June 5, 2020
Picking a wedding venue can be stressful—there are a lot of emotions involved in wedding planning and a long list of to-dos before the big day arrives. Throw a global pandemic into the mix, and it’s easy to get disheartened when choosing the perfect backdrop to say your vows.
But there’s no need to stress! There are lots of great resources to help you pick the wedding venue of your dreams. Whether you’re looking for beautiful mood lighting or a big dance floor to boogie on, the venue you’ve been searching for is still within your reach.
You may be thinking, with many venues closed and in-person tours cancelled, how exactly can you find your dream wedding venue? Here are some tools that can help:
While brick-and-mortar venues may be closed, the Internet is not! Use it to your advantage to decide which styles of venues you prefer, whether you want an indoor venue or outdoor venue, and what the advantages are to each. You may also want to check out online reviews to make sure the wedding venue has positive feedback from others.
When you hire a wedding planner, the first steps generally include creating a mood board of sorts that shows images of local venues and wedding styles you prefer. Doing this research from your own home is a simple process. Many wedding venues have an online gallery of photos that can help you to visualize the space and decide if it will work for you.
When looking at images, take note of how the venue matches up to your vision. Go through as many of the photos as you can, and get multiple angles from each of the venues you like. Printing photos will help you build a better idea of the venue as a whole. You can also get in contact with the venue to ask for more images, if they have them.
Rather than having to wait until venues reopen to select your venue, you can take a digital tour that gives you the perfect view of venue options near you. At Marinaj, we offer virtual event venue tours to make sure you can do just that!
These virtual walkthroughs help you get a feel for what the space is really like. It’s certainly a step up from the photos you saw in your preliminary research, as you get to tour the space as if you were really there. This is an advantage that will help you select the perfect venue for your big day, even while the pandemic is still inhibiting certain in-person visits.
Once you have created a shortlist of venues you like, the next stage is to learn about the guest capacity, features, and other general information. If you are planning on a small wedding with a limited number of guests, for example, you may prefer a more intimate venue. Researching beforehand on the venue’s website to find out how many guests it holds will be key to helping you make the right decision.
You’ll also want to consider what other features are available at your venue, such as whether they supply audio and visual equipment, tables and chairs, or a kitchen and catering staff. Establish this early on so you know if you will have to outsource certain tasks to additional vendors or if you’ll need to bring your own equipment. Talk to the venue and ask if they have any additional features other than the ones listed on their website.
As you do research online from home, you can get to know a lot about the venues you’re interested in and how they will complement your wedding style. Doing your homework can be a valuable way to save time and get ahead of the wave of people who will likely begin booking weddings soon.
If you’re interested in taking a virtual tour or talking to one of our representatives about Marinaj’s venues, call (951) 386-3157. We are also now resuming in-person tours according to state social distancing guidelines, and we are still booking weddings, so make sure you take advantage of our all-inclusive venues now!