Now that you are engaged, it is time to start looking at the perfect place for you to host your wedding. We recommend beginning your search sooner rather than later, as wedding venues do book up fast, especially on non-Husker game days. It can be a hard decision deciding your wedding venue, that is why we've compiled a list to help you choose your wedding venue.
Put Some Thought Into It
Ask yourself some questions before you even begin your search:
How long do we want our engagement to be?
What season would we prefer to get married in?
Where do you picture getting married? Is it a barn and farm, a winery, or a nursery?
Once you've asked yourself those questions, you will also want to figure out things like guest count, your style, your budget before you actually begin your wedding venue search.
Focus on Your Vision
Research wedding venue photos and find what you love. You can start an album in your phone or print photos and create a vision board. This will help you not feel so overwhelmed when you begin your wedding venue search. It is possible that your vision may change after seeing venues, but it is important to refer back to your vision board and see how that makes you feel. Maybe you like something different than you originally did and that's perfectly fine.
Begin Your Search
After you've figured out some details and your vision - it's time to begin your search for your Nebraska wedding venue! Some great places to begin your search are The Knot and Wedding Wire.
During your search make sure you are looking at things like their capacity, different facilities on-site, reviews, and pictures. All of these things are very important to ensure they are even an option for you. Say you were expecting 300 guests, but found a venue that holds 100 people, this may not be a good option for you unless you have already fallen in love with it and want to consider cutting your guest list because you love it that much. This is more common than you may think.
Before you begin scheduling your wedding venue tours be sure that they have your date available, and if not are you willing to change the date you hoped for? Also be sure they can hold your guest count and are within your budget.
Schedule Tours
Next, make a list of your top three Nebraska wedding venues you have found that you love. Then decide how many venues you think would be worth touring. Does this mean making a pro and con list of each venue and then deciding, or maybe you want to visit all three because you're someone who really enjoys seeing things in person and can't just pick one or two.
Touring Venues & Asking Questions
Once you've set up your tours, it is time to be thinking of questions you may want to ask your wedding venue.
Here are some we recommend you asking:
What happens if there is rain/snow/weather?
Are there any additional fees?
What time can we access the venue the week of/day of the wedding?
Can we use outside vendors?
How do we lock in our date?
Are there rules for catering and alcohol?
Are there any decorations we are able to use?
Can I move anything around, or does everything have to stay where it is?
Is there any staff that helps on wedding day?
When do we have to have the venue cleaned up by?
Make a Decision
Now that you've toured your list of venues, it is time to choose the venue that best fits the two of you and is able to accommodate your needs.