-Choosing your reception venue is going to be one of the biggest decisions of your wedding because it can be about 50% of your budget. The last thing you want is for your guests to feel crammed or lost. When a venue gives you their maximum amount, keep in mind that that is typically the absolute MAX! No dance floor, no buffet, etc. On the flip-side of things, you don't want your venue to be too spread out where your guests have to walk more than a couple hundred feet from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception. Your guests are most likely dressed nice and wearing uncomfortable shoes…keep it close. A great way to gauge this is to ask the venue when a wedding of your size is coming up and take a peek in before the festivities begin.
-Pay close attention to where the designated eating, drinking, dancing, etc areas are. Is the dance floor big enough? One one tables jammed up next to the DJ or buffet? Where is the head table? These are all things to ask yourself before picking a reception venue.
-How private of a person are you? Some venues will have a ceremony and a reception when people can walk or drive by and see in. Other venues are completely private with no one for miles. There is of course the happy medium of a venue that have a private area just for your party.
-You are most likely touring venues during the day which can be hard to picture at night. Ask your coordinator for pictures of the venue at night. Lighting can make or break your venue. You want to make sure that there is lighting or dimming capabilities in the right places (No one wants to boogie on a dance floor that is fully lit). Is there any lighting in the outdoor areas? Are the lights warm lights or bright white lights? Can you bring your own lights? I could go on forever.
-Tying with with bringing your own lights (up-lighting is a biggie), does the reception venue have outlets? This is something that often gets over looked. The DJ is going to need multiple outlets that can handle their equipment needs. Do you picture a chocolate fountain at your desert table? The options are endless for whatever your vision is on your big day. Make sure you cover this base.
-Does the venue itself go with your color palette? Is most of your decor silver, but the venue is all gold? Do you have an eclectic classy style, but the venue doesn't match your style of decor?
What does the venues parking lot look like? Is there enough space for all of your guests? Do they need to share spaces with anyone else?
-This is the SECOND (maybe first if the first doesn't apply to you) most biggest thing to look for in a venue. WHAT DOES THE REST OF THE VENUE LOOK LIKE? Will you have a place to go off and take pictures with beautiful views? I have seen some drop dead gorgeous venues in the middle of scaryville, which means no walking around and taking pictures. The pictures are your memories. You want them to capture the essence of you and your new husband/wife and the place you chose to be married. There is no need to jump o the first venue you see, wait until that OOH! AHH! moment to lay down that deposit and lock in your date.
THIS is the NUMBER ONE thing to look for when picking an OUTDOOR wedding….what is the plan B…Eeeek! We all pray we don't have to go to plan B, but in the case that you do, you should love that space as well. Outdoor wedding add another level of stress because the weather is one thing no one can control and you just never know. Trust me people., a plan B is a must.