Wedding venue checklist

Great, so now you are engaged and eager to move on to the next stage in your life - getting hitched. Marriages can turn out to be pretty stressful, if not planned meticulously as there are numerous factors involved. The first step to planning a wedding is the wedding venue.

A lot of consideration needs to go into selecting the venue as most importantly, it should be the ideal location that both of you have always wanted; aside from that, you have to think about your guests to, is it easy for them to get there and back home after the day is over? And would it be fitting your budget? Aside from that, you need to have an exact idea of the number of guests you will be inviting and whether there will be sufficient space to fit them all in comfortably. Once that is sorted out, you need to start thinking of dates; it’s better to have 2-3 dates as options in case you are unable to fit in venue bookings.

You also have to consider whether you intend the bridal party and guests to be staying overnight and arranging suitable accommodations for them, either at the venue site or nearby. And most importantly, does it still fit your budget? When enquiring about the cost of any service, always enquire what is included and what is excluded so you have a very accurate idea of where you have to chip in more effort.

You also need to consider the distance your guests will have to travel to get to your wedding venue and whether it’s a destination wedding, an out of town wedding or a close by location. And whether you would need to arrange transport for them.

You also need to envision the theme of the wedding and whether you want it to be an indoor or an outdoor wedding or a combination of both. Your wedding venue should reflect the theme you have agreed upon, or it should at least enable you to recreate the theme of your choice, be it countryside, modern, vintage, city or the beach. An imaginative use of drapes, props and decor should help you get the right effect needed. In case you are opting for an outdoor wedding, do ensure that you have a backup indoor venue to fall back on in case the weather plays up.

You will also need to find out if the venue offers décor, lighting and sound systems on-site or whether you need to make your own arrangements. And don’t forget the music band and the flowers and bouquet; and did you remember to order the perfect wedding cake and flavour?

Other facilities to look for are sufficient restrooms, suitable changing rooms for the bride and her party as well as ample guest parking area. Does the venue offer catering and sufficient staff to take care of your guest list or would you need to make outside arrangement? Deciding on the menu is also a major headache but has to be done anyway; the food and drinks should fit your allotted budget though.

The list is seemingly endless, so the best thing would be to create a list on your mobile so you can work on it, no matter where you are, to enable you have that perfect wedding venue.