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When it comes to choosing the best wedding venue in St. Louis, there are quite a few factors to take into consideration. Do you want the wedding indoors or outdoors? How many guests will be attending? Are you going for a rustic, barn vibe or something more modern and glam?
In addition, there are several options available for wedding venues in St. Louis which can make the process seem daunting. However, there are things you can do to alleviate some of that wedding planning stress.
Let’s go over the basics for choosing the best wedding venue in St. Louis.
Budget
Before you start looking for the perfect event space for your big day, it is essential that you nail down your budget. You won’t be able to move forward with choosing a venue, catering, flowers, etc. if you are unsure about your budget. According to The Knot, you can expect to spend about 30 percent of your budget on the venue alone.
Expenses can start to pile up quickly depending on the venue you choose. Some event spaces can come with hefty service charges and often-overlooked hidden costs, such as gratuity for vendors and corkage fees. Another major factor that can impact the price of venues is the day of the week you get married. Saturday evening weddings during peak season tend to be much more expensive than weekday weddings during an off-peak time.
There are plenty of budget-friendly wedding venues in St. Louis that will make your wedding day a dream come true without breaking the bank. Consider looking into all-inclusive wedding venues in St. Louis for your big day. While it might look more expensive than simply renting out a barren ballroom, choosing an all-inclusive venue means you won’t have to worry about expensive rental fees for things like tables, chairs, china, and decorations.
For more tips on how to budget for your wedding and a full budget breakdown, visit The Knot.
Size
Once you’ve created your budget, the next step is to consider the size of your guest list. While you absolutely do not need to have your exact head count figured out beforehand, you should have a general idea of how many people will be joining you on your special day. Having a rough idea of your total head count will also help you narrow down your search for the best wedding venues in St. Louis.
When searching for wedding venues in St. Louis, oftentimes you will be provided with a range of how many people the site can accommodate. You want to make sure that the space will fit you and your guests comfortably. Too big of a venue, and the space will feel cold and uninviting in addition to putting a sizable dent in your budget. Too small of a venue, and your guests will feel cramped and uncomfortable.
Whatever the size of your guest list, though, you will surely be able to find the best wedding venue in St. Louis that is the perfect amount of space for you and your guests.
Availability
If you’re looking to get married on a Saturday night during peak wedding season, you’d better book far in advance. Availability for the best wedding venues in St. Louis will surely fill up quickly.
It is completely fine to have dates in mind that you would prefer and dates you absolutely do not want. However, try to be flexible when it comes to choosing a date for your wedding. Different times of the day, days of the week, and seasons will have an impact on how much wedding venues in St. Louis will end up costing. As stated earlier, Saturday evening weddings during peak season are surely going to be more expensive dates than Sunday afternoon during the off-season.
While touring wedding venues in St. Louis, be sure to ask what their availability is like. In addition, ask how their prices vary for different days, times, and seasons. All wedding venues in St. Louis will be different, so if you ask one, don’t assume the prices will be the same for all.
Style/Theme
Will your wedding be more formal or more casual? Do you want beautiful, panoramic vineyard views or a cozy, rustic feel? Are you looking for a super modern venue or a laid-back garden wedding? These are all questions to consider when deciding on the style/theme of your wedding and ultimately, your venue.
When looking at wedding venues in St. Louis, you will want to have a vision in mind of what you want your wedding to look like. This will help you narrow down your options fairly quickly. If you are wanting a cozy barn wedding, you wouldn’t want to waste your time looking at the Jewel Box as a potential wedding venue, for example.
Choosing a theme for your wedding is especially important if you’re looking for an all-inclusive wedding venue. All-inclusive venues can be a great way to save money; however, you want to be sure that the things the venue provides align with your theme.
With all of the different types of wedding venues in St. Louis, you will surely find one that fits your vision. However, if you’re unsure about which style you like or need some inspiration, check out Brides.com’s breakdown of different wedding styles.
Inclusions and/or Vendor Options
If you are looking to flex your DIY skills and build your perfect wedding from the ground up, there are plenty of venues in St. Louis that allow for that. Keep in mind, though, if you’re wanting a blank-slate wedding venue in St. Louis, you will have to bring everything. Tables, chairs, china, decorations, linens, and even a dance floor and restrooms in some cases. These are all costs you will want to consider when planning your budget.
However, if you’re not a DIY connoisseur and want to have everything provided in-house, consider an all-inclusive wedding venue in St. Louis. With all-inclusive wedding venues, you will be provided with everything you need, including decorations and catering options.
Something to think about with all-inclusive venues is if the included decorations will align with your style and the theme of the wedding. If they do, perfect! If they don’t, look into utilizing outside vendors to provide decorations.
Keep in mind that some venues may have to approve the vendors you choose. Other wedding venues in St. Louis may have an approved list of outside vendors to choose from, which may affect the final price.
Whichever type of venue you choose, blank-slate or all-inclusive, be sure to read your wedding venue’s policies carefully before signing on the dotted line. If you are using an all-inclusive space, will there be staff available to help set things up? If your venue is bare bones, be sure to ask about hanging decorations and vendor policies. Pay special attention to the fine details; they can often be overlooked during the stress of wedding planning.
Wedding and Reception in the Same Place?
When looking for wedding venues in St. Louis, another thing to think about is if the ceremony and the reception will be held at the same place. Having the ceremony and reception in the same place may be more convenient for some couples, especially if they aren’t looking to get married in a place of worship. However, if you are looking to get married in a place of worship, park, courthouse, etc., you may have to look into a separate wedding venue in St. Louis for your reception.
If you are wanting to have the entire day held at the same location, be sure that you are looking at wedding venues in St. Louis that can accommodate both events. Using a single location will also help alleviate any travel issues between the ceremony and the reception.
There is absolutely no right or wrong answer to if you should have your wedding ceremony and reception in one location or two. Should you choose to have two separate locations, though, be sure to give your guests adequate time to travel from point A to point B.
Accessibility and Parking
While you’re on the hunt for the best wedding venues in St. Louis, something to keep in mind is if the venue will be accessible for all of your guests. Is there a ramp that guests can use to get inside if needed? Is there a functioning elevator if there are multiple flights of stairs?
Something else to think about is the bathroom situation. I’m sure this isn’t top of your list of the most exciting things about wedding planning but it is important. Especially if you’re getting married somewhere outdoors or in a more remote location, you’re going to want to make sure there are an adequate number of bathrooms, and nearby too.
Another not-so-glamorous aspect of choosing wedding venues in St. Louis is parking. No matter where in the St. Louis area your wedding venue is, accessible and close parking is important for family and friends who may need it, especially if you’re looking at wedding venues in downtown St. Louis. Ask how many parking spots will be available for your guests. If there won’t be enough parking, ask if there is accessible parking nearby, if guests will have to pay to park somewhere if they can’t park at the venue, etc.
Curfew and Noise Restrictions
When the champagne is flowing and people are on the dance floor, time can really get away from you. While it may not seem like a huge deal for your wedding to go an extra 45 minutes over your allotted time, you could end up going home with a hefty fine.
Some wedding venues in St. Louis might be stricter than others when it comes to how late your party can go and how loud you can play music, especially if you’re getting married outdoors or in a hotel where people not involved in the wedding will be staying. When touring the best wedding venues in St. Louis, you should ask if there are any sort of restrictions and what kind of fees come along with them.
What’s Next?
Now that we’ve covered the basics of things to consider when looking for wedding venues in St. Louis, let’s go over the next steps for securing the best wedding venue in St. Louis.
Visit Venues
This should be a no-brainer. You will need to visit the many wedding venues in the St. Louis area that meet your criteria. Even if a venue has a fantastic website with all the information you could need and beautiful pictures, you’ll still want to visit. Physically being in the space is way different than looking at pictures online.
While you’re visiting wedding venues in St. Louis, you will be able to get a real feel for the vibe of the venues, start to envision how you would set things up, scope out parking, bathrooms, etc. This will also be a great time to ask all those questions mentioned earlier, such as restrictions, vendor requirements, and if your ceremony and reception can be held in the same space.
Read Reviews
Even if you are touring the absolute best wedding venues in St. Louis, be sure to get online after your tour and read some unbiased reviews of the venues. You might have loved every single thing about your tour and then find that this venue gets horrible reviews time and time again. Pay attention to the positive reviews too, though, in addition to how the venue responds to the feedback.
Prepare Your Deposit
Once you’ve seen all the wedding venues in St. Louis that interest you, it’s time to make it official. Don’t wait too long to put a deposit down, especially if availability is slim pickings. You will want to secure your preferred date as quickly as possible so it doesn’t get reserved by somebody else.
A quick tip: Make sure you know what kind of payment methods the venue accepts, if there are payment plans, and what your initial deposit will be.
You are now ready to choose from the best wedding venues in St. Louis!
With the plethora of wedding venues in St. Louis, the right one for you is out there — you just have to go find it. With this list of tips, you should be ready to decide on a space from the best wedding venues in St. Louis that will be perfect for you and your guests on your big day. Hopefully the process doesn’t feel as daunting anymore.
If you’re looking for a fantastic wedding venue in St. Louis to kick off the search, check out Trigg Banquet Center. We have a beautiful and recently renovated space in historic downtown O’Fallon that is equipped to host custom weddings, celebrations, and more. Schedule a tour today!