A Point Of Venue
Planning your wedding can be an extremely stressful task, but it doesn’t have to be! Here, Jacqueline Maya explores important aspects to consider before locking in your dream wedding venue.
Image Credit: XSiGHT Photography & Video
Couples are spoilt for choice when deciding how they want to celebrate their special day. Melbourne Wedding & Bride looks into the most popular venue options to help you choose the one that’s right for you.
One Venue Or Two?
One of the first decisions couples will need to make is whether they should have their wedding ceremony and reception at different venues or at the same location.
Single All The Way
Couples are opting to have their wedding ceremony and reception at single wedding venues because of their incredible levels of convenience. Single or ‘all-in-one’ wedding venues are perfect for time-poor couples, because they can provide you with a personal wedding coordinator (as part of a package or for an additional fee), who can assist you in the lead up to the big day, and provide a list of recommended chaplains, stylists and florists, which can reduce time spent searching for vendors.
All-in-one wedding venues often have the ability to provide services for the breaks in between the ceremony and the reception, which means your guests can relax, and won’t have to fill in time before the reception commences or leave abruptly to reach the reception location.
Lastly, booking a single wedding venue can also reduce or remove the travel time during the day, which will allow both the bridal party and their guests to enjoy the celebrations without having to worry about cars, parking and traffic. With benefits like these, it’s no wonder why couples are saying “I do” to all-in-one wedding venues.
Double The Fun
Choosing a wedding venue based on convenience or for the overall experience can be difficult. For couples who want to give their guests a broader, well-rounded and unforgettable experience, consider having your wedding ceremony and reception at two different venues.
This option will require more planning, but it’s perfect for those who have dreamed about having a traditional-style wedding. However, it’s important to consider the distances between each venue prior to locking them in. You’ll also need to assess whether you’ll be providing transport to
transfer guests. If so, this will also need to be budgeted for.
On A Hire Note
The key to choosing the perfect venue is to determine whether you want to start from scratch or if you’d prefer an all-inclusive option.
The Dry Hire
Dry-hire or blank-canvas wedding venues are provided without any additional features other than the building itself. Choosing to have a dry-hire wedding will give you the ability to showcase your uniqueness as a couple. You’ll have full creative reign to individually select your preferred styles and tastes for all facets of the wedding.
While this option gives couples a greater choice of suppliers, you’ll need to be mindful that external vendors might not have had experience working in your chosen venue, and this could affect how smoothly the event will run.
The same dry-hire venues may also have strict policies around using external vendors, so you’ll need to check whether there are any restrictions before you start making commitments. Has the thought of dry hire made you sweat? An all-in-one venue might be the one for you.
All-In-One
All-inclusive wedding venues are suitable for all types of couples with different budgets. They offer a range of inclusive and flexible hire services that can include everything from the decorations, catering and linens, to the wait staff and DJ, which removes a lot of the stress involved in planning a wedding from scratch.
However, these packages can come with limitations. Event packages and pricing will always differ between each venue, so it’s a good idea to ask what each package includes.
Booking an all-in-one wedding venue may help you narrow down your options, however this can also be frustrating for couples. If you want more creative control, this might not be the option for you.
Home Or Away?
Destination weddings have become increasingly popular. However, in recent years couples have also fostered great enthusiasm for the at-home wedding.
Keep It Local
At-home weddings are ideal for couples who want to have a large wedding. Having an at-home wedding will also give you the ability to meet with multiple vendors on the same day, and perhaps in the comfort of your own home. An at-home wedding also removes the restriction of having to book your venue in advance.
Before deciding to wed at home, there are a few things you should consider. Parking availability can be a huge problem if you have a large guest list, so hiring a bus in advance to pick up and drop off your guests may be the answer to your parking prayers! You’ll also have your neighbours to consider. Make sure your neighbours are aware you’re hosting your wedding at home to avoid nasty noise complaints.
Lastly, if you have your at-home wedding outdoors, make sure you have ample power access, bathroom facilities, lighting, heating, and catering.
Ready, Jet Set, Go!
If you’d prefer an intimate wedding, then the reality of a destination wedding is very feasible. The biggest advantage of having a destination wedding is that it can double as a holiday; sip on Singapore slings by the pool as you catch up with family and friends!
While destination weddings can be a wonderful adventure, they can also be very difficult to organise. Planning a wedding interstate or overseas means you’ll probably be contacting vendors in different time zones.
So how can you avoid a destination disaster? Do your research! Are there any specific medical tests needed before travelling overseas? Are there any other legal requirements you’ll need to organise? Ensuring your marriage is recognised when you return home is a vital aspect to consider, as well!
It’s also important that you’re honest about your financial capabilities. Assess whether you can really afford to help guests with travel costs, or if they’ll need to cover the cost by themselves.
Regardless of where you decide to have your wedding, remember that the love you and your partner share will engulf any space you choose. Planning your wedding doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. If you take the following things into consideration, you’ll be guaranteed to have the wedding of your dreams.