Here’s Why You Should Pick Your Venue Before Planning Anything Else!
Congratulations! You and the love of your life have decided on forever! This is such an exciting time in life, so be sure to soak it all in!
As a newly engaged couple, you’ve probably started getting bombarded with endless questions about the big day.
“Have you set a date?”
“Who’s your photographer?”
“Are you having a band or a DJ?”
Understandably, getting engaged can become a bit overwhelming. When it comes time to actually make planning decisions, it can be difficult to decipher between seemingly endless possibilities! Here are a few reasons why you should book your venue before doing anything else.
Get What You Want
Venues book up faster than one might imagine. Typically, couples will book their wedding venue a year or even TWO before their big day. That’s not to say we don’t have couples who get married in a time crunch, but many enjoy having a longer engagement.
Having a long engagement allows couples to glide through the wedding planning process at a relaxed pace. It also means they will be able to budget for additional items on their “wants” list.
To put it simply, booking your venue early on into your engagement will ensure that you get your favorite pick! After all, your venue is a huge part of the wedding celebration as it sets the tone for the entire day!
Pick The Season You Want
Booking your venue first allows you to consider more things than just the aesthetics of the event space. Along with getting the venue of your dreams, you’ll also have early access to their calendar! This means you can most likely book your wedding day during the time of year you love most.
Are you looking for a moody winter wedding? Or maybe you love the rich color palette that the fall brings. Spring weddings are great for those who love pastel colors, and summer weddings are perfect for fun and vibrant florals. Whichever season you decide, booking your venue early on into your engagement will allow you to also choose your ideal time of year!
Keep in mind, it’s great to have a time of year in mind for your wedding but we wouldn’t recommend on limiting your possibilities to one particular date or weekend! When you tour venues, ask them about their seasonal availability.
Pssst…. If you’re not set on a particular time of year and want to score a discount, ask venues about off-season pricing! Not all venues offer these promotions, but occasionally some venues can offer discounts based on the time of year you book your wedding.
Give Vendors & Family Members A Date
One of the best things about booking your venue early on into your engagement is that you will officially have A WEDDING DATE! Yippie!
Not only will solidifying a venue make the whole process seem more real (and frankly more organized) but it will also allow you to shop for other vendors and notify your friends and family members!
After having a date and location contracted, you’re now able to get quotes from other vendors such as photographers, videographers, florists and more! Which, again, many vendors book well up to a year in advance so getting your venue lined up right away will give you first-picks when it comes to the rest of your wedding day team!
Friends and family members will also be thrilled to receive advance notice about your nuptials! After all, in today’s day and age, everyone seems to be running rampant! The more advance notice you give your guests, the more likely they will be able to attend the event.
This is especially beneficial for guests that will have to travel, as it gives them enough notice to get a good deal on transportation.
Sets The Tone & Theme
Yet another perk to booking your venue right away is that you’ll be able to pick a theme and color palette! The location and time of year will have a huge impact on the clothes the bridal party wears, the floral arrangements and even the food you will serve!
It Determines Your Guest Count
This one is a biggie. The venue you choose will ultimately control the guest count. When you tour venues, have a ballpark number in mind for the number of guests that will attend. It’s also important to have the venue differentiate max capacity from optimal capacity. Some venues will say they can fit more people than what is actually comfortable.
Booking your venue will help you solidify the guest count, and therefore you’ll be able to get accurate quotes for things like catering, bar services, and favors.
It Allows You To Budget
Budget? What budget?
SAID NO ONE EVER.
Ok – well maybe Kate Middleton and Beyoncé Knowles said that, but for us average folks we need to rein it in a little bit.
As much as your wedding day may seem like a magical fairy tale, someones gotta cover the AMEX bill at the end of the night.
Booking your wedding venue early on into your engagement will allow you to budget for all the other details. If you book your venue a year or even two before the big day, you’ll be able to gradually make purchases and save money for all the extras.
Shopping for wedding venues can be a fun yet eye-opening experience. Many newly engaged couples might be a little sticker shock initially, but will soon realize the value they are paying for.
There’s much more that goes into the perfect venue than the space itself. The people working onsite really make the biggest impact of all! They will be able to ensure that the day runs smoothly and that everything is in place for you and your guests.
Booking your wedding venue early on can actually save you money! Not only can you ask about of-season pricing, but you can also ask about all-inclusive packages. For example, at Madera Estates, we offer venue only AND full-service solutions! So, as you can understand, it would be silly to put a deposit on a caterer before seeing the in-house options your venue could easily (and possibly more affordably) provide.
Booking Your Venue With Madera Estates
If you’re looking for a beautiful space to tie the knot, we’d love to be considered! At Madera Estates, we strive to make every wedding as unique and special as the couple themselves! Not only can you rent our venue for the best day of your life, but our team is also available for coordination services.
Are you newly engaged and looking to book a wedding venue in Conroe, The Woodlands, Houston or surrounding areas? We’d love to provide you with a complimentary private tour! Pick a date and time that works best for you here! The team at Madera Estates loves all things wedding related and we’d love to chat with you about your big day! If it’s easier, you can also reach our team at (913) 441-9337.
Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram accounts for inspiration!
Happy wedding planning!