There are so many important factors to consider in choosing your wedding venue that we have made this into a two part blog. Your choice of venue sets the stage for your entire celebration and is your guests’ first impression and lasting memory of your special day. As wedding venue owners, we love to get feedback from our couples, families, guests, and vendors. We continue to learn more about your priorities when choosing a wedding venue, so here are some tips for you.
One of the first considerations is traditional wedding venues including banquet halls and hotels vs. non-traditional venues like farms, barns, and many private estates. Banquet halls and hotels typically include the venue space and catering, but often lack many of the other unique experiences and amenities offered at a non-traditional venue including private use of the property, acres of gorgeous outdoor spaces, and hands on venue teams.
Tip #1: Know Your Vision
How do you envision your wedding day? A relaxed day in a natural environment, or a more formal setting? Do you prefer the organic beauty of an expansive property with endless photo ops of mountain vistas, acres of fields, endless forests, and multiple ponds? Do you prefer a property with abundant manicured grounds where your guests can effortlessly stroll through the cultivated gardens? Or a variety of different unique, beautifully finished spaces that are conveniently located in close proximity to each other?
At the Sablewood, we offer a wide variety of options with our multiple barns that are beautiful venues in their own right as stand-alone venues, and you get the private use of both of them. We have the relaxed atmosphere of an elegant country experience with high end natural touches, so you get the best of both worlds. It is sure to provide you a relaxed experience, with the pizazz and wow factor to impress the most particular guests and parents! ☺
Tip #2: Guest Experience
Often overlooked, but of utmost importance is the value of the guest experience. Remember that you are hosting your wedding to celebrate with your family and friends, so their experience is key starting with comfort and convenience.
We all hope for perfect weather on wedding day, but some days are a little warmer or cooler than ideal, and of course some days it rains or snows. Climate control is necessary to ensure guests are comfortable regardless. We always say it doesn’t matter how beautiful the venue or flowers are, if guests are dripping in sweat or freezing cold they aren’t enjoying the experience. At the Sablewood we offer indoor and outdoor spaces for ceremony, cocktail, and reception, as well as spaces for mingling and exploring where you can enjoy the beautiful views and still be protected from the weather.
It is most convenient for your guests to have all events of your day in one location which eliminates any stress of guests finding transportation from ceremony to reception, getting lost, or waiting for a time lag between ceremony and reception.
Also consider if your venue is easily accessible by road, and once guests are at the venue, can they easily navigate the property, facility, parking lot, and restrooms? Handicapped accessible and stone walking paths and all ground level event spaces make the day easy and enjoyable for guests at the Sablewood.
Tip #3: Price / Value
When selecting a venue, cost is one of the most important deciding factors. We prefer to use the term “value” as it is important to compare apples to apples when comparing venues. The venue price is less significant compared to what’s included. This is where the devil is in the details…what may initially look like an inexpensive venue can quickly escalate to thousands of dollars more based on whether the amenities and inclusions are in the base price. Rentals (including tents, furniture, draping & lighting), wedding planners, a support team, décor, and additional fees add up quickly, causing the venue price to rapidly escalate. Also consider how much work is necessary to finish the space, as blank slate spaces require a significant investment compared to finished spaces.
Additional costs can include preparation space, lighting, adequate power, dance floors, bathrooms, climate control, a catering space, landscaping, and support teams. At the Sablewood we provide gorgeous finished spaces along with beautiful lighting, high end furniture, plenty of power, beautiful bathrooms, and full climate control that are all included in the price quote.
Tip #4: Venue Support Team
A very important but often overlooked part of your day is the venue support team. Weddings are a tremendous amount of labor including setting up, breaking down, and cleaning up your ceremony, cocktail space, reception space, and lounge furniture, in addition to maintaining the pristine look of the venue and grounds, maintaining the restrooms, greeting and directing guests, supporting the vendor teams, and ensuring everything goes smoothly.
If your venue does not offer a support team, you will incur the additional expense of a support team which can add thousands of dollars to your wedding budget, or take your existing vendors away from their primary function to clean and manage furniture and processes. Your venue support team is dedicated not only to you, but also to your vendors, helping and supporting them to have a great experience. Most importantly, your venue support team is a lifesaver in instances when unforeseen circumstances and weather events that that can alter plans at the last minute. The venue team knows the venue, the local area, and the vendors, and has well established connections to help out in a pinch.
Tip #5: Included Amenities
If your venue already includes amenities, it not only saves you money, but also time and effort as you won’t have to manage additional rentals and services. At the Sablewood, we have extensive grounds and two beautiful barns that are ADA accessible, have full climate control, real indoor bathrooms, beautiful high-end furniture, exquisite lighting, draping, a support team, and beautiful finished spaces, catering space, well maintained landscaping and natural and cultivated gardens that evolve throughout the seasons. Our convenient, well lit, stone parking lot and walking paths easily accommodates your guests and buses.
