The location of your wedding ceremony & reception is one of the biggest decisions a bride & groom will have to make. The choice between separate locations for each part or one venue for both is enough of a headache to start with. But then you are faced with questions like what will it cost? Is our date available? How many guests? What about catering? It is enough to make you want to forget the whole thing & elope!
With all these questions & the resulting decision making process, it is no wonder that planning a wedding is a massive task for even the most organized of couples. However, there is one way in which you can help make the task slightly easier & that is with a good wedding directory.
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A good wedding directory will list venues & locations along with some information such as facilities available, packages on offer & any special offers available to users of that particular directory. Be aware though that not every wedding directory is the same. Most rely on vendors advertising with them for their revenue & so not every directory will have every vendor in your area. I recommend choosing two directories either paper based or online or both.
Once you have drawn up a shortlist of locations you want to investigate, you will need to know what questions to ask & find out about charges.
When considering a hotel location it is worth remembering that will likely have a minimum charge fee for food & beverage. Basically the hotel will apply a minimum cost to the room you are hiring depending on the number of people that room can accommodate. For instance, if you hired a ballroom capable of holding 200 guests you would pay the same price whether you had 50 or 200 in your guest list. Another way to look at it is to divide the cost per head, so if the minimum charge is $20,000 & your guest list 100, you will need to allow a minimum of $200 per head. The more guests you have the lower the price per head. What will work in your favor is that this cost will also include furniture – tables, chairs etc, linens, chinaware, glass hire, waiting staff etc.
If you are looking at locations other than hotels you can expect a facility site fee & what is included in this fee can vary from place to place. Usually the fee is a flat rate for the hire of the room or space for a set amount of hours, you may also get tables, chairs & a separate for the bride to change in. Everything else you will have to hire in, including your catering & beverages. This may prove more expensive than the hotel option, but you will be able to choose your own colors, styles & decorations, as well as shop around vendors for the best price.
Once you begin to look for your location for your ceremony & reception, make sure you go armed with the following questions:
1.What is included in the price? Are tables, chairs, chinaware, glass hire etc included? What about waiting staff, parking & audio/visual equipment?
2.When will we be able to get into the location to set up the reception, decorations, flowers etc?
3.Will we be charged extra for the rehearsal before the wedding day?
4.Can we store our belongings before & after the wedding? Belongings could include cake servers, favors, candles, champagne flutes, guestbook.
5.How many restrooms are available? Are they shared with other users of the facility or exclusive to our guests?
6.How will they keep your function private from members of the general public?
7.How much deposite do the require & how do you make the final payment?
8.Is the facility easy to find?
9.Is there ample parking for your guests?
10.Can you negotiate discounted room rates for your guests?
11.Will you be charged extra to have your ceremony on site & if so what is included in that price?
12.What contingency is there for bad weather? Will this cost extra?
13.What facilities are available for an outdoors reception e.g electricity for music entertainment.
14.Will the facilities staff assist with setting up the ceremony & reception?
15.Does the facility’s function room décor match the theme or style of your wedding? Can you integrate the décor easily into your scheme?
When you have your first meetings at potential locations, take some time to ask as many questions as possible & tour the venue, making a note of any good & bad points. Gathering as much information as you can will help you with the decision making process later.
Author Resource:-1weddingsource house a vendor database and endless array of superlative bridal products which extends to almost every single state in the nation. This wedding directory guide includes services assisting wholeheartedly in 100% of nuptials everywhere, making 1weddingsource an essential resource for all self-wedding planners.
