Cover photo venue: Campagne living

First things first…do what YOU want to do!

 

We can not stress this enough, but pick the venue that you love. Yes, there may be other things to take into consideration when choosing a venue (especially if family are helping you out financially or you want certain people to attend the wedding that live far away), BUT start with the venue that you love and then go from there.

1 - Discuss it with your significant other 

You might think this is very obvious, but you would be surprised how many couples don’t necessarily have the exact same vision for their wedding day. 



Discuss what are your must-haves and what are you flexible on before you start viewing venues.

2 - Pick one that you love

You’ve picked the person that you love, now it’s time to pick the venue that you love.

And you know what, you almost have to be as specific and picky about your venue as you were with your SO. 

Why?

Because your wedding might just be A DAY, but the photos last a lifetime. And you might not remember every single detail of the decor, but you will remember how you felt. So if the getting ready room is important for you, then pick a venue that will align with that. And don’t let your mom convince you otherwise.

3 - Space

Don’t worry, we’ll leave Elon Musk out of this! But we’re talking about space for you and your guests on the wedding day. Keep in mind the number of guests you want to invite with the space (venue) that you are choosing. 

You probably haven’t asked your bridal party or finalised the guest list, but you have an idea of the rough numbers so just consider that you can’t have 8 bridesmaids getting ready in a shoebox. And just because a venue says they can accommodate 300 people, does not mean that it will be practical or comfortable fitting in 300 people.

From a technical standpoint, consider the relation of things around you. What we mean by that, for example, is to consider if the bride and groom getting ready rooms are right next to one another or if there is a spacious chill area when it is cocktail hour and how far your guests have to walk/drive from one location to another. 

Think of the Afrikaans word: “ruimte” or “spasie”. Jy weet, is daar spasie om hier te leef en goed te doen? Is die spasie te veel of te min?

And if you don’t know, you can always ask your photographer/videographer to give some advice.

4 - Vision board, baby!

The Pinterest board has its time to shine!

So, we know, you’ve been saving pins and reels and screenshots of how you’ve imagined your big day would look.

Stick. To. It!

If all your saves have been of venues with rolling hills and sunsets and beige and potted plants don’t go booking a venue in the woods where the sun barely peeks through and choose bright yellow for your decor with roses. You know? 

Stick to what you have envisioned. And take into consideration that if you want a veld photo - there needs to be a veld at your venue. Otherwise you will have to leave the venue or settle for something you didn’t want. 

You get to choose your venue so choose the one that will vibe with your vision board. If rustic is your theme, then go look for a rustic venue - they will pull it off better than trying to match a rustic theme at a woodsy, fairy venue.

5 - Layout

This is another technical aspect to your wedding day venue consideration, but it has a significant impact on the smoothness and flow of the day.

For example, let’s say many of your guests smoke and your venue does not accommodate smoking indoors - the consequence of that will be that your guests will likely have to go outside or away from the buildings to have a smoke.

Which is not the worst thing, but choosing a venue that already has an outside-inside feel to it will help guests feel included no matter where they go. The same with if you know that your family and friends love to hang out at the bar or smash the dance floor - make sure these are not in separate spaces/rooms where people are going to be excluded from the main party.

6 - “Can I speak to the manager!” - Karen, probably.

Let’s be honest, no one wants to be a Karen on their wedding day. That’s why taking into consideration the management team is so important when you choose your venue.

We have seen management teams that all have walkie talkies and they constantly communicate and things run like a well oiled machine.

But there have also been teams where you have to whatsapp the oom and he replies in 3-5 business days. So, check out the team and management even if the venue is exactly the vibe you’re going for - it’s still a crucial part to your day. 

A simple tip to assess this beforehand is just noting how the team communicates with you and how the venue operates when you go for a viewing. I promise you that the walkie-talkie venues will whip those out the first chance they get.

7 - Let's talk food

Ugh, is it time to dish up the poeding yet? 

Food is a biiiiig aspect of the wedding day celebrations. Always ask what food the venue caters, if they have special options available, if the menu can be adapted and changed or if they are able to accommodate allergies. You can even ask if there is a possibility for a food tasting session.

If you’re still unsure or tasting options aren’t available and you want to know.

Word of mouth is the best review, so DM someone who got married at the venue you’re looking at and ask them if they were happy with their food. I know, *social anxiety*, but Instagram has made this a lot easier. And trust us, people remember if the food was bad.

Certain venues only cater your standard rys, vleis en pampoenkoekies, but others have alternative options like burgers or food trucks and can adapt to suit the vibe you are going with on your day.

Choose the foods that are going to make you happy on your day as well, because you’re going to feed a lot of people with it and you’re going to pay a lot of money for it.

So whether you choose to hire an artsy or rustic venue in the grasslands or the mountains with pampoenkoekies or tacos - just make sure it’s what makes you happy and vibes with you as a couple. 

And if a venue doesn’t tick all your boxes except that it has date availability, then go with the flow and focus on the things that you can cater to your specific wants and needs.

That is, if you even choose a venue at all ;) …but that is a blog post for another time. 

Thanks for reading! Check out some of our other blog posts down below.

I hope this blog post helps you pick the perfect venue, if you know someone who is currently venue hunting, be sure to send this to them and help them through the process!