Wedding Tips Series: How to choose your venue?

June 18, 2015

...The perfect location for a wedding?

This is one of the most important decisions you have to make during your wedding preps. Wanna know why? As I've mentioned in my previous post, aside from the date, venue is usually asked by  suppliers during your queries to them. It will help them give you an exact price quotation since they already have an idea  if they need to charge for out-of-town fees. So how to pick your venue? Here are some of my learnings from my experience that I want to share with you.
1. Where will your guests come from? This should be your #1 consideration in choosing your venue. Ayaw naman natin siguro masira yung ilang buwan nating pinagplanuhan just because you can't start your ceremony because of late guests and/or entourage; or worse, your guests can't attend to your event dahil malayo sa kanila. Yes,we have to accept it that even though they really love us, sometimes nauuna ang kaartehan/katamaran (guilty ako dito!!!. hahaha)

Hacienda Isabella
2. Time of your wedding - this is important especially when your venue of choice is near a busy road which means one thing...T-R-A-F-F-I-C!!!. 
3. Proximity of preps venue to ceremony venue to reception venue - You have to take note of distance of these three venues with each other as they will affect your entire itinerary for the day. Imagine if nalate ka ng 30 minutes going from preps venue to church mo and your church strictly abide with 1-hr time, eh di 30 minutes na lang ang ceremony nyu? So it is possible na no grand entrance for you and just proceed with the exchanging of vows. I can't imagine a wedding without the walking-down-the aisle moment of the bride. Eh di sad na agad ang start ng day nyu as husband and wife.

Isa pa, what if ang layo ng church sa reception mo? Possible that some of the guests who attended the ceremony might not go to the reception anymore; or vice versa, they will not attend the mass and instead just wait for you in the reception hall. Either way, they will miss a part of your wedding. Or if kayong couple ang nalate and nauna ang guests sa venue, chances are they are hungry already and might not fully enjoy the program you prepared for them Not unless of course you got some snacks for them.

Shangri-La Hotel
4. Number of guests - Most venues have maximum capacity especially if it is indoor. So this rule is simple; Do not reserve on a venue who can only accomodate up to 100 guests when you imtend to invite 200. Even if your first date as bf-gf happened there and there are so many memories you want to cherish with that place. Your options are to trim down your number of guests so you can still use the venue or retain the invitees amd start doing your research again.  Either way, you have to sacrifice something.
5. Do you have additional booths to set up? - Let's twist the scenario in #4. Your  venue can accomodate up to 200 guests and you only intend to invite 100. Sounds ok, right? but you also intend to put additional set ups like mobile bar, photobooth, candy bar, coffee booth, etc. Will they still fit in? Again, if the answer is no, then don't.
6. Ceremony/Reception venue rules, are they strict? - Most catholic churches in the country, I think, don't allow personal vows during thhe ceremony.Some also don't do closed door entrance for the bride ( which for me lessens the drama) If you're ok with these, then you don't worry about this item. But if you are like me ( a drama queen), then you may have to inquire first about their rules during your oculars.

However, above all, your venue should be close to your heart and will serve as a constant reminder to both of you on where your love has been blessed by God.




Happy preps!



Mrs. Chubs

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11 comments

  1. Love all the tip series listed above. I celebrated my 7th wedding anniversary few last week and it was amazing. We went back to the place where we got married and it feel amazing. Thanks for the tips Sis
    www.sweetcuisinera.com

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  2. Checking the availability of the target venue is a must. I remember during our wedding, all are already set and already printed in the invitation. Unfortunately, upon checking the venue 1 month before the wedding, the date is already unavailable. Good thing we found a place as nice as our first option.

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  3. I chose a hotel that was right next to the train station, so it was convenient for guests.

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  4. Since I am into events coordination I really do agree with your tips. Every time I handle an event my first question is about the venue, because it matters a lot. Of course budget matters, especially if you want a very nice venue. :-)

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  5. wedding preps is so stressful but it's a happy work especially if you have all support with your love ones.

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  6. Great tips to keep in mind not just for wedding but other events too

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  7. The colors reflecting off of the vaulted ceiling in the last photo make that place look super festive. My fiancee and I are getting married later this year and we want to find a place that can really set a fun and relaxing tone. Additionally, it would be great if it was affordable too. How willing are wedding venues at helping set the right tone for our celebration?
    http://www.spokanevenue.com/WeddingPage.htm

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  8. This was actually really helpful! I know it can be pretty daunting to choose a location for the biggest day of your life. I absolutely love the light projection on the vaulted ceiling, like in that last photo. Really valuable advice, thanks for writing! http://www.thecanterburyplace.com/

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  10. Thanks my friend for sharing these tips on choosing right wedding venue. Since I have also been looking for the outdoor venues NYC so I agree with these guidelines! I would keep these things in mind while reserving the venue.

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