What to look for in a Class A Wedding Venue
The 5 ‘A’s to look for in a class ‘A’ wedding venue
There is a little more to choosing your ideal wedding venue than just looking at a few photographs in the latest copy of ‘Beautiful Brides’, or simply going on your friend’s word of mouth recommendation. The venue needs to tie up with a few vital aspects of the event – i.e. the date, the area, the type of wedding you want to have and of course what meets your budget ….to name a few …so to help you try to save some time reviewing hundreds of venues that just will not suit you, here are what we call the 5 ‘A’s to look for in a class ‘A’ wedding venue….
Area and accessibility – One of the first things most couples decide on is where they would like to be married. It may be close to home to be more accessible for a large family and many friends, or it may be a remote destination, somewhere romantic …or maybe just difficult to get to, because you don’t really want too many people there anyway! Either way there’s no point in looking at wedding venues in Cape Town if you’ve decided to get married in the bush. Occasionally couples hear of exceptional wedding venues and base their decision on that, but it’s unusual, so step 1 is to decide where the special event will be …and then seek the possibilities in that area.
Availability – Usually the very first things that most couples do actually, is set the date. This often is chosen for a special meaning and so very seldom does the wedding venue’s availability dictate this. Therefore having presumably already set your date, before you even visit the wedding venue you’re interested in, find out if it will be available on that day.
Affordability – So you have now found a few wedding venues in the area in which you wish to be married and they are available for the big day. Before going on site visits or starting to discuss details, unless you are amongst the lucky ones to whom money is no object, find out if the venue you seek is affordable! It’s not just about a basic venue hire fee, but many wedding venues have minimum numbers that they will accept. This factor and many others affect your bottom line, so if you, like most others, have a budget too work on, get this clear before you waste too much time looking or negotiating.
Accomodation – The chances are at least the Bridal couple will want to stay at the venue on the night of the celebrations and possibly many more of your guests. Beautiful, romantic accommodation must be available if required and adequate accommodation at, or very close to, the venue should be checked also for availability, affordability and most importantly if the accommodation is Adequate?
Adaptability – We had to find another ‘A’, but this should probably more accurately be ‘Suitability’. Having ticked the first 4 crucial boxes, the bottom line is whether the venue can handle every aspect of your special event. Are there beautiful surroundings, photo-opportunities, good catering, decor and all related facilities supplied by the venue or available to the venue? Is this venue exactly what you want …or can it, at very least, Adapt itself to your needs? Check these things out carefully.
Just one final A that has not been mentioned and doesn’t really fall under all this practical advice (but may be the one thing you’ll choose your venue for anyway) is ‘Amazing Ambience’ …Make sure you choose a place that has it in Abundance, as this is after all, your one and only special day and you deserve to host it at a ‘Class ‘A’ wedding venue!
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For more info and ideas on how to plan your wedding from A to Z like a wedding pro click here to download our ultimate wedding planner written by Pamina Bohrer, owner of Valverde who has been in the industry over 14 years.