How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Location
What you need to know, whether you envision a chapel ceremony or a beachy bash.
3 Things to Consider
1. How many guests do you want, and how mobile are they?
Is your dream wedding small or a Broadway-worthy production? Your answer may determine the location. Why? Even though the day is about you, it’s also about your guests. If your closest friends all have toddlers, is it fair to request their presence at a safari wedding in South Africa? If relatives are elderly, can you expect them to make it safely to the beach? You won’t be able to please everyone, but consider making a concession or two if it means your loved ones will attend.
2. Do you want a religious ceremony?
Fifty-three percent of couples who wed in 2007 did so in a church. A few things to consider:
- A traditional religious ceremony may have to be held in a place of worship, so be sure to ask up front. (In that case, book the date at your place of worship before you book your reception location.) Also, some religious establishments frown upon elaborate decorations or flowers as well as skin-baring dresses, so inquire about these details.
- If you and your fiancé have different religious beliefs, consider having the ceremony at a neutral location, like a reception hall. Talk early on with both families about your decisions.
- If organized religion does not play a role in your lives but you want to incorporate a spiritual element, consider hosting the ceremony in a natural setting, such as a beach or a park (be sure to ask about a permit).
3. How much work are you willing―or do you want―to take on?
Depending on the location, you may have to do some heavy lifting. Before you commit to an “I do”-it-yourself undertaking, weigh the pluses and minuses of these settings:
- A unique location:You may have your heart set on a big wedding-day hoedown in a picturesque barn, but who’s going to clear out the hay, haul in the tables, set up the Porta Potties, arrange for lighting, and―oh, yeah―move Bessie out to pasture? There’s also Mother Nature to keep in mind. If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony or reception, you’ll need a backup plan in the case of rain, which means twice as much work.
- A reception hall: The establishment usually has a one-size-fits-all feel, but its staff is probably well equipped to take care of the dirty work for you, which may include―and this is important―post-party cleanup.
Related Content
There’s nothing wrong with setting out a traditional guest book at the reception for friends and family to sign, but you’ll probably slide it onto the bookshelf and never look at it again. Here, a few innovative options:
- Place a variety of note cards and paper on a table so guests can write short letters. Seal them, then open them on your first anniversary.
- Provide a stack of construction-paper strips―like the kind used in grade school to make paper chains―and ask each guest to write a message on one link that he or she then attaches to the chain. Beginning the day after your honeymoon, remove a link and read it together to relive your big day.
- Buy a coffee table cook. If you’re looking for something a bit more personal than a standard guest book but you just don’t have the time (or the skills) to make something yourself, buy a coffee-table book that has beautiful imagery of something of significance to you or your wedding. You could find a photography book of your wedding location (the mountains of Colorado), where you plan to honeymoon (Italian countryside), or a favorite children’s book (Good Night Moon). Set it on a table with Sharpie markers for guests to customize.
