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Nothing impacts your wedding day quite like the venue you choose. It will be the background for your photos, the place you spend your entire day, and most likely will be one of your largest expenses. On top of it, every venue offers a different style & services. From outdoor garden weddings to indoor weddings at the family church there are so many options. When picking your venue it’s important to consider if it actually fits your wedding vision and needs.

 

Do You Need a Getting Ready Room?

One decision to make when choosing your venue is deciding if you’ll need a getting ready space. Some venues offer beautiful bridal suites for you to get ready in with tons of amenities. This helps keep your timeline shorter by cutting travel time & making sure everyone is centrally located for photos.  Some bride’s prefer getting ready at a hotel so they don’t have to clean up, others in Air Bnbs for the privacy. Some even have a getting ready space for your groom too, which can be a huge plus. We suggest really thinking about what your preference is before you commit to a venue!

 

Birmingham, Alabama Wedding Photographers - Church of the Highlands Chapel Wedding & Iron City Reception13What Services Do They Offer?

Not all venues serve as only that. Many offer catering, chairs, linens, or even flowers in house. It can make your wedding day a lot easier if you’re a laid back bride who doesn’t want to search for too many vendors & would prefer to work with one person on several areas of your wedding. Other venues have a preferred venue list so you can choose from 2-3 vendors and keep it simple.

On the flip side, some couples simply want their venue to be their venue so they can bring in their dream team of vendors. If this is your style, be careful to make sure your venue doesn’t have a required vendor list that prevents you from bringing in outside vendors.  Often times, venues do have great recommendations of vendors you may love working with who know the venue well.

Antrim-Wedding-Addie-Rhett-Columbia-Tennessee-Katie-And-Alec-Photography-Birmingham-Alabama-Wedding-Photographers Wedding VenueDo they have time restrictions?

Before you plan your day, it is important to find out how long you can have the venue for. Some are able to allow you access for the entire day while others limit your time to just a few hours. Knowing this upfront will help you create your wedding day timeline without hindrance.

Do they have any special rules or restrictions for other vendors?

Before your wedding day it is critical that you know their rules & regulations beforehand. This can affect your photographers, musicians, and other vendors. We’ve seen everything from venues that allowed the couple to paint it their choice of color to ones who wouldn’t let us in to photograph the ceremony. It’s important that you know these beforehand so you can let your vendors know and so you aren’t disappointed if there are restrictions.

Long Hollow Gardens Wedding Nashville, TN - Birmingham, Alabama Wedding Photographers 66Do they provide a coordinator?

A coordinator is not a wedding planner and certainly can’t take the place of one, but they can help make your wedding smoother. Most venues offer them for your ceremony & for any parts of the reception that the venue is in charge of. We suggest letting your other vendors know the name & contact information for your coordinator before your wedding day. This allows them to contact the coordinator with any questions or concerns so you don’t have to handle those!

How many people can it hold?

As simple as it sounds this is something you don’t want to forget to ask. Knowing how many people you can fit at your venue may create issues with your guest list. Asking this up front will give you a realistic idea of if the venue is right for your big day. Make sure you have an idea of that number before booking, so you don’t have heartache if it’s not a realistic fit.

Out Top 20 Favorite Wedding Detail Photos

Whatever venue you choose, we hope that it makes your day feel magical & beautiful! Find a good vendor team and you’ll be in the best of hands every step of the way. If you need help along the way, don’t be afraid to ask your other vendors and utilize their talents. In the end, it will all fall together and you’ll be shocked at how amazing it is!

Blessings,

Katie & Alec

 

If you enjoyed these tips we’d love for you to stay a-while. Check out our series specifically for brides here!

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