Choosing the right location for your Melbourne wedding

Getting married is so exciting! And one of the best bits of planning is choosing a venue. You get to visit all these beautiful places in and around Melbourne, sampling food and wine as you go. What could be better? But choosing a venue can be difficult- so here are some tips on how to decide where to hold your magical wedding.

Pricing

The first thing to consider when looking at venues is the cost. Depending on inclusions, most venues will have a venue hire fee, catering cost per head, drinks packages, and hire of equipment such as sound systems, chairs, cake knife, and table settings, just to start. The whole thing adds up rather quickly. It's a good idea to set a budget ahead of time- breaking it down into what you are willing to spend on each category, so you know where your money is going. 

Practicality

Although many brides and grooms make their dream location work no matter how difficult it may be, choosing somewhere easy to access will cut your stress in half. You don't want to have to worry about how you, your guests and vendors are going to find and get to the place. If your venue is in the middle of nowhere, it also makes it difficult for guests to leave at the end of the night or find accommodation. You also want to make sure the venue is accessible for all your guests- especially those who may be elderly, have an injury or have a disability. Lastly- you need to make sure your venue is suitable for the time of year. A beach wedding in winter or a garden wedding in the heat of summer might not be the best idea. 

Suitability

What is your vision for your wedding? Is it outdoors? Under trees? Fairy lights? What magic do you want your Melbourne wedding photographer to bring to life? The possibilities are endless. Whatever you decide, you want to make sure your venue can provide those moments for you where possible. When visiting venues, look for the places where you can have your dream moments- dancing under the stars, pictures at sunset and having a warm and cosy reception are moments you will only be able to create at certain places. 

Guests 

It is common when having a wedding to have lots of guests coming from overseas or interstate. Even guests who live in the same town can sometimes struggle to get to and from some venues. While most guests will sort out their accommodation and transport, it's nice to make things easy for your loved ones who have come so far. Venues with lots of parking, close to the accommodation or shuttle or taxi services are all wonderful ways of indirectly taking care of guests. You don’t want to leave them stranded while you ride off into the sunset.

Features 

And finally, what do you need your venue to offer? Venues all have different rules, capacities and features-, so finding the right place can be a challenge at times. You also have to consider what you need the venue to provide. Food, drinks, ceremony space, table linen, seating, sound system, podium and entry table are just some inclusions that wedding venues can offer. The more the venue can provide, the less you have to do. Of course, you may prefer to bring your vendors in, and you will have to enquire about how they work with other businesses. Things like whether they allow outside caterers, and when they allow time to set up, are the sort of details that get forgotten but are super important to ensure your wedding runs smoothly. 

By Katelyn Broom