Wedding Venues: Setting the Scene

Choosing the perfect wedding venue can be one of the biggest decisions you make when starting to plan your dream wedding.  Once you have the venue, then real work begins! When you book a venue, you are effectively choosing a wedding date.  This one decision will impact all of your future wedding planning, as it leads to decisions such as wedding colors, decor, dress styles, food and other vendors, as well.

Pick Your Wedding Venue First!

Picking your space is all about location. As a new bride-to-be, you should ask yourself, “Where do I want my wedding day to happen?” Do you see yourself in a garden with beautiful flowers and luscious greenery? What about a sunny day on a beach as the waves gently lap in the background? Maybe you see yourself in a elegant ballroom surrounded by a hundred or more of your closest friends and family.  These are all things that you need to ask yourself when looking at a potential space or wedding venue.

Another thing that you need to consider is who will make the guest list.  Many times who you invite and who you really want to attend your wedding will depend on where you get married.  If your wish is to have your grandmother watch you walk down the aisle, but she has never traveled out of state, then you may want to reconsider a destination wedding.  There are many elements behind finding the perfect location.

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Setting the Scene

When looking for a wedding venue or location, another thing that you need to consider is what style you envision for your wedding.  The site that you choose will determine how the rest of your wedding will look and feel. Your venue will greatly influence choices such as wedding colors, the dress, and possibly your entire theme. Many popular venues include beautiful ballrooms, exotic destinations, rustic barns, museums or gorgeous gardens. Choosing a venue with an architecture or ambiance that matches your desired style will further enhance the cohesion of your wedding.

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Ballroom Weddings

The ballroom bride tends to want something more traditional and elegant. A ballroom is where most brides will find a perfect blend of style and elegance.  Ballrooms give a bride countless ways that she can decorate. A clean slate of sorts, a ballroom venue is a perfect place to add your own particular touch. For the bride who wants the ballroom, you have limitless options when it comes to your wedding dress.  Brides can go the more traditional route, wearing an elegant ballgown, or the more trendy, curvaceous fit-and-flare style. A ballroom is a great venue for a bride to really play with the look she is wanting to express. Ballroom brides can go in many different directions when choosing their look.

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Destination Weddings

For the girl who has always envisioned her wedding with that breathtaking backdrop that you can only get when the sun is setting across the waves, a destination wedding is the way to go!

A destination wedding makes choosing a wedding theme incredibly simple. The “where” will ultimately determine your style. Whether off the coast of Maine or on a beach in the Caribbean,  your destination can greatly impact the type of dress that you will want to be wearing on your wedding day.  If you are getting married on a tropical beach you most likely will want something light and airy. If you decide to exchange your vows at a ski lodge in the winter months or on the side of a mountain, then you will definitely want your dress to have more warmth to it! You may want to search for a dress with heavier fabric or sleeves, possibly pairing it with a chic fur or shoulder wrap. Destination weddings leave a bride with endless possibilities, but they can also limit the bride once the venue is set.

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Rustic Barn Venues

Love whiskey barrels, Edison bulbs and barn floor dancing? You might consider a rustic barn or country venue for your wedding. When choosing a country venue, you have decided that the style of your wedding is going to lean towards rustic and natural.

As the bride, you need to decide just how much you want the venue to impact the look and feel of your wedding. The rustic bride is the girl that goes with the soft, romantic dress. These weddings are everything a country girl dreams of – beautiful flowers, lanterns, mason jars, and twinkle lights. Rustic venues are always a perfect setting for a something soft and romantic. If you’re having a barn wedding , you can’t go wrong with a beautiful lace dress or something that flows naturally around your body. A chiffon or organza gown would stun everyone as you waltz beneath the lantern light.

rustic wedding venue

When planning a wedding, your wedding venue really does set the tone for the entire wedding.  Once you choose your venue, the  direction will be clearer in regards to your dress, decor, and personal wedding look. The venue and the dress oftentimes go hand-in-hand, however, it is up to you as a bride to ultimately decide what your personal look and style is going to be.

If you want to wear a ballgown on the beach or a tea length dress to a winter wedding – then do it! It’s your day and its your time to shine.