How to Find the Perfect Wedding Location
Choosing a site for your wedding should be a happy experience. But if you're unsure about how to begin and what to look for, the experience can turn frustrating. Follow these steps on how to find the perfect wedding location.
Determine the Type of Wedding You Want
Will it be simple and intimate, lavish and large or somewhere in between? Have a fairly clear image of the style and size of your wedding before you search for locations. A predetermined budget will also be useful in your search for a wedding site.
Create a Must-have List for a Wedding Location
This might include a large dance floor and a separate bar area or an architecturally delightful space with elegant furnishings and a professional wait staff. Whatever you feel the perfect wedding location should have, write it down; your goal will be to find locations that possess your must-have qualities.
Shop Around
Try to find three or four locations that meet or exceed your expectations. Set up an appointment with the event planner at each and share with him or her specific details about your wedding; for example, the number of guests, the size of the wedding party, the type of food you want to have served.
Ask Questions
During your tour of a location, remember to ask questions that will help you determine if a place is right for your special occasion. How many people does the facility hold? What are the menu options? Can you contact references? Jot down answers, and take pictures with a digital camera to refer to as you compare the different locations.
Talk Price
There's nothing worse than falling in love with a location for your wedding, only to discover it's out of your budget. Find out early on how much it will cost to have a wedding at a location, and if the facility offers special packages to make it more affordable.
Test the Food
Don't just take the event planner's word that a facility has the finest filet mignon in town. Ask to sample the food to make sure it will please your guests.
Read the Contract Carefully
If you've narrowed your search to one perfect wedding location, be sure to carefully look over the contract that is presented to you. Check for down payment and minimum guest requirements, cancellation policies and fees and charges that may not have been discussed earlier. Hopefully, you will have selected a location that is interested in working with you and giving you and your guests a great experience.
Now that you know how to find the perfect wedding location, begin your search and remember to have fun along the way.
