Your wedding day is perhaps the most important day of your life, so why not go all out and make it one you'll remember forever? Let's explore how to compare wedding venues and find the luxury wedding venue that is perfect for your special day.
What is the best event space for your luxury wedding? There are so many different types of wedding venues to choose from, so here are a few options worth considering.
Private Estates
Picture a property with the same sort of glamor and grandeur as the Biltmore Estate. Private estates make wonderful wedding venues, offering the sophistication and privacy you want for your wedding day. And in cities like New York City with a rich history, you won't have to travel too far to find a stunning private residence like this.
Botanical Gardens
Hosting weddings in botanical gardens offers a chance to let the beauty of nature shine through on your big day. The gardens provide a gorgeous setting and make for excellent photos, while choosing this type of wedding venue may also help you save on your wedding cost. Imagine a wedding styled in the image of the First Lady's rose garden in California and surround your seating area with roses.
Ballrooms
Couples seeking the absolute best in luxury wedding venues need look no further than an elegant ballroom. With high ceilings, elegant decor, and a refined atmosphere, your guests can enjoy cocktail hour and mingling while they wait for the newlyweds to arrive.
Vineyards
Get married in a vineyard if you want a secluded and undeniably romantic location. This type of wedding venue offers a chance to host your ceremony outdoors and the reception indoors, while you also get the kind of rustic beauty for which vineyards are famous.
What should you look for in an event space to ensure that your ceremony and reception are pure perfection from start to finish? Consider these key factors when choosing a wedding venue.
The Right Look and Feel
You and your partner will both have an idea of what you want in a luxury wedding venue—the decor, the architecture, the layout, the location, or the breathtaking views. Top venues offer the distinctive look you and your partner want, and they also get the ambiance just right.
Size
The length of your guest list will help you determine the size of venue you choose. Pick a space too large and you'll rob the room of any atmosphere; pick a space too small and your wedding won't have the luxury feel you want. The layout is important too, so make sure the venue will allow you to make the arrival you want and encourage guests to mingle and enjoy themselves.
Customization Options
Check whether you can tailor any wedding venues you're considering to suit your needs. Are there restrictions on how you can decorate the space? Can you increase the size of the dance floor? Can the seating arrangements be changed to suit your needs?
Location
A convenient location is usually a key consideration when choosing a wedding venue, but it's a little different if you're planning a luxury wedding. The best luxury venue won't always be in a central location, and that's OK—but keep in mind that you may need to provide transport for your guests. You should also consider the distance between your ceremony and reception venues (if applicable), and easy access to accommodation options for guests from out of town.
The Right Price
Many luxury wedding venues come with a hefty price tag, so only compare venues that fit your price range.
Everyone wants their wedding to be a romantic celebration that all their guests will remember fondly well into the future. And while there are a whole lot of factors that go into creating a winning wedding, some simple creative flair can go a long way towards making your nuptials stand out.
The simplest way to inject some personality and uniqueness into your special day is with your choice of wedding venue. Rather than tried and tested event spaces like function rooms and ballrooms, you can think outside the box to find a distinctive space—a hilltop vineyard, a beachfront mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a converted warehouse space, you name it.
You can also help create special memories by going the extra mile with decorations for wedding venues. While the best luxury wedding venues look spectacular without even trying, you can really make them easy on the eye with help from an experienced wedding designer. Think of your wedding venue as a blank space that you can customize any way you want.
Creativity is a must when planning entertainment and activities for your reception as well. When you're wining and dining in a luxury wedding venue, your guests may be very pleasantly surprised when the entertainment is provided by an old-school rock band, or you've planned a series of interactive games to keep everyone entertained well into the night.
What Does Luxury Mean to You?
Sit down with your partner and form a clear picture of exactly what a luxury wedding looks like to each of you. Once you know your ideal luxury experience, you can start planning everything you need for your big day.
Set Your Budget
Luxury comes at a cost, so work out how much you can reasonably afford to spend before doing anything else.
Hire a Wedding Planner
If your budget allows, hiring an experienced wedding planner will save you a lot of time and stress in the planning process. The planner can help you with all the remaining items on this checklist, and be there on the big day to make sure everything runs to schedule.
Create a Guest List
Put together your guest list and send out your save-the-date cards as early as possible. This will ensure that all the important people in your life can be there for your big day.
Choose a Venue Rental
Compare luxury wedding venues to find your ideal space. Choosing a wedding ceremony location is a decision that will have a huge impact on the overall experience of tying the knot, so don't rush this step.
Book Catering
Compare caterers near you that can offer cuisine to suit your taste and budget. The best catering services will work with you to customize a menu to suit the occasion.
Entertainment, Flowers, Photography
Book any entertainment you need for your wedding reception, such as a live band or string quartet. Find an experienced florist who can help you create the perfect look for your special day, and book a trusted photographer to capture all the best memories as you tie the knot.
Extra Equipment and Supplies
Hire any extra equipment you may need from a party rental company. These could include everything from fine china and glassware to lighting, AV equipment, and linens.
With so many types of wedding venues to choose from, how do you find the ideal setting for your luxury celebration? Here are a few options worth a look.
Ballroom Bliss
A grand ballroom provides a luxury setting for a wedding ceremony or reception. With a string quartet striking up a tune, you and your partner can take to the floor to share a romantic first dance.
Rooftop Romance
An exclusive rooftop bar or courtyard provides a private and intimate wedding venue. With the sky above you and the city skyline stretching out into the distance, it's certainly a memorable spot—and you can expect some gorgeous wedding photos.
Rose Garden Ceremony
If the weather permits, a beautifully manicured rose garden offers a gorgeous wedding setting. Ensure you have a backup plan in place just in case the sunny forecast doesn't eventuate.
Magnificent Mansion
You won't find a wedding venue more luxurious than a grand mansion. Think crystal chandeliers, ornate architecture, and eye-wateringly expensive artworks lining the walls—and you walking down the aisle in a stunning gown.
Destination Wedding
Take your wedding on the road to somewhere like New York City, San Francisco, or somewhere particularly romantic (bonjour, Paris!). You'll get to enjoy the vacation of a lifetime, and choosing wedding venues on the other side of the country (or the world) will help you keep the guest list short.
Hosting luxury weddings is often, as you'd expect, quite expensive. But there are several things you can do to help keep your finances in OK shape.
Set a Realistic Budget
Your wedding is just one day of your life. It's hugely important and special, sure, but you and your partner have the whole rest of your lives to look forward to. You don't want to start off with a mountain of debt, so be realistic about how much you want to spend.
Work Out What You Need
Make a list of the absolute must-haves you need for your nuptials. You might want to arrive in a luxury vehicle, for example, or have your favorite band to play at the reception. Prioritize the expenses that matter most to you.
Avoid Stuff You Don't Want
Following on from the point above, work out the things that may be common wedding day inclusions, but that you don't really want or need. It all depends on what you want for the occasion, and where you can manage to cut back on costs.
DIY When You Can
Look for areas where you can avoid paying up big for professional help and instead do some of the preparation yourself. Maybe you can use your design experience to create your own invitations, or your creative passion to take care of floral arrangements at your wedding venue. Even some small sacrifices can lead to big savings.
Whether you choose a grand ballroom, formal gardens, or anything in between, a luxury wedding venue provides an elegant setting for your special day. Compare luxury wedding venues on Giggster today and book your perfect space.