One of the most significant decisions in your life is getting married. When you have decided to walk the aisle with the love of your life, you want to make it memorable for both families in every way possible.
A wedding celebration is an extensive affair and requires careful consideration of several things, including individual preferences, choices, and budget. It may be that you got engaged a few days back. So, you may now be thinking about the venue where you would book your big day.
As far as the planning for your wedding goes, selecting a venue is one of the first steps in the process. Your choice of wedding venue sets the tone for your big day and has a say on many other essential aspects, such as the attire to the décor. Hence, it is so important to find the appropriate venue.
Making a list of what you must have for your wedding
Do you want your wedding to be a celebration with an extended family member from each side or an intimate and small gathering?
Your answer to this question would go a long way in choosing your wedding venue in NJ.
Do you want a DJ (disc jockey) or a live band to perform at your wedding?
Are you looking for a funky DIY (do it yourself) venue or a traditional space?
Want the ceremony to be a civil one or a religious one?
The choice is all yours. All you need is to decide what you want and choose the right people to complete the process.
Keep in mind the cost
Cost is crucial when choosing the right venue for your wedding. A lot depends on the kind of venue you prefer and choose where you would be getting married. For example, outdoor wedding venues will cost different than indoor ones. It is common knowledge that these costs can often spiral out of one’s control.
However, if you are even a bit wise with your planning, you should be able to keep a lot of things under control. For instance, if you had the event on a Sunday instead of a Saturday, it could reduce your costs by 50%.
Taking care of leftover food and wedding cake
You can always check with the vendor to find out if you can take the drinks and food leftover after the celebration home. At times, the vendor might not permit you to do so. However, if you are allowed to do so, you must have a firm plan for transporting all the food and drink home after the party and storing the same properly.
Such transport tends to be rather tricky, and it is well-known that wedding cakes do not survive long outside of the fridge.
Start with a vision for the day
What kind of vibe do you want for the day?
Do you want it to be industrial and modern, or would you prefer it to have a laidback rustic vibe?
Do you want lots of greenery where you are getting married?
Would you like to get married indoors or outdoors?
By creating a mood board, it would be easier for you to visualize how your big day is going to be. Once you have done this, you can start picking out venues that match that aesthetic and feel.
Think about the date
The sooner you start, the easier to find your first-choice vendors and venue. So, you would want to kick off your search as soon as possible for you. Pick a date first, then look at the venues available on that particular day.
You can find your dream venue and choose the wedding date based on the availability of the venue. Both these options are viable – it is just that being flexible would give you more options.
Creating your guest list
Before you start looking at the venues, you must chalk out a rough estimate of the number of people you would like to invite to your wedding. Remember, experienced people are the ones you do not doubt at all. Talk with your partner early on to see what you are working with.
It would help you avoid possible issues later, such as falling in love with a location that is too small, considering the number of people on your guest list.
Setting a realistic budget and sticking to it
If you know your budget for the entire wedding, it will give you a good idea about the maximum you would be able to spend on the venue. If the wedding venue is at the top of your priority list, you must scale back in other areas of your wedding, such as flowers and rentals.
Otherwise, you may have to settle for hosting your wedding celebration at a venue where the prices are affordable. On the other hand, if you choose a wedding venue first and realize it is too expensive, dealing with the remaining expenses will be hard.
Having a backup for outdoor areas if the weather becomes bad
If you are looking to get married outdoors, you must ask the venue manager about the backup they would be able to provide with it in case of inclement weather conditions such as rain.
Also, look around the venue for places where you can take the best photos. It will help you if the weather betrays you.
Asking them about what is included in the rental fee
You must find out about the services included in the rental fee. For example, you can check if the venue would provide you with the following or if you would have to get them separately from external vendors:
- chairs
- linen
- tables
- necessary equipment
In some cases, wedding venues provide you with bar and catering services. In other cases, you would have to bring in vendors.
If you can rent the décor from the venue provider, it would make sure you have one less area to worry about. That way, you would not have to bother about your wedding venue and how it looks on the big day.
Asking about the accessibility of the venue
There are a few things that you need to clarify in this case. For example, the venue must have ample parking space. Make sure that the choice of wedding venue should have sufficient space to accommodate the cars of all your guests.
Inquire about the parking fees for the parking space. Few wedding venues charge additional money for parking.
Conclusion
We hope the pointers we have suggested prove helpful to you to be ready for your big day in the best way possible. The final suggestion we would like to make is that if you are looking for a wedding venue, it is always better to go with established brand names if possible.
Most reputable establishments set the bar for luxury and elegance. It would be the best choice because they would provide you with the best value for your money. One of the best things about these venues is that the people working are just as excited as you are to be a part of this fascinating journey with you.