8 Easy Steps to Find Your Perfect Wedding Venue

When you find your perfect wedding venue, it forms the backbone of all the details that make your wedding distinctively ‘you’. While the colour of your napkins and the font for your name cards will make a subtle difference to the decor, the overall aesthetic is determined by the setting itself. Once you’ve chosen your wedding venue, the rest will fall into place. 

Searching for your ideal wedding venue is a considerable investment, so the decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. We understand that finding and booking the perfect venue can be difficult and time-consuming, with things like budget, location and capacities to consider. There are many factors to take in, so we’ve rounded up an easy step-by-step guide to help you find ‘the one’. 

Step 1: Consult Your Budget

The ring has been revealed, the engagement party is organised, and you’ve bought your new wedding planning notebook! First things first, it’s time to check your savings account and see what’s possible for your wedding budget. Typically, the venue and catering combined can cost up to 40% of your budget, so it’s important to bear this in mind when formulating your priorities. Also, don’t be afraid to have an open conversation with your family. They might be keen to contribute to your special day and help you meet your target. 

There’s a wedding venue for all budgets, from luxurious inner-city hotels to rural outdoor marquee venues with a simpler offering. If you have a rough budget range in mind, trust our expert Venue Specialists to pick out options that give you the best value for money.

Step 2: Get Your Guest List Together

Next, start jotting down the names of the people you’d love at your wedding. The length of your guest list will play a huge factor in finding the right wedding venue easily. Once you’ve got a rough estimate of how many can make it, you can filter your venue search by capacity. You wouldn’t want a wedding venue that feels less than half full nor too packed. Corresponding your guest number with the venue size is a great way to create the perfect atmosphere on the day.

At Venue Crew, we know our partner venues in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and London like the back of our hands. Our experienced Venue Specialists can suggest intimate venues, palatial venues and all the cosy mid-sized spaces too. We take pride in finding the best-sized venues for seated banquets, dinner dances or cocktail style weddings. You name it, and we’ll find the perfect fit. 

Step 3: Think About the Location

So, you’ve got your savings in check and a list of loved ones you’d like to attend, and now it’s time to research the location. Would you like a venue close to home so that elderly relatives don’t need to travel far, or are you dreaming of a rural wedding destination with plenty of accommodation to put up all of your guests? There are venues on all corners of the map, but it helps if you can pinpoint your search by city, country or state. 

Honing in on an area makes wedding venue searching a whole lot easier. For example, if you’d like a religious ceremony at your regular church, you could find a venue nearby so that your guests can walk directly to the reception venue. Alternatively, there might be a place that is significant to your relationship that you would like to incorporate into your wedding. Whether you’ve got your eyes set on a particular spot or you’re open to options, our skilled Venue Specialists can point out a gorgeous wedding venue that ticks every box.

Step 4: Pick a Selection of Preferred Wedding Dates

Now it comes to choosing the date! Some couples are keen to secure a significant date that suits their story, and others are entirely flexible. The more adaptable you are with your wedding date, the higher chance that your favourite venue will be available. We recommend starting with the season you’d like. For instance, would you prefer a cosy winter wedding or a summer soiree when the sun still sets after 6 pm? From there, pick a selection of dates within your ideal month.

Generally, wedding venues are most expensive in the peak summer season, and the prices tail off towards winter. The charges also differ by day of the week, so if you’re conscious of keeping the costs down, consider a weekday in the low season. By keeping your options open and having backup dates in mind, you’re more likely to feel content with the outcome. Get in touch with our Venue Finders to receive a list of available wedding venues in your chosen date range.

Step 5: Define Your Venue Style

Are you envisioning a laidback modern affair in a stylish city restaurant or a glamorous ballroom reception at a luxurious five-star hotel? Or is an industrial-chic shindig at a trendy warehouse wedding venue more your style? From traditional to contemporary and everything in between, there’s a wedding venue to meet any kind of vision. 

With so much choice, it can get overwhelming, but that’s where our Venue Specialists come in. Think of us as an extension of your wedding dream team; we can chat through different venue styles, what’s trending and share our insider knowledge all for free! We work to your creative brief and only send you what we know you’ll like the look of.

Step 6: View Your Favourite Venues

Now that you’ve spoken to one of our specialist Venue Finders and received your wedding venue shortlist, we can arrange viewings that fit your schedule. We know that seeing the venue in person is critical to your decision. You’ll get that instinctive gut feeling when you find the perfect wedding venue!

Venue viewings take up to an hour, so you only have about 60 minutes to absorb the space and ask as many questions as possible. We’ve created a dedicated article on how to make the most of your venue viewing so that you can be productive with the time available. Later, if you’re feeling stuck between two venue choices, feel free to arrange a second viewing to make those last important comparisons.

Step 7: Check the Inclusions

Before you commit to a venue, it’s always helpful to double-check what’s included in the wedding packages or dry hire agreement. This will help you narrow down your final two choices and make the ultimate decision. As they say, the devil is in the detail, so make sure you thoroughly read through all documentation and look at what facilities the venue has in place. 

Our Venue Specialists have an abundance of information to provide on each of our partner venues in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and London. We can tell you about any extra costs, service charges and if the wedding packages include VAT or GST. Venue Crew aims to find you a venue that suits you down to a tee so that you can move on to the decoration planning (cue the Pinterest board!)

Step 8: Book Away!

With the viewing complete and all queries answered at your favourite wedding venue, you’ll be ready to sign the contract and pay a deposit. This is the last component of the venue process to lock in your chosen date. From there, the wedding venue is officially yours and the countdown to your dream day begins!

Our team is here to help this process as easy can be. We cut out all of the fuss and find your venue for free. All you need to do is follow these simple steps:

• Chat to a Venue Specialist about your ideal venue style, location, budget and capacity
• We’ll respond with a collection of suitable wedding venues and affordable quotes
• We’ll book you in to see your top 3-5 wedding venues to help finalise your decision
• You book your perfect wedding venue and start planning the finer details

We can’t wait to hear from you and start your personalised venue search!