Your Wedding Event Location

Once you have an idea of the size of your guest list and a clearly established budget, you can begin to look for the appropriate location to hold your wedding. There may be a location special to you that could host your party, like a bed and breakfast where you met or a beach you vacationed at as a child. Perhaps a friend or family member has a field and a barn you could use, or a mansion with a sweeping backyard. Consider sacred sites that allow ceremonies, like standing stones, or a truly unique location like a train or the zoo. You may want a traditional wedding site, like a church and a separate reception site, or a venue that has room for both. If you want a huge wedding but have only a few thousand dollars to spend on your wedding day, consider a public park you can reserve or ask around to find a friend with a summer cabin by a lake abutting national park land. Choose a location with natural beauty to reduce your decorating costs.

Consider at this time what kind of venue will lend itself best to your fantasies. What kind of theme do you envision? What kind of ceremony do you want? What is sacred to you and your family? Also consider the time of year you wish to host your wedding. Sites are often less expensive October through April. They are also less expensive in small towns, and on weekdays. Friday and Sunday are also cheaper alternatives to Saturday, though you will need to consider who can make it to your wedding for those days.

Start shopping for a location by looking in reception guides found at local bookstores or bridal shops. Ask friends where they got married or attended weddings, or check with a trusted vendor as to where he or she would recommend. When you find a site you like, ask to speak to couples who hosted their wedding there. You want to get a well-rounded idea of the pros and cons of your site before hiring them to ensure you are getting exactly what you need and want.

When choosing our wedding location, I bought a local guide and noted sites that fit the size of event we wanted, were in a convenient location, and had room for an outdoor ceremony. This guide included traditional sites like hotels and chapels, but also some creative ideas like the local aquarium. I shared my favorites with my groom, and we chose one to go look at. We quickly decided that this was the place, which we would not have been so sure of had I not researched from the guide average prices, amenities, and locations. By purchasing this guide, I saved us hours of time and the cost of gas we might have spent looking at other sites. We also discovered that we knew a woman who had gotten married at this site several years before, then returned later to ask for a job there. What a recommendation!

Ask your site representative about any added costs like equipment rentals, if you will be able to have a rehearsal on-site, what they require as part of your contract, and what they offer under the basic rental fee. A full-service site, one that offers linens, tables, and so on, will save you about $30 a person over a place where you will need to rent these items. Be sure to go over your contract carefully before signing, making certain it provides for or allows important elements you and your partner have identified. For instance, if you want to get married in a church but want a spiritually diverse ceremony, be very clear about what the church allows. Finally, trust your instincts. If you feel warmly welcomed and respected, go for it. If something feels at all off, it will probably grow exponentially as you near your wedding date. Save yourself the stress and find another place.

There are a number of important questions to ask your site representative. Make sure you can host the kind of ceremony you want; be sure to ask what they provide for your ceremony, like candles, microphones, decorations, an altar, and so on. Find out if there will be other weddings or receptions happening at the same time as yours, or how closely they are scheduled with each other. Ask to see the changing rooms where you and your party can get ready before the ceremony and between events. If you will have elders or others with special needs at your celebration, make sure there is handicapped access. Find out how many staff members will be included in your fee and whom you will need to hire, like a parking or coat room attendant. Ask which vendors your site recommends and if there are any they require you use, like their caterer or florist. Ask about any food, liquor, or music restrictions at your reception site. Find out if they have linens, centerpieces, and tableware as a standard inclusion or for rent. Ask about a cake cutting fee, and determine if they have a cake table. Also ask what time you can begin decorating the ceremony area and reception site; you should have at least two hours to set up.

The location of your wedding frames your event, creating a backdrop for your ceremony and reception. One couple I know married in Estes Park, Colorado, surrounded by mountains. The wedding was held in late July, and a forest fire burned just south of the wedding site, turning the air smoky and mysterious. We guests were all aware of the vulnerability of the surrounding trees, and of the sacredness of all life. After the ceremony it poured, and we all rejoiced not only in my friends�â'¬™ union but in the blessing of rain. The heartfelt ceremony was strengthened by the beauty and power of the location.

Other friends held a small ceremony in a forested state park on the West Coast in autumn. Fog drifted through the damp evergreens, a little creek sang a hymn in the background, and the walls of their sanctuary were ferns and cedar trees. After the ceremony they had their photos taken on the beach, and we shared a catered lunch in at local inn. Their simple but profound celebration was perfectly suited to this lush, misty setting.

Another couple wanted to marry in a church, but did not follow a Christian faith. They found a simple stone church with an altar in the middle of the sanctuary. Their one-hundred twenty guests assembled in a large circle around the bride and groom, who were married literally in the middle of their community. In this way they blended their ecumenical faiths with the Protestant traditions of their families.

Let your setting express what you hold dear, a backdrop for the magic you wish to create with your wedding ceremony and reception. Open your heart to the possibilities the universe provides: all the earth is sacred, and your sacred place will be unique to you. Find a place that speaks to you. Find a place that will hold the love you feel for your partner and your friends and family. My partner and I were penny-pinchers for every area of our wedding except the location. Though we found a very reasonably priced site relative to what was available in our area, we still paid the biggest percentage of our budget to rent this location. Because of the excellent service, the convenient location, and the absolute beauty of the grounds and ballroom, I felt it was well worth the cost. However, some couples find ideal sites for very little money, like my friends who married in a state park.

You may feel that your location is less important to you than some other aspect of your wedding, so you will want to look harder to spend less. Local parks, Kiwanis clubs, and community centers often offer very affordable spaces for rent. The fee can be nominal at these locations, just enough to cover cleaning costs. Check with local clubs and the Department of Parks and Recreation for listings and prices. Wherever you go, get everything in writing so there are no last minute problems like a double booking or not enough chairs for all your wedding guests.