It may feel like you only have a breath to enjoy being engaged before the thought and worry about planning your wedding, but you do still have time. The only critical thing that you need to book ASAP is your venue. Licensed venues that tick all the boxes can be hard to come by, which is why they’re usually so booked up.
Your venue is also typically the biggest part of your budget, so booking as early as possible (for example, a year or two years out) will let you spread out the cost and afford the venue of your dreams.
Before you jump onto the first pretty place you see, however, know there are five very important things to consider when choosing between the top wedding banquet halls.
Guest Capacity
It’s a good idea to get sketch out a rough idea of how many guests would be attending. You can split this up between “extremely likely to attend” all the way to “who knows”. This is your range. Your guests who are likely to attend is the minimum number, and your entire guest list is your maximum. Most venues have a minimum guest attendance for their packages, so choose one with flexibility that suits your range.
Budget
To work out your budget, you’ll need to figure out what you can afford, and then divide it by the number of guests. Try to have a venue-specific budget, with the knowledge that on average, the cost of a wedding in the USA is $33,000. This changes drastically depending on your state and area, however, so check the exact averages in your state, and then adjust your budget or expectations. You can still find a great venue; you just may need to have it out of state or choose a smaller venue (and guestlist).
Venue Atmosphere
If you want to save on décor and flowers, then the best thing you can do is find a stunning venue that looks amazing inside and out. This is how you can enhance the feel of your wedding tenfold, and there are so many different styles to choose from. You can choose an old manor-style home, a modern estate, and anything in between.
Included Amenities and Services
One of the best ways to bundle the value of your venue is to choose one that offers many services and amenities in-house. The Riverhouse, for example, is one of the top wedding banquet halls offering a beautiful atmosphere, linens, tableware, catering, a personal bride and groom attendant, and so much more. Bundling can help spare you so many headaches, especially when they cover services you need, but may not necessarily want to go out and pick someone to hire. You can always see and experience these services up close at one of their mock events, too.
Legal Requirements
The reason why you can’t just have a large-scale wedding at any random location is due to licensing issues. The venue may need to have an alcohol license, for example, and it also needs to be insured. In short, there are a few legal requirements that may hold you back from using your local library as a full-scale wedding and reception venue. That’s why going to fully licensed venues that have all this already covered is essential.
