You’re Engaged… Now What? 8 Things to Do Before Booking Your Venue!
Congratulations, you’re engaged!! It might feel like your first instinct to immediately start touring venues, but there’s a few things that we think should come first.
Whether you’ve been dreaming of your wedding day since you were little, or you have no idea what you want…. we are here to help and want you to be confident going into your venue tours!
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Here are 8 things you should do before scheduling any venue tours to ensure you’re able to make the best decision!
1. Create an Overall Spending Plan
This is SUPER important to start with because it will influence many of the decisions you will have to make in the near future. Educate yourself on what an actual wedding costs! We typically see Rosewood couples spend anywhere between 40-60k or above.
Find out where and who your wedding day funds are coming from. Although it may seem awkward or uncomfortable, start to have those conversations with anyone that might be contributing financially to your wedding. The sooner you become comfortable talking about your spending plan, the easier the planning process will be.
This initial spending plan that you come up with will be a great starting point to make sure you are reaching out to vendors and venues that are in your price range. This will save you SO much time when it comes to booking your wedding day vendor dream team!
2. Reach Out to a Wedding Planner
It’s no secret that we strongly believe that having a wedding planner will make your wedding day that much more magical at Rosewood Farms. That’s why we require all of our couples to hire a planner from our list for at least month-of coordination to ensure they have the best experience possible.
Most wedding planners have several different planning packages designed to fit your specific needs. A full planning package will ensure your process will be smooth sailing all the way through. From booking vendors to mailing your invitations, they can do it all!
Whether you decide to hire a planner for full planning, partial planning, or just month-of coordination, you won’t regret the extra expertise your planning professional can offer you!
3. Prioritize What’s Important to You
Really spend some time thinking with your spouse-to-be about what is important to you both on your wedding day. Is it big, beautiful florals and greenery? Is it gorgeous decor? There are no wrong answers!
You will be getting plenty of questions and outside opinions – that’s okay! Just know that you do not have to do what anyone else wants or follow any typical “wedding traditions” if that is not what you as a couple want.
Remember, the day is about celebrating YOU and the love between you and your partner – that’s all that matters!
4. Make a Preliminary Guest List
Who will be filling these seats?? Your guest list can play a lot into your spending plan and what venues you reach out to. This is why Rosewood is upfront with how many guests can fit comfortably in each of our spaces.
Our Rustic Barn can comfortably hold 175+ guests for a ceremony and cocktail hour. Our Rose Barn can hold up to 275 guests comfortably for a reception. If you are expecting to host a large wedding, you’ll want to make sure the venues you reach out to can accommodate your guest count.
5. Choose Your Style
Romantic, whimsical, vintage-inspired, modern, rustic, formal, minimalistic, bold…there are so many to choose from! By no means do you have to decide on one specific style right now, but it’s a good idea to start looking around online at what types of styles excite you!
Start making a Pinterest board or save Instagram posts to help keep track of things that you like. Follow a few wedding accounts on social media to get inspiration. Rosewood Farms posts wedding inspiration and planning tips daily to Facebook and Instagram – it’s a great place to start!
If you feel stuck when it comes to your wedding style, look around at the way you decorate your home or what colors you have in your wardrobe. Ask yourself “What 3 words describe what I want on my wedding day?” We always ask couples this before they come in for a tour because having a general idea of what you like will help narrow down your venue search.
6. Think About What Season/Year You Want to Get Married In
Narrowing down the season and year you’re hoping to get married in will be more helpful for you in the long run compared to choosing a specific date before venue searching. Try your best to remain flexible! We see it works best when couples let it flow naturally. Have an open mind when it comes to the day of week or season – trust us, weddings are beautiful year round!
Choosing a year-round venue will give you more options when it comes to dates and your investment! Rosewood Farms is open year-round and venue rentals vary depending on the day of the week and the time of year that you choose which might benefit your spending plan.
7. Reach Out to Venues
Keep in mind the experience you are trying to create for your wedding day! If you want an easy flow for you and your guests, you might consider having everything on one property – getting ready, ceremony, cocktail hour and reception!
When reaching out to venues, make sure that they are responsive and transparent with their packages. Rosewood is always upfront about pricing, availability and what’s included in the venue rental when you inquire with us!
Ready to start the inquiry process? Download our Pricing Pamphlet!
8. Enjoy the Process!
Don’t stress! Anytime wedding planning feels overwhelming, take a break and come back to it! We know this is probably the first time you are planning something this big and that’s why hiring professional vendors is so important for your peace of mind. You should have full confidence in your wedding vendor team and be able to rely on them to help you create your dream vision.
Now that you’ve done all of your research and prep work, you are ready to start touring venues!
You won’t have to waste time looking at venues that aren’t your style, too small, or don’t fit in your spending plan because you know what you want and what is realistic for you.
And just like that, the hardest part of your wedding planning is done! You’ll have your wedding date chosen, a venue booked, a general guest list, a spending plan… and now you can start getting excited with your family and friends!