Venue Search

Pictures by Alexia Nicole Photography and the barn picture from White Oaks Barn.

I think venue searching was the most stressful task out of all the wedding planning. I started by picking out the style I wanted, which is what I like to call "Rustic Chic." I wanted an outdoor ceremony and a barn for reception.

I started searching online through Google, WeddingWire, and The Knot. I created an excel sheet and started typing all of the venues close to us that I was interested in.

I knew I wanted a Spring wedding (March or April), so I began calling and emailing the venues to set up appointments since you want to book at least a year in advance. I can't tell you how shocked I was when a lot of my picks were booked for the Saturdays in those two months. This is when I started feeling the stress. I started worrying that I wouldn't find my perfect venue.

My family, Bobby, and I went to visit our first beautiful venue in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It seemed like a great place to start and possibly host the wedding there. The scenery was pretty and all the areas were great.

It wasn't until they started discussing their rules and expectations that I grew hesitant. I got an email where they gave me pricing that seemed acceptable before the appointment. When we sat down with them and went through the contract, there were many hidden fees.

When looking for your venue, make sure you read the FULL contract. You will find the venue's rules and pricing. This venue wanted us to pay headcount for food (normal) and pay for everyone over 21 for alcohol (we didn't like this because not everyone drinks). We would have had to pay for tea and coffee separate, and pay for cake cutting. There were many separate costs from the actual cost of the venue.

They had a book that I would have had to use to pick my decor. We weren't allowed to bring our own decorations or use another vendor. I did not like this at all, especially after looking through their catalog.

After this weekend tour, I knew I would have to start moving faster, so I told my family I would tour the venues and then if I liked it I would bring them back.

I went to 2 by myself and I will never forget what the one lady told me at the 3rd venue. After our walk through the venue she said, "I can tell you don't love this venue and that's okay. You will know when you find you venue. You will feel it in your gut and you will be so excited."

Which brings me to our dream venue, White Oaks Barn. The moment I rode up the venue, I felt it. I went with my parents and told them, "this is it." The area for the outdoor ceremony was breathtaking. The more we toured the venue and discussed their contract the more I thought this is a dream come true.

They allowed a prepaid bar, the tea and coffee was included in headcount for food, they provided the food, I could bring any decorations I wanted, and the day-of coordinators were the sweetest! I knew I would need a plan B in case the outdoor ceremony didn't go as planned. When I learned the Plan B was just as pretty as Plan A, I thought "yes yes yes!"

I brought Bobby to the venue the next weekend and he decided it was a yes to the venue!

Another piece of advice with venue searching is learn the prime seasons, I chose March 30 because it was close to April, but it was $1000 cheaper since March wasn't considered "spring wedding season." Try to be flexible with your date if you are trying to save money.

Make sure you have a checklist that consists of what you dream your venue would have.

My Checklist for my venue search:

-classy barn

-outdoor ceremony

-a pretty plan B option (in case of spring showers)

-bring my own decorations

-flexibility with vendors

-BIG dancefloor

XOXO,

Erin Renee