[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/how-to-choose-a-wedding-venue\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/how-to-choose-a-wedding-venue\/","headline":"How to choose a wedding venue","name":"How to choose a wedding venue","description":"Where you have your wedding ceremony and reception sets the tone for the entire event.","datePublished":"2019-12-10","dateModified":"2019-12-10","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/kpalladino\/#Person","name":"Kirsten Palladino","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/kpalladino\/","identifier":2,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/76421eab241dc39d43a493849d7bc676e4b1c60c6b1167f727466599b6882eca?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/76421eab241dc39d43a493849d7bc676e4b1c60c6b1167f727466599b6882eca?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Purple-and-black-rooftop-wedding-in-Brooklyn-New-York-cheyanna-de-nicola-equally-wed-5.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Purple-and-black-rooftop-wedding-in-Brooklyn-New-York-cheyanna-de-nicola-equally-wed-5.jpg","height":1080,"width":1561},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/how-to-choose-a-wedding-venue\/","about":["Planning"],"wordCount":1632,"keywords":["decisions","planning","wedding venue"],"articleBody":"Where you have your wedding ceremony and reception sets the tone for the entire event. Whether you\u2019re going for the glitz and the glam of a grand ballroom wedding, a beach ceremony with the surf whipping at your hair, an evening candlelit dinner in a loft or a backyard wedding filled with wildflowers and seriously good craft brew, every type of wedding venue has its own logistics for you to consider.Take time with your partner to put the pens and paper away and just get dreamy. Close your eyes if you\u2019d like. Imagine what your perfect ceremony looks like. Is it in a church? A ranch with dusty trails, horses and a majestic oak tree? Or a rooftop on the top of a big hotel with city lights twinkling around you? Just imagine what you want by yourself. Have your partner do the same. Then compare notes.Questions to ask yourself and each other:What city would you like to marry in? Where you live now or either of your hometowns?Are you dreaming of a destination wedding?Do you want a small, medium or large wedding?No matter your budget, what percentage of it are you open to spending on a venue? Is it one of the top priorities or just the backdrop?Do you want a venue that provides every service so you can sit back and relax, or are you more interested in piecing the wedding elements together with your vendors?Are you open to an off-site wedding, where you\u2019ll be renting a considerable amount of items, such as tents, chairs, tables, linens and even portable restrooms to have your wedding in a nontraditional setting? Or would you rather marry and celebrate at a venue where those items are already there?Do you want a small ceremony with no guests and then a large wedding reception?All of this is achievable and so much more\u2014on any budget. It\u2019s not so much what you can afford and then plan from there\u2014as the wedding industry would have you believe. What\u2019s important is determining what your top priorities are and bringing that vision to life. Throughout this book, you\u2019ll find tips and tricks to circumnavigating budget worries.SEARCH FOR LGBTQ+ INCLUSIVE WEDDING VENUESWedding venues are traditionally looked upon as where the reception is going to happen, but for many LGBTQ+ couples, the ceremony and reception take place in the same venue.TYPES OF VENUESAlmost any space can be transformed into a wedding venue. If you can dream it (and afford it), it can (probably) happen.Hotel ballroomHotels have almost everything couples wish for, all within reach: onsite catering staff, professional-grade kitchens, stocked bars, ample rooms to get ready in, rooms for your guests, in-house wedding planning staff, and quite often, access to some of your city\u2019s premium wedding vendors who know what works best in the venue and how to best achieve your vision.They\u2019re not inexpensive by any means, with their minimums for food and beverage, and base cost per guest. However, if you add up every single item you\u2019d have to cart in for your own DIY wedding, such as chairs, tables, tents, linens, glasses, flatware, portable bathrooms, you might save more at a hotel. Hotels sometimes need more outside assistance in transforming the space to your vision\u2014some ballrooms double as convention and meeting spaces. But the right event designer can turn any room into your wildest dream (for a price). If you\u2019re considering a hotel wedding, find out if you can bring in your own vendors. Many hotels only require that you go through them for food and beverage. But some might insist that you use their florist or other vendors.Ceremony Location: Grace Cathedral, Reception Venue: Westin St. Francis Union Square, Photographer: Sasha PhotographyHouse of worshipNow that the United States offers marriage equality in every state, more houses of worship are allowing same-sex wedding ceremonies. If you opt to have your wedding in a holy space, your venue cost might be lowered significantly.Unfortunately, there are more churches and synagogues that do not condone same-sex marriage\u2014and actually forbid it. However, if you and your partner are part of a supportive congregation, you already know if your wedding ceremony is going to be allowed in your house of worship. Though do ask, because I\u2019ve met quite a few couples who have been stunned and hurt when asking if they could have their wedding ceremony in the church they have attended as a couple for multiple years and then turned down because of that religion\u2019s particular stance on same-sex relationships.If you opt for a wedding ceremony in your house of worship, you\u2019ll still likely select another venue for your reception, depending on what your house of worship offers in the way of entertaining space.Wedding at Deity in Brooklyn, New York | photo by Cheyanna De Nicola PhotographyA restaurantRestaurant weddings boast delightful ambiance, delicious food and built-in d\u00e9cor. Though not considered a true full-service wedding venue, most come equipped with a variety of necessities, from linens, tables and flatware to bathrooms, a parking plan (even valet), a bar and a coat check room. However, the downside of a restaurant wedding can be the monster expense if you want your wedding to occur during its normal business hours. In order to get them to close service to their clientele, the restaurant manager will want you to guarantee that you\u2019ll be spending what they could make in a night in food and beverage. Also, it might be harder to bring in your own food vendors for something special, but you could also try to have the chef custom make a dish you want served, such as your Great Aunt Edna\u2019s chicken potpie recipe.Home \/ backyardHome wedding receptions used to be a staple before the wedding industry became the behemoth that it is today. A simple church wedding and then back to the house for a modest cake and punch. Many couples are returning to this tradition and making it their own in a variety of sizes\u2014and including the ceremony. What\u2019s great about home weddings is that you\u2019re not paying for a venue, there\u2019s no time limit (though check your city\u2019s sound ordinance for late-night music), and there\u2019s an innate sense of familiarity whether it\u2019s your home or a loved one\u2019s.Keep in mind that you\u2019ll still have to rent a great deal of items to outfit your house wedding, especially if the guest list is larger than 30 people. Expect to outsource linens, tables, chairs, possibly a tent and at least one posh portable bathroom.Destination weddingChic and memorable, destination weddings are the modern couple\u2019s way of eloping\u2014with guests. Presumably there\u2019s a great deal of less fuss over a destination wedding, but ask anyone who\u2019s planned a destination wedding and they\u2019ll tell you how much work it is, only add long-distance calls with wedding vendors, a few trips to your location to do walk-throughs, the expense of shipping any items from home, wedding attire insurance, additional travel expenses for the wedding trip and possible guilt of asking family and friends to spend money to use vacation time from work and their money to travel to your destination wedding. However, all of this aside, it\u2019s a fabulous party and many couples don\u2019t mind the extra work for the opportunity to exchange vows in an exotic locale.Venue: Rancho Wikiup, Photographer: Lauren Crew PhotographyOutdoorsWhether you\u2019re having a backyard wedding or something out in the middle of nowhere, most everything will need to be brought in. But the photos with all that gorgeous lighting and natural elements are worth it! If you are working with an unlimited budget or are willing to pull up your shirtsleeves and work hard, this could be the route for you.New-fashioned wedding venues offer add an offbeat, fun alternative, including auction house, unconventional city attractions (the zoo, the aquarium, a museum), an art gallery or studio, a nature park, your college campus or somewhere completely different.Next, choose a season in which you\u2019d like to tie the knot. Your venue\u2019s calendar and availability will most likely dictate your specific wedding date. Of course, if you have a special month and day you\u2019re going for (say, your grandparent\u2019s wedding anniversary or the anniversary of your first date or even, as is the case for many LGBTQ+ couples, the date of your first non-legal wedding ceremony), don\u2019t be afraid to ask the venue for that date. It all depends on how far out you\u2019re planning your wedding. The longer your planning period is, the better your chances for booking the venue and vendors of your choice.If you\u2019re getting married in an unconventional spot, the chances are much better that your venue will be available on the day you wish.Once you have narrowed your venue choices down to your top three, find out several date options that they have open. Then consider those dates before signing any paperwork. Look over last year\u2019s calendar in your phone. Is that your best friend\u2019s birthday weekend? A special holiday? A time period which might deter important wedding guests from showing up? If you have family heavily involved in your wedding planning, discuss the options with them to make sure everyone will be equally excited about the chosen date.This article is excerpted from Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding by Kirsten Palladino, published by Seal Press and available wherever books are sold.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"How to choose a wedding venue","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/how-to-choose-a-wedding-venue\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]