The venue you choose  means more than just a site for a wedding or event, this would also include chairs, tables, kitchen facilities, lighting and most importantly parking. The cost is also not the total picture in your choice as there are many factors to consider. Lead time and day of the week also play an important part in your decision making process. If you are going for a Saturday for a wedding realize so are most of the other couples in your area. This selection will take up a good part of your wedding planning process (also any event). Most good sites are booked up a year in advance so any off day could give you a better price and secure the site for your wedding.

You will want to start early in picking your site and arranging all of the items that need to be done and ready for your special day. The sooner you start this process the better chance you have of getting the date and time you want for the facility you want. Some sites actually show their main features on line and this can save you a lot of time driving to sites and meeting with staff to evaluate their facility. If you find two or three sites on line that show the facility and it’s benefits (Images not text) in a way that you can feel you would like to use their site then you have narrowed the field down and saved a lot of time for your self. At this point you may have two or three sites that interest you and you should then call and make an appointment with all that you liked on line. Visit all of these sites in person and make your choice only after you have talked to the coordinator’s and know what they have to offer and for how much. One site that has a good sample of images that truly show you what they have to offer is South Sound Manor in Tumwater WA and can be viewed here.

One of the things today in your favor is the down turn in our economy as you should find most places are willing to negotiate more than in the past but be aware that the better places are usually booked into next year and this may not always be the case. Make a list of the things you want at this site of your choice such as seating arrangements, linens, dishes and silverware, catering facilities (a good clean kitchen on site and available), parking availability, seating capacity and decorating restrictions if any.

While you are at each site and asking questions about their facility ask about caterers in the area as most busy venue directors see most of the additional vendors and you may get some good advice along with a small list of preferred caterers that he/she has dealt with over the years. Ask about the PA system so your service can be heard by those attending, the bridal party always have a few things to say to the newlyweds and it is nice to hear what is being said over the room noise. Also check on the music and or DJ service for the wedding march and dancing after the wedding as some times a package deal can be arranged that will save you money and time.

If you start early and check out the sites you feel would meet your needs you have a better chance of getting what you want at a reasonable price. When you have made your choice a deposit is usually required to save your day. Enjoy and have fun pick a good site and do consider an Event Coordinator if you want to reduce the stress on your special day.

There are many reasons to use an event coordinator for your wedding and not all of the reasons are the cost savings that will happen. If you have ever tried to run someone else’s wedding from start to finish you know it is a full time and thankless job. Do you really want your favorite aunt or cousin tied up all day making or trying to make things happen instead of being with you in getting ready and also having a good time.

If you are having a full blown wedding with a church or commercial facility, food, entertainment a professional photographer and a time line to keep in order to reduce costs and over rides then shop around and find a good honest Event Planner. In most cases the event planner will also have many of the things you will need to make your wedding special for rent at a reasonable price and they are being paid to make things happen so you can get ready walk down the isle and be your self. To me it just makes sense to do it this way.

Later I will post event planners on this blog for those of you in the Thurston County area that we have met and feel comfortable with. It is your decision and you need to make it, but remember time is never on your side and the sooner you get things going the better your wedding day will turn out. The event planner will help you with the selection of table cloths, decorations, flowers and arrangements and setting up the wedding area as well as removing things so you do not have to pay an additional charge at the facility of your choice. Many sites have a full kitchen but require a qualified person to use the appliances and will charge you extra for any mess or damages caused while you are using the site. Your local event planner will know or can find good catering companies that are qualified to use the kitchen and have the food properly prepared and ready on time.