The AdVENUEture

I know everyone has their priorities when they begin planning—finding the perfect dress, finding the most fantastic Mexican-Asian fusion caterer—but for me, it was the venue.

Dan and I wanted something casual, outdoor, maybe a bit rustic and definitely a place where all of our family and friends would be comfortable. Because we were so focused on making sure we had the perfect place, we ended up looking at quite a few venues over the course of our searching. It is easy to get swept away by gorgeous photos. Here were some particularly swoon-worth shots of venues we toured.

Thankfully, we ended up finding the absolute perfect place (more on that in another post). But over the course of the searching, I learned a lot about looking at venues that I would have never thought of. Here are the things we didn’t thinking about until we were knee-deep in the venue hunt, that might be worth considering.

1. Consider the overall experience. It is really easy to get caught up with the stunning photos many of these venues produce. And that is certainly important. But, when visiting a venue, imagine being a guest (I would even suggest imagining yourself as one of your more particular guests, like perhaps your Great-Aunt Carla).  What is it like when they are walking from the parking lot to the ceremony? Do they have to walk through mud or a field or climb up a steep hill? When they need to go to the bathroom, do they need to walk through the dark or wait in a long line for the one stall? We found some a-mazing barns, but just couldn’t imagine Mrs. Goldstein in her Italian heels walking through the dirt parking lot.

2. Consider how you can personalize the space. Some spaces will dictate the overall style of the event and not leave a lot of room for personalization. If you want to DIY and do lots of crafts, make sure it makes sense for the space. We chose a classically-styled space as it leaves us tons of room to make it our own.

3. Consider the details. When do you have to stop the music? Do they require you to buy their wine? This comes up frequently in Napa and Sonoma, where they have a lot of restrictions on end-time and alcohol allowed. Just know what you are getting yourself into.

4. Consider the unseen costs. I found a private estate that I absolutely fell in love with. But the thought of bringing in bathrooms, lights, generators, water or food prep equipment was more daunting than I was willing to deal with. Not to mention the cost.

Source:  Gardens at Peacock Farms, Santa Margarita Ranch, Dana Powers House, Tentadue Winery, Barndiva, Cornerstone Gardens, BR Cohn Winery, Avila Beach Golf Resort, Vine Hill House

 PS: I keep forgetting to post this, but if you want to see more inspiration for our wedding, follow me on Pinterest!

 

Backyard Weddings -Pros and Cons

I have been talking a bit about having a backyard wedding, so I wanted to bring my pro's and con's over to the blog to get some feedback!

Pros: There would be no site fee! The other place we were looking at doing the wedding would be $2650 in site fees. Instead, we could spend some of that money decking out my mom's backyard by planting flowers, repairing pool tiles, and generally making improvements to my mom's house. I know that sounds incredibly boring, but I would love nothing more than eliminating site fees and letting my parents make home improvements.

Con: The space is not set up for a wedding. Some things included in the site fee would still have to be purchased - chairs, tables, dance floor, etc. All these things will have to be brought in, which will cost some money, but not $2650. Since the space is not set up for weddings, the placement of things can become awkward. It will definitely be more challenging for me to plan.

Pro: More flexibility with everything! We could bring our own wine, find our own caterer, etc etc. This cuts costs quite a bit. Also, there are no time constraints or guest minimum and maximums. The money that I save getting a cheaper caterer can go toward inviting more guests, which I would love to do.

Con: We are much more on our own. No site personnel would be there to offer suggestions and help with planning. It is entirely up to us! This basically means a lot more work for all of us which can add much more stress.

Pro: my parent's bathroom is pretty awesome. We could get some extremely amazing pictures if us getting ready in that bathroom, I would even get one of those velvet Victorian chairs.

Con: I wanted our wedding to be a 3 day trip for some of the wedding guests, and this is just not that. I did however find gorgeous villas not too far away that we could all stay at which would still create a 3 day trip experience. There is also a nice hotel right by the house for out-of-town guests. I want to do a day-after brunch, but going to an area we are semi-familiar with just doesn't sound like that much fun! It's all about exploring :)

As you can tell- I have been thinking about this a lot! I am beyond stressed about finding a venue as I have wasted so much time already :( I will post pictures of all these places soon, but rest assured they are all gorgeous so the main issue is with the logstics, not with what I could do with these spaces.

So, Do I put tons of time and effort and planning into my parent's backyard to create a gorgeous DIY amazing wedding that is incredibly personalized???

Or do I go with some structure and build my wedding around what they already have, which would still be just as DIY and personalized but would be a little bit more "normal wedding"???

Or do I just forget about it and elope?? (believe me-I've thought about it once or twice!)