During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of weddings around the world were postponed or canceled, peaking in April 2020, when 82% of weddings were postponed. However, now that 57% of the United States population has received their vaccinations, many young couples are once again making arrangements for their weddings and seeking out the ideal venue.
As one of the leading wedding venues in Temecula, CA, Abbot Manor Weddings takes great consideration of each of its guests’ specific needs and has worked over the years to supply all wedding parties with the most sought features for their wedding reception. As American couples once again begin the process of planning their nuptials, Abbot Manor Weddings hopes to share with these couples their industry knowledge and what features matter most when looking for a wedding reception venue.
Capacity Limit
In today’s wedding venue market, it is recommended that couples book their wedding venue nine months to a year before their wedding date. While it can be challenging to choose a venue before you have an accurate list of guests planning to attend your wedding, it is crucial to ensure you have your ideal venue. Before viewing venues, create a list of people you and your fiancé plan on inviting to your nuptials and focus on weddings venues that have a maximum capacity above but close to this number. Many wedding planners warn their clients against booking a wedding venue that has a maximum capacity much higher than the guest list as it can make the wedding feel empty. However, the opposite can also be true, and a venue that holds a maximum of 250 guests can feel cramped if exactly 250 guests attend.
Couples must keep in mind that a number of venues during the COVID-19 pandemic will likely have much smaller capacity limits than previously listed in 2019. For this reason, couples are encouraged to call venues before scheduling a viewing to check what their current COVID-19 capacity limit is and if it will best suit their guest list.
Price
According to a 2019 survey of more than 27,000 couples, the average couple spends roughly 10,500 dollars on a venue out of their total 33,900 budget. This means that couples spend approximately 30 percent of their wedding budget on a location, with 92% of couples booking a professional wedding venue for their date. While the average cost of a wedding venue is just over 10,000, venue fees can range anywhere between $2,500-30,000 depending on the location. Within the same 2019 survey, many couples list that the venue, guest count, and location as the most important considerations when choosing their venue.
Packages
Today, the average wedding costs roughly 30,000 to 35,000 dollars. While a significant portion of this budget is spent on the wedding venue, couples can also expect to allocate a major part of their budget to the catering, bar, and staff. However, one of the best ways to reduce these costs is to find a venue that works closely with caterers, has a permanent bar and provides staff for your event. These offers or “packages” and can help save couples thousands of dollars in transportation fees. However, to be sure that costs will be lower in the long run, couples are encouraged to check with their venue to see if the package has site fees, food and beverage minimums, and other fees that could play a significant part in the venue selection process.
Dance Floor
While not every couple will want to dance on their special day, for many couples, dancing after the toasts have been made is the highlight of the night. If dancing will be one of the main events come the wedding day, it is imperative to check if your wedding venue has a dance floor and, if so, that it is big enough for the majority of guests. While some venues will allow a temporary dance floor to be built or created, this choice is rarely affordable and can add significant expenses to a wedding budget.
Curfew/ Noise Constraints
It may surprise some readers to learn that a growing number of wedding venues are putting in place strict rules when it comes to how noisy a wedding party can be or how long into the night the celebrations can continue. As outdoor venues continue to grow in popularity, these venues are now asking guests to respect noise restrictions and quiet hours out of respect for neighbors. For this reason, couples must know each venue’s noise ordinance restrictions before signing any venue contract. If couples want to “dance into the night” on their wedding day, it is best to look for specific venues that can accommodate both their party’s hours as well as music and noise levels.
Availability
On average, most wedding venues are booked out a year in advance. For this reason, many couples must choose between picking a wedding venue or a wedding date, as it can be nearly impossible to find a wedding venue that has the same availability as a pre-determined wedding date. Before going into the wedding venue search, couples should have two lists of dates, one list of dates that will work (either a favorite season, best time for PTO, or ideal time of year) and another list of dates that do not work (holidays, other family events, or due dates for relative’s expected children). However, couples who wish to keep their venue options open and not limit their search are encouraged to choose a date based on their idea venue’s availability.
