stop are:
When are you getting married? Where are you going to get married?
Kyle proposed to me in March, but with school and my trip to Italy, I had a lot more on my mind than wedding planning. So I fielded these questions with vague answers for quite some time. But Kyle spent almost two weeks out here in Colorado and we were finally able to make some big decisions! We hopped right into wedding planning by spending two days touring venues. It would have been three, but early on we figured out exactly what we wanted and were able to cancel the final venue tour. Today, I'm sharing with you all some tips I have for future brides on venue hunting & how to pick the perfect place to celebrate your future union as a couple!
1. Narrow down venues before you set up tours. Tour your top 5 favorite places! With Kyle being here for just a short time, I wasn't about to force him into spending the time touring an endless amount of venues. Look through planning websites like The Knot, local wedding magazines, etc, to find inspiration for what you are wanting. Kyle and I both enjoy the outdoors, so I knew the place that would showcase our personalities as a couple best would be a venue with a mountain-view outdoor ceremony space, and a rustic barn-like reception space. I like to be super fancy on occasion, but we are a pretty laid-back couple. I didn't consider any venue that didn't represent or offer those things. When looking at a potential venue's website, look through the pictures of past weddings there. If there aren't many, try a google search "wedding at Venue A" to see if you can find pictures on any blogs. I found this to be helpful with a couple different venues. Pictures from past weddings definitely help you to see how it might look come your wedding day.
2. Create a question checklist. Know what you want to ask, and what you should ask. A simple google search gave me a lot of different "wedding venue tour checklists" but I ended up creating my own in a format that works for me. I then printed off one for each venue, and filled in some of the information that I could prior to the tour.
3. Take your fiancé's style & personality into the equation. This might seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes you have to remember that this is their day too. Initially, Kyle told me that the wedding was mine to plan since he took care of the proposal, but as we started looking he started getting more involved by expressing what he did and didn't like. We were on the same page 100%, but it was important for me to listen to his thoughts and try and see his vision for our special day. If you and your fiancé aren't having the same vision after a couple venue tours, make sure you sit down and talk it through, and try to see where you can make some compromises. You might have to do a little more research to find a place that accommodates your desires.
4. Take note of the vibe you get from the person giving you the tour. I'm big on first impressions, and the venues Kyle and I crossed off the list as soon as we walked out the door were due to us not connecting with the tour guide. Typically, the tours are done by someone on the event staff, so it's highly likely you'll be working with them from day one. They need to be organized, courteous, and wanting to cater to your needs. One venue's coordinator took forever to respond back to me about a tour, and another did not make the venue seem special at all. When we toured the venue we picked, the owner jumped right into "this is where you'd start your walk down the aisle, this is where we have the ceremony in case of rain, this is where we set up the buffet…" She was so on top of everything, I had no further questions at the end! THAT, my friends, is the type of person you want to work with on your special day.
5. Don't be afraid to cross things off early. We toured a venue attached to a lodge up in Estes Park, and I didn't realize from pictures just how hotel-like it was. We stuck through the tour, but we could both tell neither of us loved it. While we have a lot of people coming in from out of town and hotel accommodations on site are a nice touch, we just didn't feel like it was personal enough. After driving by another venue and finding it to be the same style, and I emailed the coordinator and said we had decided on something else. No need to waste anyone's time once you have a better idea of the vibe you are wanting.
6. Unless you have all the time in the world, look for a venue that balances included and customizable features. Since I'll be planning while still in school in another state, I wanted a venue that included a lot of things, just to make it easy on myself. At the same time, I want to add personal touches wherever I can. The venue we chose includes bar and wait staff, linens, tables, chairs for both ceremony and reception, cutlery, plates, and more. Now I don't have to deal with arranging rentals, or analyzing a venue's list of extra add-ons that cost money.
7. Consider existing decor. One of the venues we toured had possibly one of the ugliest carpets I'd ever seen. The reception chairs had an equally blah upholstery, and it cost extra to have simple white chairs. As an interior design major, I'm not about to look at that all night! It's not in my budget to cover the entire floor with something, so that venue was out in a heartbeat. The more your venue's existing decor goes with your vision, the less work you have to do! We chose a place whose reception area has amazing stone floors, great lighting, and included rustic decor that goes with my vision. All I'm doing is centerpieces!
Long story short, you'll know when you've found the perfect place for you and your fiancé to start the next adventure in your lives. For Kyle and I, the first venue we toured stole our hearts. The outdoor ceremony space with views of the Twin Peaks & Rocky Mountains, the indoor rustic reception area, the included features, and of course the wonderfully organized owner had us sold very early on. We compared everything other venue to this one, and I could just picture how perfect everything would look come August 13, 2016 when Kyle and I tie the knot!
Best of luck on your venue hunting! Anyone have any other tips for the brides or future brides out there?
--Caroline
