Choosing your New England Wedding Venue
You’ve decided how much you want to spend on your wedding and who you want to celebrate with and now it’s time to pick WHERE you are going to celebrate.
When it comes to wedding venues in New England, there are options for every style and budget.
types of New England wedding venues
We are blessed in New England to have a broad range of types of venues. There aren’t many parts of the country where you have the option of hosting your wedding at the beach, in the mountains or in a skyscraper with stunning views. From hotel ballrooms to historic mansions to modern industrial spaces to chic urban restaurants, to low-key breweries, to stunning wineries, to both rustic and glam barns, and of course backyards, New England has it all, within a two-hour drive.
With all these options, it is easy to get overwhelmed, so we suggest that you start by daydreaming with your partner about the overall vison for your wedding day. Here are a few things to consider:
· What is the purpose of the space – are you looking for a space that can host your ceremony and reception?
· How important is outdoor space?
· What’s your style – traditional or modern? casual or formal?
· Do you need accommodations for your guests nearby?
· Is selecting your own caterer important?
Once you pick your wedding day aesthetic, you’ll want to think about how much of the budget that you have set aside for your venue before you start looking at actual venues.
Your venue, including ceremony space should be about 10% of your budget and if you are opting for a full-service venue (more on that below), it should be about 40% of your total budget.
A professional wedding planner can help you figure out which type of wedding venue will fit into your overall budget.
types of venues and pricing
When it comes to pricing, not venues are the same and understanding the nuances of the different structures can be frustrating and confusing, event for the professionals. Becoming familiar with the types of services venues offer is a great starting place to evaluate pricing
Full-Service (All-inclusive) Venues: Include the physical space, tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, flatware, barware, catering (food & beverage) and service. It is common to have a full-service venue to offer packages that include a cake, entertainment and/or stationery.
Please ask the venue manager EXACTLY what is included in the pricing, especially if the venue offers packages. For example, does the price per person include, taxes, service charges, ceremony fees, gratuities, etc. It is heartbreaking to hear stories about couples with a $20,000 budget falling in love with a space for their 120-person wedding that offers packages beginning at $150 and getting a proposal for $25,000 when all the taxes and fees are included.
Food & Beverage (F&B) minimums will also apply at most Full-Service venues and will vary by venue, by season and day of the week. If you have your heart set on a venue with a F&B minimum that is out of budget on a Saturday in June, perhaps you could consider a Saturday in November or Friday or Sunday.
Venue Rental Only: You are paying to rent the space and will be responsible for securing the balance of your vendor team, including catering and rentals. For these types of venues, it is important to ask if there are any restrictions on which vendors you can use. It is not unusual for venues to have a preferred caterer list or require pre-approval of a caterer.
Private Residence: Rental costs can vary greatly depending on the space and remember that even if the rental cost is zero (your backyard!), you will literally need to build a venue from scratch including a tent, flooring, a kitchen, toilets, etc.
Venues want your business, they want to be part of your big day, so be transparent about your budget and ask questions! Again, a professional planner can help you compare venues on an apples-to-apples basis.
when you should start looking
Since popular wedding venues start to book up 12-18 months in advance, your venue should be your first major wedding vendor booked. So, if you are like Emma and Liv and always dreamed of getting married in June at the Plaza, (and your budget supports that vision) book your venue as soon as possible.
If you aren’t wed to (pun intended) a date or location, it is fun to explore different options and find a space that “feels like you”.
what comes first, your wedding date or your wedding venue?
This is totally up to you; this is completely personal preference.
If you have your heart set on a specific date, like your anniversary or your parents’ anniversary or a unique date, then you should absolutely set your date first and understand that you may need to be flexible with the venue that you choose. Conversely, you may need to be flexible on your wedding date if you already have a particular venue in mind.
Not having a date or venue in mind can be paralyzing for many couples. So, I often suggest speaking to the people that you absolutely want to celebrate with and asking if there are dates that don’t work for them. For example, if your best man is getting married, you wouldn’t want to get married the following week or if your family always goes to their lake house for the 4th of July, I will steer clear of that weekend or if the risk of a blizzard on your wedding day terrifies you, stick don’t plan a winter wedding.
Finally, for couples that are open to anything – have fun with the process! Research and tour a few different types of venues, see what feels right and ask about availability. Trust me, just like you’ve found the right person, the right venue and date will find you!
your guest list and venue capacity
In a recent blog, I talked about created your guest list and there is a reason we suggest doing that BEFORE you start your venue search. Why?
Because it is exponentially easier to find a venue that fits your guest list than it is to cut your guest list for a venue. Just like trying on a wedding dress you cannot afford, please don’t look at venues that cannot accommodate your guest count.
separate locations
Do you want to have your ceremony and reception at two different locations or if you want to have them in the same location?
In case you missed the theme, it is YOUR wedding, and you get to choose if you have the ceremony and reception in two different locations. If that is the case, it is important that you work with both locations simultaneously to ensure availability at both locations. Please don’t book your dream reception venue, assuming that your childhood church is available.
It is also important to consider the distance between the two locations. Travel time can impact the number of hours you need for photo/video, your need for transportation for your wedding party or guests, set-up time for your florist, etc.
Finally, it is YOUR wedding, and everything is possible, it is just important to understand the pros and cons before making your final venue selection(s). Here is a list of questions to ask your potential wedding venues when you are touring.
To get started planning your wedding that is playfully planned, joyously celebrated, and magically memorable, click here.
XOXO, LJE