How To Find The Perfect Destination Wedding Venue

This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

There are only a few necessities when it comes to planning a wedding these days. Almost all elements of a wedding are completely optional, but the one key choice that must be made when planning your nuptials is the choice of wedding venue. If you don’t have a dream location in mind from the start, finding the perfect spot to say I do! can be challenging.

Here in Maine, there are so many different kinds of wedding venues to consider, and they all offer their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Take it from us here at French’s Point Estate, finding the right venue takes time and patience. To help you in your venue search, here are a few helpful tips for finding just the right spot for your wedding.

Talk To Your Intended About Your Ideal Wedding Venue

Before you ask your family and friends for input on what kind of a wedding experience they think you should have, head to your favorite restaurant or bar and have a heart-to-heart discussion with your love about wedding venue. Compare your vision of the experience you’ll be offering your guests, discuss your priorities, define the geographical regions to be considered, establish a rough guest list size, and determine a budget for this event before you do anything else. This will help you stay true to what you want for this experience, help you save time, help make your search far more focused, and allow you to both participate in the process as you can find a venue the suits you as a couple!

Talk To Your Friends And Read Reviews

Chances are, someone you know was married recently or maybe you recently attended a wedding.  Ask friends and family for the names of locations that they have experience with or know about. There is nothing better than first-hand knowledge from someone you trust when making a choice like this. The next best thing is to get feedback from other couples that have been married at the venues you’re interested in. Take the time to read real reviews from past couples.

Talk to Wedding Planners

Once you have narrowed in on your choice of preferred geography and have a sense of your vision, budget and priorities, reach out to a wedding planner for help. A regional wedding planner has excellent knowledge of the available options in a location, especially if you are not familiar with the landscape.  Experienced planners can make easy work of the wedding venue search. Some planners like Heather Cuzzi of Maine-based Cairn Events offer the wedding venue search as a stand-alone service, so you don’t have to commit to a full planning contract if you are unsure of the location and date for your event.  In Maine, we have an incredible community of Maine-based wedding planners you can use as a resource to start your search.

Review Sales Materials

Take the time to review the website and read the emails and documents you receive from the venues you inquire with before you schedule tours. You may save time and energy if you avoid exploring options that do not align with your needs, vision, and budget.

Schedule Calls

Before you schedule a tour of venues you have interest in, schedule a call to talk with the sales office for these venues you are considering. This is a wonderful way to determine if your expectations and needs can be met by a venue. If a venue is slow to reply to your emails and calls, will they provide you with the attention and service you deserve on your wedding day? Are they willing to invest time getting to know you and do they care about your vision for your celebration? Do they offer the capacity you need for your wedding event, rain or shine? Do you have good chemistry with the person you are communicating with?

These considerations will all be important on your wedding day if you choose to work with this venue.

Make a Short List

Make a short list of two to four venues and take the time to tour them in person, if you are able.  If you have family or friends in the region being considered, and you can’t tour yourself, ask them to visit for you. At French’s Point, many of our couples reserve our venue sight-unseen. They can do so with confidence after viewing our virtual tours, website, checking out our Pinterest boards, and talking with us.

Reserve your Date

Once you have found the right location, don’t delay! Book your date so you send out save-the-date notices, and so your guests have time to make their travel plans to join you. You can enjoy a good selection of available vendors for the rest of your vendor team if you book your venue early.

There is a perfect wedding venue for every couple. Now that you have the tools to find your perfect fit, we know you will enjoy the experience.

Looking for a convenient way to finance your dream wedding? Consider a honeymoon registry from Honeyfund.

Author Bio:

Jessika Brooks-Brewer, is the owner of French’s Point, a beautiful oceanfront estate located on the coast of Maine. She strives to assist her couples in crafting memorable, meaningful celebrations that mirror their vision of the experience they wish to create for family and friends to enjoy with them. When she’s not working with couples, she is working with the Maine wedding community in an effort to connect business owners with resources to help strengthen those businesses, to provide better experiences for couples and promote growth and opportunity for Maine as a domestic destination wedding region.