Wedding Venue

After agreeing to tie the knot, what is your first big decision that you will make together as a couple? Deciding on your wedding venues. We are not going to lie to you, there is a real method to the madness when it comes to finding the perfect wedding venue. And this is especially true in an area like Los Angeles because there are so many nice one to pick from. Prepare yourself for the process. That is our first word of advice. Remember this, your guests will remember two things about your wedding, the food and the entertainment. And they both happen inside of your venue so choose wisely. Below, we are happy to throw out some tips that we are confident will guide you to the right venue for you and your guests. Don't be afraid to follow the yellow brick road.

The first thing that we cannot stress enough is to start your search right now. If you are engaged, start looking. Keep in mind that the prime spots don't stay available for long. Take a look online for wedding venues in the Los Angeles area. You can also check with family and friends and co-workers to see if they have been to an awesome wedding venue lately. As you see ones that you like, write them down on a potential venue list. Before you contact any of them, make sure you know how many guests will be coming to your wedding reception. Call each one and ask if your wedding date is available, if not, you can obviously scratch that venue off of your list.

When you meet with the wedding manager at each venue, the first thing that you will want to mention is your guest number. You want to know if a particular venue will house all of your guests. Once that is out of the way, you can talk about the other things that will be going on at your reception like a DJ or a live band, dancing, catering. Let the location manager walk you through where those kind of elements are usually located in the scope of the room. Check out the style of the room, does this match or will it at least complement what your wedding décor and style is. Ask the manager what is permissible in terms of decoration.

Check out how other weddings have been set up at each venue. Which one works for you or maybe you have your own ideas. Ask if there are enough plugs for everything that you will need them for. Quite often, certain questions are not asked because people don't know to ask them. But nevertheless, they are important. Are there enough parking spaces for the number of guests you are going to have? How many toilets are there in relation to the number of people? Will there be valet service? Is it handicap accessible?

And one of the most important issues you will want to discuss is catering. Food is one of the two most important items at your reception. Find out if you are required to use a caterer on their preferred list. Would you have to pay a fee if you brought in your own? What time will your vendors be allowed in the venue on your wedding day. This is important so you can relay it to your vendors and so they can get things set up at the proper time. Will there be other weddings at your venue that same day? We suggest that you try to get a venue where this won't be the case.

Make sure you check the references they provide. Former clients can be a great source of information in determining if you would like to work with a vendor. Ask them if they saw any potential red flags in their dealings with them. When you come down to one or two venues that you really like, it is possible that the deciding factor will be price. Most venues offer package deals where various amenities are included at different levels. If one in particular includes everything you need and want and the price is better than the rest, its time to ask for a written contract. One final word on this, if any venue tried to tell you they don't work off of a contract, walk away. Once you have read the contract over and you are satisfied, you can put down your deposit and rest easy. At least until you are ready to find and book your next wedding vendor.

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