Finding a venue to host your dream wedding is one of the most important decisions in the planning process. If you choose well, you’ll end up with a spectacular event and memories that you can cherish for the rest of your life.

But if you don’t – it could end in a disaster that you constantly regret.

It may come as a surprise, but people often make several very common mistakes when looking for wedding venues that lead to poor decisions. To avoid these mistakes you need to know what they are, and why you can’t afford to make them.

1. Taking Too Much Time

Couples often take too much time to start looking for a wedding venue, and then take too much time deciding on one. That is a luxury you can’t afford because many of the best venues in Northern California or other states will book out well in advance.

Not to mention until you’ve hammered down a venue you won’t be able to get started on the rest of the wedding planning.

This doesn’t mean you should compromise and immediately choose the first venue you see. Instead, give yourself ample time by starting to look at venues early – preferably shortly after your engagement.

It helps to be methodical and not stretch things out too much. Narrow down your choices, arrange to view them as soon as possible, and come to a decision once you do.

2. Picking a Date Too Early

If you do pick a date too early you’ll be limiting your options when choosing a venue. It will confine you to venues that are available on that specific date – which may eliminate some of the best options, and set you up for disappointment.

Avoiding this mistake is simple: Set the date after you’ve chosen your venue. In this way you can find the ideal wedding venue, check when it’s available, and choose a date accordingly.

It may be help to decide on a specific season and day of the week that you want your wedding to be held – if either of those things are important to you.

3. Touring Too Many Venues

Touring a wedding venue is great way to see what the site looks like firsthand, understand the space, and ask questions about it. But touring too many venues can take up lots of time, and if you end up visiting 10, 15, or maybe even 20 venues – some of the ones you saw early on may start to be booked out.

The good news is nowadays it’s easier than ever to narrow down your options without having to tour them. Between wedding planning resources and photos as well as videos on social media, you don’t have to set foot in many venues to get a good idea of what they’re like.

Try narrowing down your options to 3 or 4 at most – then book appointments to tour each one at your earliest possible convenience.

4. Overlooking Hidden Fees and the Big Picture Price

If you overlook hidden fees and the ‘big picture’ when it comes to pricing – you will probably end up overshooting your budget. This typically happens due to how confusing venue fees can be.

Different venues tend to have different fee structures. Some may offer low rental fees, but charge a significant markup for additional items like tables, chairs, linen, catering, corkage, or extra hours.

Other venues may have packages that either tempt you into paying for things you don’t need, or don’t cover everything you do need and force you to shell out for various extras.

The only way to avoid this mistake is to carefully look at the pricing of each venue, check what is included and what isn’t, and calculate exactly how much the total cost will be (including all extras and potential additional fees).

5. Not Looking Out for Your Guests’ Needs

Imagine that you’ve found a venue that looks absolutely perfect and so you book it. But as you start planning your wedding, you may suddenly realize that guests are going to have difficulty traveling or parking, or finding accommodation nearby.

Maybe the venue you chose isn’t accessible to elderly guests or those with disabilities. Or maybe their catering doesn’t offer menus for guests with dietary restrictions.

As you can see things can quickly spiral out of control and turn into a nightmare if you don’t make it a point to look out for your guests needs right from the start.

Conclusion

Looking for a wedding venue that is a good fit can be a stressful experience, but hopefully now that you’re aware of these 5 common mistakes you can deftly avoid them. That should put you on the right track, and with a bit of luck you’ll end up with the wedding of your dreams.