How To Pick A Wedding Venue in Sydney?
It is, without a doubt, one of the most important decisions you will make for your wedding, and the pressure to get it right can be a little overwhelming at times. With so many wedding venues to choose from, you'd think it would be easy, but it never is.
Your wedding is the biggest — and most likely the most expensive! — party you will ever throw, so getting started on planning can be daunting. There's just so much to consider! Every detail matters, from creating a guest list to selecting a theme and ensuring the meal pleases everyone.
The venue is the most important element of all. Most of your options can be as expensive or as minimal as you like, and you can even skip out on traditions like flowers and cake, but you have to get married somewhere.
The decision to marry is one of the most important you will ever make. Congratulations on your engagement; you're undoubtedly thinking about where to schedule your big day. If you haven't already done so and simply want to learn more about how to book a venue when the time comes, welcome — you're in good hands.
Fortunately, selecting a wedding venue does not have to be difficult. Once you've determined what's accessible, you can use a few simple steps to create an initial wish list and narrow things down from there.
Are you engaged or have a feeling you might be soon? Huzzah! Congrats. You're committed to having one of the best days of your life.
Weddings are fantastic. When else can you assemble all of your closest friends and family, have a large party, and dance the night away? And it's all in honor of the fact that you've teamed up with the most incredible person you've ever met. It has to be the biggest win-win situation ever.
But. And, as much as we dislike having to say it, there is a but.
Finding a location for all of these celebrations can be difficult. Trust us, we've been there. That is why WedShed exists.
Options For Choosing A Wedding Venue
When it comes to selecting the ideal wedding venue, you have three basic options:
-All-Inclusive: These venues frequently specialize in weddings and offer nearly everything needed for a wedding reception. A large number of these venues also have dedicated areas for wedding ceremonies that you can rent. They typically provide meal and beverage packages, tableware, and possibly some decorations. A DJ and/or MC, Wedding Photographer are included in some packages to keep the party going. All-inclusive venues frequently offer a basic wedding coordinator service to assist with some of the wedding reception planning, and they handle all logistics.
-Outdoor only Venues: Certain places are great for outdoor weddings, and you may get quite creative about where you conduct your wedding ceremony and reception. Like indoor locations that aren't all-inclusive, you'll need to plan catering, tables & chairs, tableware, music, and other vendors on your own — including a marquee for shelter and possibly even lighting and facilities like portable toilets.
-Indoor Venues: A building, historical house, vineyard barn, art gallery, dance hall, or other large area where an event or celebration can be held. They give shelter but not much else (if you're lucky, the venue may have tables and chairs available); you'll need to organize with the other suppliers. Most venues of this type, however, have held numerous weddings and may give you with a list of recommended vendors to help you streamline your planning.
There Is A Lot To Think About When Choosing A Wedding Venue
Know what you need
Only you can decide how much time and energy you want to devote to wedding planning. If the thought of trying to find a caterer, bar service, tableware and glassware, tables & chairs, venue decorations, and lighting on your own makes you nervous, don't! Spend the extra money on a wedding coordinator or choose an all-inclusive venue. All-inclusive wedding venues are extremely popular in Sydney for a reason.
If, on the other hand, you prefer the flexibility to make every creative decision on your own, you might be more comfortable planning the event on your own. This is achievable but time-consuming if you're a very organized person.
Location, Location, Location
When selecting a venue, it should be as close to the reception as possible in order to reduce travel time during the day. It will help reduce additional unforeseen complications by not being time-stretched. Choose a site that is easily accessible to the public. Is it near to you or your partner's family?
What Is Included in the Venue Package?
Some wedding venues just provide room for hire and catering. Other venues provide extras such as photo booth rental, a budget for styling/centrepieces, or even a DJ to make the venue more appealing to you. In certain circumstances, these are excellent advantages to have because they can save you time, money, and give you fewer things to worry about. If you have already secured a service for your wedding, such as a DJ/MC/Band, keep this in mind when looking at venues. If you've previously reserved the same service, see if you can apply the budget to a different service. You might be able to upgrade or perhaps obtain a discount on your venue package.
Is the venue large enough to accommodate all of your wedding guests?
Each venue has a limit on the number of attendees it can accommodate, which can vary depending on the venue's size and safety laws. If you have 200 wedding guests but the venue can only hold 150, the wedding will most likely not take place there unless you decide to reduce enough individuals to fit in the venue space.
In the other case, you may have 200 people, but the location can hold 400. The venue could be more expensive, but there would be too much space. Everyone would be separated from one another. It is ideal to select a venue with a capacity comparable to your ultimate wedding guest count.
Parking & Disability Parking
Some venues are magnificent, but they may not have enough parking. Make sure there is enough parking at your venue for everyone to drive and park. If there isn't adequate parking at the place, folks may be late because they're looking for a spot and have to round the block several times.
Also, keep in mind that your wedding may be a multi-generational affair, with grandparents and those who are less mobile in attendance. Make certain that it is a short walk from their vehicle. Is there simple access or handicap parking for your guests with special requirements at the venue?
The Cost - The Bottom Dollar
So you've found the perfect location, but it's going to cost you an arm and a leg. Some sites are attractive, have everything you need, and come with some amazing benefits, but they are more expensive than you could have anticipated. It has the potential to deplete your entire budget, leaving you with little room for anything else. If you've planned a wedding budget but realize you'll need additional money to spend. Make a choice because you have a few possibilities.
One alternative is to postpone your wedding and save money for it for a little longer. Alternatively, you could try to find a less expensive place. There are a few other options. In fact, Stephanie, our lead wedding planner, delves deeply into wedding expenses and is extremely knowledgeable.
We'd all love to have a limitless wedding budget so we could do anything we wanted. Unfortunately, for majority of us, our wedding budget will most certainly dictate the majority of our decisions. The good news is that creativity goes a long way, and you may have the wedding of your dreams with so many amazing tools accessible today.
The number of people and the price per head of the wedding packages available are among the two major factors which dictate your budget. For every budget, it makes sense to spend more on food, drink and exciting things for your visitors the fewer people you have. If it is crucial for you to have a great wedding, consider a few drink packages or venues offering BYO alcohol or catering to keep your spending under control.
You and your spouse choose it at the end of the day. During the discovery step, we suggest that you keep your mind open so that you can take into account the alternatives for all the venues and available packages suitable for your ball park
The optimal balance between the guest number and the package (price per capita) can be found for your wedding. I'm sorry, I'll start with a boring. You have say that. Probably your budget will impact your workplace style. We use the term 'tempt' because, as individuals who used to go down the marriage planning route before, we recognise that wedding budgets tend to stretch, despite all good intentions. A budget blow out seems to be a viral ailment affecting 98% of couples, including ourselves.
Nevertheless, what you are happy to spend on a venue and attempt to keep to it is worth deciding. Be aware of what is included in your choice of venue - still have to rent in tables and chairs? Extra websites? Don't let the owner and manager know what the extra elements will be needed to have a thoroughly informed sense of the actual rental price. The cost of the rental is not surprising.
If you're planning for a budget wedding or backyard wedding venue here's the Ultimate Guide to Planning a Backyard Wedding.
Create a initial invitation list
How many are you going to invite people? First, name everybody you would like to invite in the master list. Then list everybody you absolutely must invite to a supplementary list. When you shop for your place, you now have a range to deal with. This helps you restrict your search to places where your guests can stay. If you have a decent notion of how many people you will invite, you will also get the most realistic estimates.
Think of the style of your marriage
Let's dive into your wedding style; really, the style is a decisive selection about your wedding venue. To make a point, let me provide an extreme example. Let's imagine you want to make your wedding appear and feel more modern. You decide, however, to rent a barn for the event. If you had a rural wedding, it would be meaningful, but current trendy styles do not mix together.
You can easily put up your favourite function space. However, some of them have particular characteristics or styles that make working with you almost impossible. For instance, I chose a location overlooking the water when I got married and had a traditional theme. It perfectly fit my style, but not other people. Therefore, a large number of wedding venues (with their differences in each) are inside a little neutral. Venues are made to be as compatible as possible with as many clients.
Is the size appropriate for the number of guests on your guest list?
When organising your wedding and reception, it is critical to select a venue that is the proper size for your festivities. The last thing you want is for your guests to be seated cheek to jowl because your venue was too tiny for the inviting bunch. Before booking, please pay close attention to the capacity of any venue you are considering and confirm that it has enough space for the activities you intend to hold.
The number of function spaces available at each location will be determined by the size of your wedding. The Venue's Wedding Coordinators will work with you to guarantee that you can find a place that best matches the size of your wedding in order to help them optimise the use of their available space and, more importantly, to ensure that you can find a space that best matches the size of your wedding. As a result, you have created the ideal setting for your wedding.
Larger weddings would be better suited to hotel ballrooms, large dedicated event locations, or even marquees. Mid-sized weddings of 80 to 120 guests have the most options, with most venues having a room that can accommodate this size wedding. Restaurants, bars, and clubs are ideal for smaller, more intimate weddings.
Are there any nearby overnight options for visitors?
If you intend on holding your reception somewhere a little further afield than usual, or if you have a large number of guests travelling from overseas or interstate, examine whether your location has its own lodging or is close to lodging that will allow your guests to stay overnight.
It's one thing to host your dream wedding at a magnificent château or country estate. Even so, if your visitors are unable to contact taxis or go to their accommodations afterwards, especially if they have been drinking, the evening will be ruined. You don't want your visitors to be in risk.
Is there any on-site catering?
Whether you plan to offer a full four-course meal or a buffet with snacks, you should find out if the location you're considering has an in-house catering service. If they do, can they give you with menu options to accommodate your guests' dietary needs, such as vegetarians, gluten-intolerant individuals, or those with religious food restrictions? If there is no in-house catering, you will need to add locating a caterer to your task list.
Determine what is adjustable at the venue.
If you have your heart set on a specific caterer for your wedding, there's usually little point in looking at a location that only works with a chosen vendor. Find out before you set aside time to look at what's flexible. Is it permissible for you to cooperate with your prefered vendors? Is it possible to DIY-style the venue space? Is it possible to bring your own alcohol or does it have to be purchased from the vendor? All of these factors should be considered while selecting a venue.
The Venue Space's Dos and Don'ts
Every venue has some form of restriction. Check that these do not interfere with your wedding date. These can cover a wide range of topics. These can include the time your celebration must end, the use of sparklers (if permitted), the use of real candles, the prohibition of open bar drinks, and any other restrictions set by the local municipality.
Some people believe that if you rent a space, you may do whatever you want with it, but this could not be further from the truth. Some venues are in densely populated residential areas with several limitations, such as operating hours and noise levels. You might have your wedding in Sydney CBD, and depending on the alcohol serving permit they have, various alcohol limits will apply. As you can see, there is a lot to think about when it comes to choosing a wedding site. Do not book anything without first talking with your wedding venue. Make sure it's the perfect fit, has the appropriate budget, the right style, and has the finest venue for your wedding.