Types of Wedding Venues

He popped the question and you said YES!  Doing a simple internet search will turn up an overwhelming amount of choices of venues in your area.  Before you go running for the alter, take some time to consider these important tips about the different types of wedding venues in advance of booking a venue.

Types of Wedding Venues

The different types of wedding venues includes a house of worship or a church, hotel, farm or a barn, vineyard or winery, beach, botanical gardens, private residence, state park, museum and many more.

Make a Guest List

I suggest you begin by making a guest list.  Assign them a ranking like GROUP A is family close friends that wouldn’t miss your event for the world!  GROUP B is for co-workers or old school buddies. Add them all up to see how many guests you would like to have.  In the wedding world there is a 20% rule.  Planners figure that about 20% of your guest lists likely won’t be able to attend for one reason or another.  For example, if you have 200 guests on your list, then roughly 40 guests will not be able to attend. We would plan to have seating and food for about 160 people. This will help in your search for a venue that can accommodate your party.

Not all budgets are apples to apples

The rental price can vary greatly from venue to venue.  Some venues include a day of coordinator.  Other include chairs, tables and linens so you don’t have to pay additional rental fees to have them brought in.  Some locations allow you to serve your own alcohol with an ABC license while others provide all the alcohol and bartenders needed so you don’t have to deal with it.  Don’t let a price tag derail your plan. Many venues have a preferred vendor list that give you discounts if you mention them.

Consider a rain plan

The venue you love may look gorgeous on a sunny day but is there a back up plan in case of inclement weather. Are there areas that guest can go if they are too hot from a tent or too cold with little ones? A tent may be a normal option, but would it hold up in the event of a tropical storm if you are planning your event during hurricane season. We have all heard the horror stories on social media.  Even though these unfortunate events are rare, we want to hope for the best but also ask questions to be prepared for the worst just in case.

Handicap/ ADA access

Some of the historic plantations are gorgeous but historic buildings can have special building permits that do not require access for handicap guests.  Consider if any of your guests need to have ramps to enjoy the wedding, especially for grandparents.

Now that you are prepared with the information, the fun party starts with what type of vibe you may want for this epic wedding day! Richmond, Virginia has a lot to offer for wedding common types of venues:

House of Worship/ Church

UVA Chapel

Hotel

Richmond Marriott Short Pump

Farm/Barn

Amber Grove

Vineyard/Winery

CrossKeys Vineyards

Beach

Jacksonville Beach, FL

Botanical Gardens

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

Private Residence

Home in Lake Anna, VA

State Park

Pocahontas State Park

Museum

Science Museum of Virginia

Historic Venue

Historic Mankin Mansion

Theater

Dogtown Dance Theatre

Restaurant

Havana ’59

Mountain Top

Snowshoe Resort, WVA

Destination Resort

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Rooftop

Quirk Hotel Roof Top

Plantation

Hollyfield Manor

University / College

University of Virginia

Industrial Space

Studio Two Three

There are pros and cons to each of these locations. Consider what is most important for your day. Also think about what could cause you the most stress in dealing with wedding planning and steer away from it. These are just a few ideas of the different types of wedding venues to get your wheels turning but don’t be afraid to think outside the box — especially if you want some amazing photos to remember this occasion by as well.  There are no rules!