To me, this is the fun part!! Choosing a space is one of those BIG wedding to-do’s that has to get done pretty early…It helps to set the overall tone of a wedding…If you’re going for classy and elegant, you may want to get married at a formal downtown hotel..if you want a more casual and rustic wedding, then you probably should consider a barn or more rural venue…

If a certain venue is really important to you, you probably want to consider looking at venues BEFORE you solidify a wedding date…Popular venues seem to book up early and fast! and that means that you’d be able to pick a date around the availability of the venue…this is important if you’re having a fairly short engagement period! Look into venues as early as possible if your really have your heart set on a date…As soon as you pick a location and set your budget, it’s time to start visiting venues!

I definitely would recommend visiting a few different types of venues…At first, I had decided to get married on my aunt’s beautiful property by the river…she built a custom barn and I was so excited about getting to use it for Ryan and I’s big day! But then as I started to bring together the rest of the details of my wedding, I realized that I really wanted a more formal and elegant wedding vs. a more casual and rustic barn wedding…so we ended up going with a venue on Monument Avenue in the city instead…Had I visited different venues in the first place it probably would have saved a lot of stress over changing things mid-way through the planning!

Ryan and I at our reception venue! Images by Katelyn James.

I think when choosing a venue you really have to think about what’s important to you and the overall feel that your going for…but there are so many little factors that need to play into the decision too and there may be a lot of options that you havnt considered aside from the popular choices of getting married in a country club, barn or hotel!

Sometimes it can be fun to think outside the box! Look into museums, warehouse venues, theaters, colleges and universities, gardens, bed and breakfasts, wineries, breweries, city recreational facilities (which can be really pretty and inexpensive options! check out some of Henrico County’s here.), aaaand the list goes on and on!

New Kent Winery/Hippodrome Theater/Historic Tredegar/Armour House and Gardens

 A few more things to consider…

• Your Budget – obviously this is a huge factor in picking a venue…if you have a tighter budget, you may want to consider picking an off season date, or a Friday or Sunday when some venues are willing to give discounts…I’ve also recently had TWO brides choose a Friday the 13 date because the venue gave them a discount on the day thinking that most people wouldn’t choose that date out of superstitious fear!
• Proximity to your ceremony location – make sure your ceremony spot is close enough to your reception site…Travel time adds up fast on a wedding day!
• Your Guest List – make sure you have enough space for the amount of guests your inviting! This is especially important in regards to the amount of seating you have at the ceremony…alternatively, you probably don’t want a GIANT reception space if you’re having a smaller wedding.
• A blank slate – sometimes choosing a more plain venue can be a wonderful thing! Then you can decorate it to better match your vision.
• The Rehearsal – ensure that the venue is willing to give you time for your rehearsal the day before!
• All Inclusive? – a lot of venues include chairs, tables, lighting, etc…However, some charge you extra, or make you rent them from an outside vendor…Make sure you factor in these costs if they aren’t included in the base rental fee!
• Choosing a holiday date – some venues and other vendors charge more for holiday dates
• Choosing an outdoor space – make sure it’s possible to have some kind of backup plan just in case it rains!

To all of you brides..happy venue hunting!! Make it a fun experience by buying a fancy Starbucks drink beforehand and by bringing your mom or a few of your bridesmaids with you (or your fiancé if he’s into it…)…I felt really classy when I looked at venues with a latte in one hand and my pretty Martha Stewart wedding planner notebook in the other…