Different couples will have different ideas for where they want to get married. They will also have varying budgets which will impact on the eventual location. Wedding venues are perhaps the key component of making your wedding day special and memorable so you need to put a lot of thought into this decision.  To ensure your perfect wedding venue is available you need to book early. Most of the best wedding venues are booked at least one year in advance or more if you want particular times of year, such as Valentine’s day. If you are more flexible on dates and can even get married on a week day then you will have less trouble.

The crucial factors to be determined before you start looking at different venues for weddings are your budget, how many guests you are planning to invite and what part of the day the wedding will cover, for example day and afternoon or evening as well.

You then need to see which locations are available in your area – traditional choices would include churches, hotels and stately homes but there are also more unusual wedding venues such as castles and museums. If you are more of the outdoors type you may prefer one of the many outdoor wedding venues such as a beach, a park or botanical gardens. Either have a drive around and see which ones take your fancy or search on the internet and visit the relevant websites to gather your first impressions. You could also attend a local bridal fair as all of the local venues will most likely be exhibiting.

Now that you have a short list of venues to consider you will need to visit each one and gather a raft of information to help you make your final selection. Pick up their weddings brochure so you can understand exactly what they offer, for what price and what restrictions they impose. Also take your camera with you and take some pictures of the reception rooms and bedrooms as after you have visited a few places they will all merge into one.

Here are some important wedding venue questions to answer for each venue so that you can compare them against each other later:

Dates available

You will probably have a rough date in mind for your big day but it is worth checking whether the wedding reception venue is available not only on that day but also a week or so either side. You may find your perfect venue is very expensive on the weekend you had planned but is less so on a week day. As such you may want to compromise on the day to secure the venue of your dreams.

Wedding Photography By Jon Day.

First impressions

Consider how you were treated at each location and during your initial phone call if you made one. Were the staff unattentive or uninterested in you and all of your questions? If so, things are unlikely to improve over the course of planning the wedding and the big day itself.

Guest capacity

There are many small wedding venues that offer intimate surrounds for a gathering of close friends and family. If however, your wedding party is on the large side, your venue needs to be able to cope with the number of guests you are inviting. You want to ensure that the capacity is also not too big though or your reception will feel swamped. Often larger hotels can screen off parts of larger function rooms for smaller wedding parties but it is best to check during the planning stage.

Licensed for wedding ceremonies

You can get married at many wedding reception venues and if this is what you are planning you need to ensure that the venue is licensed for carrying out wedding ceremonies. It can make it a lot easier for both the bridal party and the guests to combine the ceremonial and reception venues as there is no driving between locations and refreshments are available for guests both pre and post ceremony.

Price

The variation in wedding venue prices will be immense. As well as being dependent upon the stature of the venue it will vary with what is actually included in a package price. You need to go over any estimates in great detail to ensure you are comfortable with what is included and more importantly what is not. An unexpected bill at the end of the day will not be a nice wedding present.

Most hotels package their venue price with other extras that they arrange such as the ceremony, reception food and decoration, toastmaster, evening disco and many other wedding supplies. If you want to leave some of the preparations with someone else to worry about, some hotels will offer a complete service where they take care of everything. If you want more control you can just rent the venue and chairs and tables and organise everything else yourself down to table linen, catering and waiting staff.

Try and obtain estimates for the various different packages that the venue has to offer along with an extras price list so that you can add or remove items to fit in with your budget. Ask about the discounts available for large wedding parties and try and find out what number of guests would constitute a small wedding that would not take up the venue’s largest function room. Make sure you are advised of what typical additional charges are made to other wedding bookings and whether or not taxes are included in the figures you have been quoted. Determine whether the cost would change significantly if the date was moved a week forwards or backwards or if a week day was chosen instead. Finally you need to know how much of a deposit is needed, payment terms for this and the final bill and what the cancellation terms are.

Bridal suite

Unless you are planning on jetting off on honeymoon straight after your wedding reception, you will want to check out the bridal suite. Is it beautiful, how much does it cost and is it included in the price you have been quoted?

Photo by CarlosMendozaPhoto.

Accommodation for guests

If you have many friends and family who live out of the area, the chances are they will need accommodation for the wedding night as well as the night before perhaps. The ideal location for them to stay would be the wedding venue if the price and accommodation is suitable. When you visit the location be sure to view the rooms that would be allocated, ensure they have sufficient availability for the nights required and attempt to negotiate a discounted rate for your guests.

Location of ceremony

If you will be married at the wedding venue, you want to ensure there is sufficient room at the alter for all those you envisage needing to be there, including the minister, the bridesmaids, photographer, pageboys etc. You also need to make sure that there are good backdrops for your wedding photos.

If you are planning a wedding outdoors in the gardens of the venue, check with the event organiser that they have a contingency plan in case of rain. They need to be able to accommodate the ceremony and reception indoors if need be. It is also worth looking around inside the venue for some beautiful locations should the need to take indoor photos arise.

Reception & evening party

Drinks and accommodation should be available for guests while the wedding photo session is going on. Check out what the menu choices are for the wedding breakfast and how the overall price will change depending on the food chosen. Ensure the caterers can cope with vegetarian and other dietary requirements. Find out whether you are able to have a band or disco at the evening party or whether there are restrictions on playing loud music. The closing time of the venue is another important consideration to be confirmed up front.

Most wedding venues have their own list of preferred wedding suppliers, so they will have a florist, DJ and decorator that they are used to hiring. If you want to arrange your own suppliers, you need to ensure there are no restrictions to doing this stipulated by the venue or any limitation on what your suppliers can do.

Other facilities

If you have children coming to the wedding and reception, it is worth asking whether the venue can arrange fully insured and regulated babysitting services.

Take a look at the car parking facilities. Will there be enough spaces for all of your guests and is the parking complementary?

If you are having an evening dance, is the dance floor large enough?

Special requests

Have a think about those weddings that you have attended. Did any aspects of the wedding venues grab your attention that you would like to replicate? You could also ask family and friends for their ideas.

Wedding venue staff members

Another key consideration when choosing a venue is how you feel about the wedding co-ordinator or member of staff who will be dealing with the planning of your wedding. If the venue is perfect but you do not feel comfortable or confident in the manager you are dealing with, you may be better off picking another venue. This is your big day and you need to ensure that those helping you make it special are on your wave length. Communication problems are easy to come across. Jot down important information that you glean from any conversations and e-mail the venue to confirm your understanding of all the details. It will be too late on the day to argue the toss.

Final selection

When you have checked through all of the above thoughts for a few weddings venues and have a few estimates, you are able to compare prices on the front runners to see what different value you are getting from each location. It is now advisable to visit your favourite venues on the day of a wedding so you can see exactly how it looks with all the wedding decorations, marquees, gazebos etc. There is nothing like seeing the venue in all its glory (or lack of) to visualise your big day.

You should now be in a position to choose your perfect wedding venue. Overall trust your instincts as your first impressions will probably not be far off.

Destination weddings are a great hit with couples who can afford them and if you’re one of those couples, you’ve already heard the term ‘Sunshine Coast weddings’. The Sunshine Coast in Australia is possibly one of the best places for a destination wedding; there is sun, sand and the beach! What more can you possibly ask for?

The weather on the Sunshine Coast is pleasant throughout the year, so you don’t have to worry about you or your guests sweltering in the summer heat or freezing in the snow. The coastline boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world! Of course, it goes without saying that the Sunshine Coast is THE place for a beach wedding, although you can get married in a chapel or a hotel but really what’s the point? That is something you can do in your home country as well.

The Sunshine Coast promises great surf so think about mixing your honeymoon with your wedding and you have the perfect place. Another great plus is the fact that your guests can have a vacation too and it will be one they will always thank you for. There are several quaint little seaside towns that you can visit such as Noosa and the Mooloolaba.

Photo by ztsphotography.

Coping with a foreign language is not a problem in Australia and you are sure to meet like minded travelers as well so your wedding can be one giant beach party! A fun way to make your wedding even more memorable is by having a complete beach theme. Ask people to come in beachwear and you can play tons of games such as beach volleyball. The whole environment can be really relaxed as compared to the uptight formal atmosphere of traditional weddings.

Once on the Sunshine Coast, don’t forget to visit Steve Irwin’s crocodile zoo – this might not be something that appears top of you wedding planning list but what the heck! With this little guide, you are sure to have your happily ever after at one of the superb Sunshine Coast wedding venues.

Most couples spend months preparing for their wedding but what if you have decided to hold a wedding on short notice? Finding last minute wedding venues would definitely be one of the biggest challenges. Still, it is not impossible to find a wedding venue that will still make your big day perfect. Here are some ideas on where to look.

Beach
The seaside provides a ready and delightful answer to your search for a last minute wedding venue. What’s more, a beach wedding gives you the flexibility to choose either a funky and relaxing theme or one that is chic and sophisticated.

Photo by Easywebsites.ky.

Friends and Relatives
Do you know anyone with a beautiful garden that could provide the perfect setting for your last minute wedding? One additional benefit of this option would be significant savings on costs.

Restaurants
Your favorite restaurant may provide the answer to your urgent search for a perfect wedding venue. You have a better chance of booking a private room or even the entire place if you can hold the wedding reception during non-peak hours.

Parks
Don’t just take a walk in the park – exchange your wedding vows there. The abundance of nature easily provides a splendid setting for your wedding. And you don’t have to worry about the park being booked up. Contact your local authorities to seek permission to hold your wedding there.

In addition to the above suggestions, you can also try doing some online research for available last minute wedding venues. Don’t assume that all the prime spots have already been snapped up. Popular wedding locations may have available slots due to cancellations or simply un-booked dates.

If you need some help, there are wedding suppliers which cater specifically for last minute weddings. You can easily find them through an online search. So fret not. You have more resources than you think you have to make a successful search for last minute wedding venues.