Getting Your Marriage Off To A Great Start: The Wedding Venue

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Imagine your first dance as a married couple. You’re in love and surrounded by friends and family… but where are you? Where is your big day going to be held? Maybe an island paradise, a dreamy church, or a stunning ballroom? To set the tone for an incredible wedding, you have to have the perfect place. But the perfect place isn’t only about the physical setting. If you’re looking through Charleston wedding venues, you’ll want to consider hiring a professional first. Planning your wedding is going to be exhausting, so you might as well get some help to ensure your big day truly is perfect!

 

Tips for Picking Your Wedding Venue

Determine Your Budget

Before anything can happen, you need to have at least a rough budget set. You can be flexible with the budget, but as long as you have it, you’ll run into fewer headaches later down the road. You’ll know which venues are in your price range, the kinds of features you’ll need your venue to provide versus what kind of rentals you’ll need, and much more. As a couple, you should work this budget out together before you move on to the planning stages.

Hire a Professional

Finding a wedding venue is no small task. So who better to help you than someone who regularly works in every venue? From Charleston wedding venues to Kiawah Island wedding venues, Engaging Events has been fortunate enough to work all over the Lowcountry. After coordinating over 500 wedding-related events in the past 16 years, we’re very familiar with the various advantages of each wedding venue, but most importantly, we’re familiar with the logistical challenges, as well. 

Perhaps you absolutely love two different venues, but one provides tables and chairs, while at the other, you’d have to rent everything. While renting isn’t necessarily a downfall, having a wedding planner to help you choose a venue will eliminate surprise costs down the line. As you search for Charleston, SC wedding venues, you’ll likely be overwhelmed with options, and you may not know how to move forward. A professional wedding planner will take away all of the stress and anxiety that’s involved in narrowing down the venues.

Nail Down Must Haves

Every couple has different needs when it comes to a venue. We suggest that you first try to pick out a few main features. For example, a venue that has an outdoor ceremony spot, an open or separated layout inside, or an onsite catering option. Maybe there’s a pergola covered in greenery that you absolutely need to get married beneath. Once you know these must-haves, talk to your wedding planner to ensure your venue has everything you want. If you’re just not sure where to start, we’re always ready with some amazing suggestions! 

Indoor Vs. Outdoor

Whether you want an indoor or outdoor wedding ceremony, you’ll have to keep in mind the possibility of inclement weather. One thing you can’t predict is the weather, so you may want to pick a place that has both indoor and outdoor space, or a tented backup option. This ensures your wedding can continue regardless of the weather.

Estimate Your Guest Count

Before you can pick your wedding venue, you’ll need to have an idea of the number of guests. As a city with so many historic buildings, Charleston wedding venues range greatly in size. You and your partner should have a rough list of who you’d like to invite, so that your wedding planner can be sure that your venue can comfortably accommodate your guests. We’ve come up with a near-perfect formula for estimating how many of the guests that you’ve invited will actually be able to attend. 

Pick a Date

Many couples already have a date in mind, but with 365 dates to choose from, we understand that it can be a little intimidating to choose. Here are our top 3 tips for choosing a date: 

• There’s nothing worse than finding the perfect venue only to realize it’s booked for the next year. Make sure to hire a wedding planner very early in the process so that we can do the research for you! 
• If you have a few potential dates picked out, your wedding venue search will be much easier. Venues book up very quickly in Charleston, so if you’re getting started with the planning process a little late, flexibility is key.
• We’re lucky to live in a mild climate, so whether you prefer January or July, we can find you a date and a venue where your guests will be comfortable. 

Visit Several Venues

At this stage, it’s time to narrow down your options. You know your dates, capacity, and must-haves, and you’re ready to visit venues in person. Looking at pictures online is great, but it doesn’t always match the reality. Be sure to bring your wedding planner along! While you might see a big empty room, we can see the decor potential and show you examples of the many events that we’ve held there in the past. Anything that you can imagine can be brought to life, and we’ll work with you and your budget to ensure that you can include as much of what you want as possible. 

As a couple, finding the perfect wedding venue will set you up for a dreamlike wedding and a happy marriage. Reach out to Engaging Events to speak to a professional wedding planner.