It’s that time of year when shiny diamond rings are purchased, and nervous guys seek permission to marry their loves. So once the question has been asked, what are the important next steps? One of the first things to consider is where is the wedding and reception going to take place. In choosing a venue, here are some important things to consider.
1. Does the venue fit your budget?
Many times, a venue is one of your biggest expenses and one of your first choices in the wedding process. It is important to make sure the venue of your choice fits in your budget. You don’t want to start off the process spending too much on the venue and then not have enough to adequately spend on food, decorations, and a photographer. Getting an idea of what venues cost in South Georgia , as well as the cost for other vendors you need to pull off your special day, is important before putting money down for any vendor.
2. Does the venue size fit your guest count?
Many venues have a limit of how many guests they can comfortably house for a wedding and reception. Whether it is an indoor and/or an outdoor venue, the capacity of guests is important to know when gathering information about a venue. Not only do you want to make sure there is enough room, but you would also not want to have an intimate wedding with a smaller guest size in a space that was too overwhelming in size. Fit really does matter. At Grand Oaks Estate, we have a capacity of up to 200 guests at our venue.
3. Is the date or time of year you want to get married available?
Some couples want to get married in the fall, some in the summer and some not at a certain time because maybe it is too close to their own birthdays or other special occasions! Whether it is soon or a year away, you want to make sure the date or season is available for when you are interested in getting married. Some venues up north are only open for certain months out of the year, but here in the South Georgia, most venues, like Grand Oaks Estate, are open year-round, with the exception of some holidays.
4. Will the wedding and reception be held at the same place?
Trends for weddings have the wedding and reception in the same place, but there are still those who want to be married in their church or another special place followed by a reception elsewhere. Some couples will still chose a beautiful chapel for ceremony, maybe one where their parents got married, and then chose a beautiful venue for a reception. One downside of having two different spaces is guests will not always stay for the reception if they have travel to another venue after the wedding.
5. Location, Location, Location
In real estate the top thing is the location, and it is also a very important item in picking your venue. Your location will decide how easily – or hard – it is for your guests to get there. If your guest list involves a lot of people who are flying in, you might want to consider finding a venue close to an airport. If you want to make sure your friends from high school can attend and have a place to stay, get married near your hometown. However, if you may want to make it where only those really committed and close to you attend, maybe a destination wedding is for you. That does not mean you necessarily have to go to Hawaii, but you can find a venue far enough away from the hometown or current town where you work so it is easier to have a shorter guest list. The shear distance will limit those who are able to attend with a destination wedding.
6. Does the venue fit your wedding style?
Have you always wanted to get married in a mansion or in a wide-open field in the country? Make sure the style of your wedding matches the venue you are choosing. There can be a lot of sophistication in a barn wedding, depending on your decorations and wedding attire, and there can even be a relaxed sense to a mansion wedding, but make sure you like the “feel” of the venue and the amenities it has to offer for your particular wedding style. The venue will provide the backdrop for photographs and you want to make sure it captures the atmosphere you want for your wedding.
7. Check out several venues.
You may have had your heart set on a special place to get married for years, but your taste, management of the venue, and needs often change. Take the tour of the place you have always wanted to get married, but also go check out some other venues. By seeing a comparison, you can solidify the first venue is the place for your wedding, or you may visit other venues and realize a different venue has options to serve you which makes it a better fit.
At Grand Oaks Estate, we welcome those who are engaged to contact us, see if a date is available and join us for a complementary discovery call. It is during this call we can assess many of these considerations. If our venue is a possibility, we are glad to set you up with a tour of the venue and go over more specifics. If interested, please visit www.grandoaksestate.com/contactus to fill out your information.
- Lynda S. Fisher