The title just about sums it up. So far in the wedding planning process, the hardest part to put in place has been the venue. We have officially locked one down, but after jumping a few hurdles.
Our first hurdle is one that many people have to overcome: finances. Just like many of the other engaged couples out there, we found a venue she loved. The setting = gorgeous, the secenery = romantic, the price = astronomical. They wanted roughly $4,000 for a ceremony and reception. Part of the price debacle is a result of us imposing that second hurdle on ourselves.
We wanted a venue that could accommodate both portions of the wedding festivities. With our family coming in from both local and distant areas, we tried to minimize the amount of extra travel for everyone invovled. This also allows us to have a little more oversight in regards to reception set up. Rather than worry about the goings-on of two venues, we've made it a one-stop-shop for our guests and our sanity. So we've struggled with price and accommodations, what's left? Exactly, the date.
October 1, 2011. A nice autumn Saturday afternoon, drifting into the evening and beyond. Unfortunately, we aren't the only couple with such an idea.
Turns out wedding season isn't just in spring. However, many venues don't agree. We found several elegant venues that met all other requirements but stopped booking weddings after August. Some were theatres preparing for their fall season, some were parks that stop booking wedding for fear of inclimate weather. Either way, they cut our list of possible venues by over half. Of the remaining venues, many were booked farther in advance. We had the opportunity to meet a young man in a similar situation at a restaurant in Green Bay. He told us his wedding was also on October 1. When my fiance asked how long they'd been engaged and working on wedding planning, he informed us that he and his fiance had been engaged for nearly two years. Their venue had been locked down nearly a year in advance. From the day we got engaged we had ten months and a few days until October 1. I didn't believe the bridal magazines when they said we were behind in the planning process. I got a little nervous when it took us nearly three months to find a venue, but I still don't 100% believe the magazines.
My reasoning is this: we did it. We found an affordable venue that meets all of our requirements and has our date open. Were we lucky? Yes, but the venue was right under our noses the whole time. Country clubs and institutions like them specialize in events the scale of weddings. Its what they do. Had we looked at some of them earlier, this blog post may be very different. The country club idea works so well for us because we are having a secular ceremony. This means churches weren't even on our radar for venues and, in many instances, wouldn't allow a secular ceremony anyway. However, if you are looking for a religious ceremony, churches are easy to find. First of all, there's a freakin' million of them in every county in the state (and I'm sure the country). Secondly, churches have almost every necessity for a wedding venue (bridal suites, dressing rooms, retrooms, kitchens, scenery). This second point also holds true to country clubs and the like. These things only matter, though, if that is the type of wedding experience you want. Its still cheaper to fly to Las Vegas than to plan and execute a full, some what "traditional" wedding.
The moral of the story is this: Finding a place can be difficult, but it far from impossible. And once the venue is secured, many other aspects begin to fall into place.
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