Location. Location. Location.

One of the biggest aspects of your wedding's style is the venue. The venue and catering is also the largest piece of the puzzle that is your budget. 

As it is in real estate, it is in your wedding. Location is key. 

This post will walk you through 3 practical deciding factors (along with questions to ponder) to help guide you. Of course, as a stylist I would much rather focus on the frilly and glitzy, but the practical is necessary. Once we get this out of the way, we can start building upon it with the more fun stuff. I am going to try to make this as quick, informative, and painless as possible. Notice the emphasis on "try"?

Here we go.  

1. Accessibility - Where are you and your guests coming from? Where will you be getting ready? Are tolls a factor? Are there out of town guests to accommodate? Will you have the ceremony/reception at one venue? If not, how close are the venues to each other? How close is the venue form a major road or highway? Is there adequate parking for your guests? Are there accommodations for handicapped guests?

2. Affordability - Cost is the unavoidable bottom line, but do not forget to think about value. Let's say you have two options priced exactly the same. 

One looks like this:

The other looks like this:

Both cost the same. Both include tables, tablecloths, and chairs. Which one is the greater value? 

Based on this information and the pictures alone, the second is the greater value. The decorative light fixtures, ceilings, and picturesque windows provide such a beautiful backdrop for a wedding reception. The first space, though adequate, would take a lot more work and money to provide the beauty that the second space already has before any additional funds are spent. 

However, if the first space also included food with the pricing... 

BAM! 

They win. 

Your venue takes up a large percentage of your budget. Weigh your options carefully by weighing their value along with the price. Other points to ponder: What is the cake cutting fee? Are chairs included in the ceremony space? 

3. Flexibility - This is a BIG one. Your wedding will not go as planned. I'm sorry, but I have to be honest. It doesn't mean that something critical will go wrong. It just means that life happens. Our wedding reception ran a bit late, but no one shoo-ed us away. We were not charged extra. The venue was flexible. Our wedding date actually changed in the middle of our planning process, both our ceremony and reception venues were completely flexible with this. Flexibility should be a huge factor in your decision. Keep in mind that this is a contract situation. Be reasonable. However, consider these questions to help you make a great choice. Will your reception venue allow for outside food? (Outside food is one of the best ways to save money on your wedding) How many hours will you have to prepare and decorate? Will you be allowed in the day before for rehearsal? Is there another event going on that same day that may hinder their flexibility with yours?

Whew!! That was a tough one to get through. I think I need some Pinterest therapy after this one. lol!