Choosing your venue is one of the most important parts of making sure your big day is everything you dreamed it would be. Here, we’ve got all the different factors you need to consider to make the right decision. There are lots of wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, and if you’re looking to get married in St. Charles wedding venues, you’ve got your work cut out for you.
Let’s dive into what you need to be looking for.
Size
It’s not that you need to have your entire guest list built out before you decide on a venue. That’s one of the most difficult tasks in the whole wedding planning process. Fortunately, you don’t have to decide who exactly makes the cut before touring St. Charles wedding venues (more on that process later).
However, you absolutely do need to have a general idea of how many guests you’ll need a venue to accommodate. There’s a huge difference in need between a 50-person wedding and a 300-person one.
Quick tip: You might be tempted to err on the size of too much space, but don’t pick a venue that’s too big! Empty areas can feel cold and unfeeling, which is typically not what you want out of wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO.
Budget
You can find the most beautiful, incredible, amazing wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, but if they break the bank, they won’t be right for you. The venue is one of the biggest expenses of the whole wedding. So, saving some money there is going to go a long way.
One of the things we’ll talk about in a later section is how much is included in the venue’s fee, and how much is added on separately, or must be acquired through outside vendors. For now, just know that it’s important to factor all of those things into the budget appropriately — all-inclusive St. Charles wedding venues are going to look like they cost a whole lot more than their more bare-bones counterparts, but once you add everything else you need into the latter category, it might not be such a steal.
Availability
You can let your preferred date determine the venue, or you can let your preferred venue determine the date by when they’re available. It’s usually a good idea to do a bit of both — have a few dates in mind that would and absolutely wouldn’t work, but prepare to be a little flexible.
It’s highly unlikely that many wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, are going to have your preferred date available unless you start looking far in advance. How early you need to get your venue nailed down is hard to say exactly, but many popular St. Charles wedding venues are booked up to a year in advance.
Vibe
This one is a little bit harder to nail down than the first three on our list. That doesn’t make it any less important, though. You want any wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, that you’re considering to match the overall vibe you’re envisioning for your wedding.
You’ll be looking back on your wedding photos for a long time to come. The venue will feature prominently in all of them. It’s an aesthetic choice as much as a practical one.
Are you looking for a rustic, country-chic kind of wedding? Sleek and modern? Classic and elegant? Whatever descriptors you would choose to define your vibe, make sure the venue fits them, too.
And make sure those vibes fit you and your partner! The best weddings reflect the happy couple, not just what everyone else is posting on Instagram. You want it to feel like a unique event. Different St. Charles wedding venues match each of these different styles — you just have to find the right one for you.
Accommodations
It would be nice if everyone you wanted to invite to the wedding lived close by, but that’s usually not the case. You’ll likely have friends and family traveling from afar to come to wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO. If that’s the case, then it’s considerate to make sure there are appropriate accommodations for them nearby.
Inclusions
Some wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, are little more than empty rooms. Others provide you with decorations, catering options, and lots of other included services. Definitely ask the St. Charles wedding venues you’re considering about what exactly is included in their fee.
We mentioned the budget up top because it’s so important, and this factor plays heavily into how much the venue will cost. Comparing one place where everything is included to one where little is isn’t really fair. Sometimes, you can save money by finding less expensive outside vendors to supplement a venue that doesn’t include services like catering, but you need to know what all you’ll have to also coordinate when you’re comparing prices.
And if any decor is included, consider whether it will live up to your expectations, or if you’re going to want to supplement with more personalized decorations. Those costs can start to add up, too.
Even if you can use outside vendors at your preferred wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, ask if the venue has to approve them, or if they have a list of recommended ones you can choose from. And again, if you’re looking to save money, restrictions in which vendors you can hire might affect the price point.
One final inclusion we’ll discuss here is how much help the St. Charles wedding venues will provide you with on the big day. Would you rather delegate tasks to your trusted loved ones? Or do you want to do all the work? Will they have lots of staff on hand to help you out with everything, or are you on your own? Whatever your preferences are, make sure they’re known.
Noise Restrictions
How late the party can go will have a lot to do with the specific restrictions the venue has to follow. St. Charles wedding venues typically have a cutoff point after which loud music is no longer allowed. Partying all through the night definitely won’t be possible at those sorts of venues. Now, if that’s not exactly your scene, there probably won’t be any issues. It’s just something to be aware of.
Exclusivity
Lots of St. Charles wedding venues host multiple events on the same day, sometimes at the same time. For larger venues, this often isn’t an issue. However, it is something you’ll want to know about.
Ask about how long you’ll have to get the space ready and clean up at the end of the reception — if another group is booked for your spot directly before or after, that could crunch your ideal timeline.
And if there’s another event scheduled in a separate area of the venue during your ceremony or reception, you should definitely know about that. Noise can sometimes bleed through from one event to the other in the same wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO. Plus, the logistics get harder the more crowded it gets — parking gets more scarce, guests might get confused on where to go, that kind of thing.
Making sure yours is the only wedding happening at the venue is one way to make things run smoothly.
Accessibility
It’s important for all of your guests to feel welcome at wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO. Part of that is making sure the venue is accessible for people with disabilities. Consider how much walking is involved in getting from one spot to another. Are there other options?
Another big part of accessibility is parking. Make sure there are accessible spots for your family and friends who need them.
Bathrooms also play a big role in the accessibility of St. Charles wedding venues. They’re usually only a concern if you’re getting married somewhere outdoors and somewhat remote, but it’s a good idea to make sure there are accessible options at your preferred location. It’s not a glamorous part of wedding planning by any means, but it’s better than getting to the big day and not having anywhere for your guests to go!
Separate or Together
Obviously, it’s more convenient in most ways to have one venue that you use for both the ceremony and the reception. Some couples, though, opt for two separate spaces, most often to get married in a house of worship and have the reception somewhere secular.
Whatever the case, you’ll need to make sure your preferred St. Charles wedding venues can handle what you’re asking of them. If you’re going the two separate venues route, minimizing the travel time and headaches between the two different places is a good idea.
Giving your guests ideas on what to do in the space between the ceremony at one venue and the reception at another can be a nice touch. It helps keep everybody in a good mood before cocktail hour.
Steps to Take
Now that we’ve gone over the different qualities of wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, for you to consider, let’s look at the steps you need to take in order to ensure all is in order.
Visit
Hopefully, it goes without saying that you need to tour different St. Charles wedding venues before making a decision. That’s where you’ll get an idea of the vibe of the place, and you’ll have an opportunity to ask many of the questions we outlined in earlier sections.
Pictures only go so far. It’s important to visit wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, in person as you traverse the wedding planning journey. There, you might be able to snap some of your own photos!
Take thorough notes while you’re going through the venue, and if you do take some pictures of key spots, make sure you have a system for knowing which venue each picture is from. Once you go through several, it’s easy to get confused, especially if you book multiple tours in the same day.
These are great opportunities to ask about things that might not be obvious. If you’re looking for an outdoor wedding, what kind of bad weather contingencies are in place? What kind of capabilities does the kitchen have? That kind of thing.
Read Reviews
Getting online and seeing what other people’s experiences with wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, have been like is a good way to get an initial idea of what it might be like working with different St. Charles wedding venues. You might even get some more pictures.
As with most things online, it is a good idea to take most reviews with a healthy grain of salt. Look for commonalities between different reviews. If you see one specific complaint cropping up again and again, then there’s probably some truth to it, and you should be cautious.
Visiting venues is always the best way to get a feel for it and get your questions answered. But reading reviews can be one way to narrow down your options before you book tours.
Put a Deposit Down
Don’t take too long to make a decision! Once you’ve seen everything wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, have to offer, get serious about choosing one. You don’t want them to book up for your preferred date before you have the chance to put a deposit down.
Make sure you know what kinds of payments the venue accepts, what their payment plans are like, and how much is due up front.
Now, choose from the many wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, and have a great time!
Are you feeling more confident about your choice in St. Charles wedding venues? With all of this advice in mind, you should have everything you need to make the right decision. You’re fully aware of all the different questions you need to ask and factors you need to take into consideration, and you’ve got several next steps to take from here. We hope you’re ready to dive into the wedding planning process!
At the end of the day, there are plenty of fantastic St. Charles wedding venues, but that’s not what you’re looking for. You and your partner need the venue that’s perfectly suited to your specific needs and taste.
If you need somewhere to start looking for wedding venues in O’Fallon, MO, check us out here at Trigg Banquet Center. Our beautiful space in historic downtown O’Fallon hosts many gorgeous weddings, celebrations, and other events each year. Reach out to start a conversation about how our services can be a great fit for your big day.
Comments