It has been almost two months since Ryan and I got engaged and this past weekend we took some major steps in the planning process for our wedding. YAY!!! We decided to start our journey down the aisle with a trip to our picturesque mountains to scope out some Canmore venues. The great thing about being trapped in a vehicle together is that it gives you ample time to talk…and specifically talk wedding. I know, I know! That is exactly what every guy wants to do on a trip to the mountains…but really, it was great to voice our opinions, feelings, ideas.
Take time to talk.
By taking the time to listen to one another, we made some great decisions and realized what was important to both of us. During our drive, we figured out that we wanted our ceremony to lead right into our reception, we agreed on what we were comfortable spending (and what we were NOT comfortable spending), and we decided that no matter what(!!!) we wanted to go on our honeymoon in the summer of 2015, so the wedding would either have to happen before then OR we would do one other thing a bit backwards. The point is, the more you know about how you want to spend your big day, the better you can communicate to the events coordinators at the venues and it will become easier to eventually CHOOSE your venue. Plus, it was great to know that we were both on the same page. We both hate when people assume the wedding is being planned and executed by me only. I love that Ryan and I are both on board about OUR day!
Do Your Research
Looking at too many venues in one weekend can get a little crazy. Right off the bat, we were able to cross a lot of places off our list because they couldn’t accommodate our party. We only went to the ones we loved and could actually see working for our big day. There’s no reason to add more options because it starts to get tiring and a tad overwhelming!
Ask questions.
At first, we were both pretty shy about asking a lot of questions when viewing the venues, which is understandable. No one wants to feel like they are inconveniencing someone else. But you have to speak up. After the first couple of visits, I became a lot more comfortable with clarifying any costs, asking about ceremony locations in the event of rain and even addressing things like food and alcohol. So don’t be afraid to ask, especially if the venue is a strong contender. Besides the obvious, here are some good questions to ask when touring a venue:
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Is there a minimum amount that needs to be spent in food/beverages in order to book the space?
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Are there noise restrictions? And what time do we need to shut down the party?
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What time do we get the space during the day for set up? What about take down?
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Is there a restriction on candlelight or other lighting decor?
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How much is the deposit to secure the date?
Prioritize
We learned some valuable lessons in Canmore. Newsflash, a mountain wedding IS NOT BUDGET FRIENDLY! I mean, duh, right? But seriously, our eyes were opened to how much it would cost to have our ideal wedding in the mountains. What we did find though is that the venues do offer low season pricing. So having the wedding from October to May could be a viable option. True, we may not have the most ideal weather but a sudden weather change could happen at any time in good ‘ol Alberta. So we started that discussion…is it worth the change of season in order to have our mountain destination? Which then prompted more questions that forced us to start to prioritize. Should we have a smaller wedding? Should we look in the city instead? Should we change the format from formal dining to casual appetizers/drinks? What are our major priorities?
And so the wedding chronicles continue. We have decided to start another small search in the city to compare and go from there. But the good news is, we have communicated really well about what is important to us. And that’s what matters.
Have any other pointers when it comes to venue searching?? I would love to hear them if you do 🙂