Wedding Warrior . . . Fighting an uphill battle to wedded bliss!
Good morning couples seeking the perfect wedding day! The Wedding Warrior (WW) here. My goal with these articles/posts is to assist educate you on all things wedding! I am here to ensure, you have the ammunition to plan the #bestdayever.Good morning couples seeking the perfect wedding day! The Wedding Warrior (WW) here. My goal with these articles/posts is to assist educate you on all things wedding! I am here to ensure, you have the ammunition to plan the #bestdayever.
You may ask why I call myself the WW, as the name can be somewhat negative – oh, to the contrary! Wedding planning can be fraught with many battles. Drama from family issues to venue disasters, and lots more. A true warrior will always have a way to minimize the casualties and win the wedding planning battle! It has been my experience in 34-years of event execution, that couples need an advocate, a warrior brave and knowledgeable in the art of event execution to stand by their side as they design their wedding day. Let me be your advocate . . . we will start with some tips on – FINDING THE VENUE.
Starting with the SEARCH . . . In years past (when I was much younger) searching for a venue to capture my client’s vision meant long rides, hours of research, and great disappointment when the venue was not true to its word. Fortunately, the internet has given us a mighty weapon to eliminate those that portray themselves as something they are not. Here is a simple strategy to begin the search for your venue:
- Identify your style – Are you rustic-chic, country-elegant, or glitz and glitter? Then search on the terms/keywords that best suit your style. For example; my search for rustic-chic produced . . . Woodsgate at Stroudsmoor a restored barn.
- Strategize about distance – Are you planning a mini destination wedding, or looking for a venue within 20-miles of your home? Searching without a local strategy will produce wonderful venues that require you to move mountains just to get your guests there! Remember, shuttles don’t come cheap and Uber is not wedding-friendly! Photo Caption: Here you have the vintage trolley and the luxury coach – both great options for shuttling guests and an expense you will incur if travel is required.
- Read the reviews! You want to hear how the venue performs from someone other than the sales person or on-site coordinator. They can tell you they are professional at what they do, but true validation of their expertise and professionalism comes from the experiences of other couples. One stunning recommendation is worth any number of sales pitches. Note if the establishment continues to show reviews from years past or post them in real time – >like this one:
You received a new review on The Knot!
posted 07/02/2017
“We cannot thank everyone at Stroudsmoor enough for our AMAZING wedding last night. Hopefully it will be talked about for a while! You guys are the best! Thanks again!!” - Establish your budget! Nothing is worse than finding the perfect location and then realizing it’s a budget buster! Establish your overall budget (the maximum amount of wedding dollars you have to spend) and divide it into areas of importance.
- Is food more important than alcohol – then a larger piece of the pie goes to the menu.
- Are flowers more important than photography – allocate more of the funds to the décor elements than the pictures of guests dancing.
- Do you need a 17-piece orchestra or just a fabulous DJ – budget the bucks accordingly. Always remember to be realistic and true – don’t bite off more than your (budget) can chew!
- Create your guest list. The number of guests will greatly dictate and impact the budget and your search for the perfect venue fit. I suggest you use the A and B list planning strategy – knowing the minimum (A-list) and maximum (B-list) number of guests invited to attend is will help in making the venue decision. Will you go with fewer guests to get married in a real-life castle, or will the grander guest list make celebrating in a rented hall the right decision?
- Narrow the battlefield. Select the top three venues produced from your search, and arrange appointments with the on-site coordinator. If after touring, none of the first three are winners – try, try again until you find the one that makes your heart sing!
Armed with these six steps you are ready to take on the internet and reach your mission goal of FINDING THE VENUE for your #bestdayever!!
In my next article, join me in touring event venues with a couple planning a 2018 wedding!Wedding Etiquette by the WW. Here if you need me!
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