As anyone who has even planned the smallest of registry office weddings will tell you, getting everything arranged for your big day can be extremely stressful. After deciding on what you are going to wear, the venue is perhaps the most important part of the planning phase.

We looked at some key do’s and don’ts when it comes to choosing the perfect wedding venue for your special day.

DO: Shop Around

It is understandable that some people have their perfect wedding venue; the place that they always dreamed of getting married in. While this may be the case, it is always worth having a look at several venues in order to decide which one best suits your needs. A castle, for example, might be a venue you and your partner always dreamed of, however if there is a lack of other facilities and it is in the middle of nowhere is it really that practical?

DON’T: Take Their Word For It

As part of the “shopping around” process, make the time to attend a function that is taking place in each venue, if possible. We are not for a moment suggesting you begin to gate crash other people’s weddings, however by arranging convenient times to visit with the venue management you will be able to see what you are likely to get for your money.

This also means you can assess things like the “house DJ” and food for yourself, and decide whether you will need to hire your own and the additional cost.

DO: List Guests First

If there are certain people that you definitely want to invite to your wedding, then you should write the guest list out first. If you know you want to invite 100 people, then immediately you can eliminate any smaller venues from your choices. You will be surprised how many venues are actually aimed towards smaller groups, so could find your choices limited and your budget challenged should you be thinking of inviting 100 plus guests.

DON’T: Go Over The Top

By this we mean in terms of space. If you want to go over the top in terms of decorations, pomp and circumstance, then that is of course up to you. However, having settled on numbers of guests do not then hire somewhere twice the size of what you really need, unless they offer a fabulous package that you simply cannot refuse.

DO: Negotiate on Costs

How you do this will depend on where you are holding the wedding. If you are hiring a public venue then you will be, in effect, subsidising what the venue would ordinarily make during that day so there will likely be little room for discussion. Should you be hiring a private hall or venue, then you will be much more likely to be able to do a deal.

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Selecting a wedding venue is much more than a job of searching a big and beautiful banquet, as there are many practical things, attached to it. To select a perfect wedding venue, it is important that couples consider things beyond the grandeur of the wedding hall. Selection of the venue should be made after putting enough considerations in terms of different aspects, which we will discuss in this article. Some of the aspects that are necessary to consider before selecting your wedding venue includes space, accessibility, location, distance, facilities, payment policy, hidden cost, staff, and any other additional facilities that you may require.

The first and the foremost thing that should be considered before you finalize your wedding venue is the location. Location of your wedding venue, whether its destination wedding, outdoor wedding or a wedding hall, is crucial so as to make sure that all of your guests are able to access and reach the place easily. Moreover, there should be enough space for the arrival and parking of the vehicles of your guests along with your own wedding car. If you are going for a theme wedding, then choosing a related place is all the more important, especially for beach theme, retro theme, nature theme etc.

Other thing that should be considered while booking your wedding venue is the size of location or the hall, which should be according to the number of guests you are expecting. You shouldn’t opt for a too big place if you have a small guest list, as it will be a total waste of money, especially if it’s a hall. On the other hand, you would not also like that, there is insufficient space for the guests. The space should also be enough to accommodate the activities you have planned for your wedding, like DJ, orchestra, dancing etc. Also, make sure that your wedding venue is already an enchanting and beautiful place, so that you don’t have to spend too much on the decoration.

Another important factor that is significant is the staff and facilities available at the venue. Do consider that there are some guest rooms as well as proper rest rooms. Moreover, see the number of staff that will be provided for attending the guests, and ensure that they are well trained and competent enough to handle any unexpected situation on the D-day. Any other additional facility that you may need for the convenience of your guests or for yourself should also be checked and asked for.

Along with all the above factors, one very important factor to be kept in mind is the price of the venue. Always cross check, their prices with the ones offered at other venues before finalizing. In case of destination wedding, do consider the other costs like accommodation for guests and travelling expense, apart from the venue rates. Do not forget to clear all important things like payment schedule, any hidden cost, overtime charges, and cancellation policy. Moreover, ensure that the venue owners have their liquor license and other legal documentations in place, so that no problem arises there-from.

Dealing with all these things carefully, you will be able to select a perfect wedding venue for making your wedding all the more special.

This article has been written by an expert associated with WeddingMuseum.com, a company providing wedding venue listings for today’s brides and grooms.

10 Steps To A Gorgeous Backyard Wedding

A backyard wedding can be a lovely, intimate affair or an extravagant bash, depending on the size of your yard and your pocketbook. Hosting your wedding celebration at home can be an appealing option. One advantage is that your wedding date will not be dictated by the availability of a venue. Also, renting venues for the ceremony and reception often consume as much as one third of the total wedding budget. Investing those funds into home improvement instead makes good financial sense. There are special challenges to consider when planning a backyard wedding, so here are ten steps to ensure that yours is memorable for all the right reasons:

1. Make Room

The first step is to review your guest list and determine how much space you’ll need to comfortably accommodate everyone. If your yard is modest in size, you may need to limit the number of invited guests. If you plan on hiring caterers, be sure to anticipate the number of staff as well.

2. Expect The Unexpected

Unless you can easily move the party inside, it’s wise to plan for inclement weather by erecting a canopy or tent. Push pole tents, frame tents and tension tents take up varying amounts of room, so be sure to take careful measurements before committing to one type or another.

3. Choose A Theme

Choosing a theme for your at-home wedding will answer a lot of questions. Ideas will suggest themselves for everything from decor to food to wedding favors. When choosing your color scheme, build on what Mother Nature has provided. Shades of violet, blue, cream, pink or yellow are all gorgeous complements for an expanse of green lawn. Decorations can be made with sashes, ribbons and crepe paper. Scrapbooking paper is useful for adorning small items. Centerpieces generally consist of flowers, but for a fun alternative try over-sized glass bowls of luscious fruit.

4. Delegate The Important Tasks

Everybody wants to help, so give your friends and relatives an assignment. Doing so will free you up to take care of other critical and enjoyable details yourself. Good examples of tasks you can delegate are:

• Parking – Have a volunteer negotiate with a church or nearby retail store for use of their parking lot. A shuttle bus can be arranged to ferry guests to and from the lot, or you may wish to hire a valet parking service. If you plan on asking your guests to park on the street, be sure to notify the neighbors in advance.
• Back-up power – Find a quiet generator that can be rented in case the power goes out during your festivities.
• Portable restrooms – There should be one toilet for every 25 people, so do the math.

5. Plan Major Improvements And Purchases

Fill holes in the lawn and sow grass seeds over bare spots several weeks in advance. Keep the lawn neatly mowed on a regular basis leading up to the event. That will prevent piles of freshly mowed grass from clinging to your guests’ finery or your wedding gown. Do a bit of detective work before the big day to determine where water and mud puddles accumulate. Check to ensure that surfaces are flat enough to navigate in high heels. You may have a patio that needs refinishing, or a driveway that needs resurfacing. Remember the requirements of elderly guests, and ensure their comfort and safety.

Wedding receptions are perfect opportunities for friends and family to reconnect. Make sure your backyard is outfitted with comfortable seating to encourage conversation. Is there a place for hanging hammocks? A porch where you can place an old-fashioned swing? Maybe even a quiet nook that’s perfect for a loveseat or bench? Since you’re not just decorating for one day, you can invest in high quality furniture that lasts.

6. Grow Your Colors

Landscape your yard with flowering shrubs that echo your color scheme. Be sure that they flower continuously or that the blooms will coincide with your wedding date. The shrubs will continue to grow and provide years of enjoyment, blooming on your anniversary for years to come.

7. Set The Mood With Music And Lighting

Music will liven up your reception, whether it’s a string quartet, a live rock band, or a playlist that’s piped in through speakers hidden in the trees. For the traditional wedding march, perhaps a musical friend could provide that bit of melody on guitar, electric piano, or even accordion.

If your backyard wedding and reception extend into the night, lighting will be required. Strings of lights can be attached inside the tent. You may want to locate freestanding lights strategically at the edge of the yard to act as a decoy for moths. Solar powered lights can be placed near walkways for strolling after sunset.

8. To Rent Or To Buy

You’ll probably have to rent tables and chairs, but you may actually save money buying simple dishes, flatware and glassware at Ikea or a similar designer discount store. After your wedding, these items can become a tax-deductible donation to charity.

9. Don’t Let ‘em See You Sweat

The tent will keep you dry but you still need to maintain your cool. Elaborate misting systems are available that utilize flash evaporation technology to cool without drenching. Portable fans can be distributed to generate a heavenly breeze.

10. Document The Event

Consider hiring a professional photographer or videographer to circulate among your friends and family, capturing the fun. It’s also possible to position the photographer with a backdrop in a corner of the yard, so that guests can drop by to have their portraits taken. A rented photo booth will allow guests to create their own pictographic record. Or provide everyone with a disposable camera and encourage them to snap away, providing spontaneous witness to your at-home wedding.

Exchanging vows in the backyard of the home you will share as a newly married couple is a treasured experience you’ll remember for the rest of your lives.

About The Author

Jay Chua is an Internet Entrepreneur and publisher of PorchSwingSets.com, a site that features reviews of trendy hammocks and porch swings. Jay lives with his wife Deisy in Vancouver, Canada, where they indulge their passion for home and gardening, relaxing on outdoor porch swings or pawleys hammocks. Jay and Deisy also enjoy keeping up with the latest wedding design trends in the marketplace.

Choosing A Wedding Venue – From A DJ’s Perspective

So, you’ve read the “how to choose the perfect wedding venue” articles posted on the web, published in the bridal magazines and you’re wondering what the heck it’s a DJ would know about the topic… Well consider this, who
attends more weddings in a year than your maid of honour, and who gets to leave the wedding venue with the last of the wedding guests (keeping in mind that the wedding photographer only stays until the bouquet and garter has
been thrown)?

In other words who really gets to know the ins and outs of choosing a wedding venue to have a decent party at?  There are loads of things to consider when choosing a wedding venue. First there are the obvious ones: How many guests can it accommodate; does it have sufficient parking; is it safe; what’s the food like; are there electrical outlets for the DJ’s, band; etc.

But what about the party? I mean the ceremony, while it is the essence of the wedding, only lasts 30 to 45 minutes, while the reception can keep going for anything between 4 to 8 hours, and it is in this time that your guests will want
to be entertained. And honestly, the jazz band only plays for so long! This is where I come in. You see, I’ve been a DJ for 13 years now. My speciality: weddings. And I’ve seen my share, trust me!

So what should you be looking at when you choose a wedding venue, to not only make sure that the wedding is unique, stunning, elegant, but also a wedding that your guests will talk about for years to come?

Let’s start with the basics: there’s a good chance that 50% of your guests will be smokers, so the venue must have a facility for smokers. Now usually this is done outside, which works fine, but what happens when it rains? Can they
cater for this, or will the smokers just leave early? I mean let’s face it, smokers don’t party unless they have a cigarette in hand…

Secondly, what do they have planned for the kids? I know that some couples specifically request their guests to not bring kids along, but hey, if that were you, would you want to leave your kids at home? How about booking a
smaller venue (or a room) for the kids and arranging alternative entertainment for them, together with a qualified child minder? Did you know that there are entertainment companies out there that provide these services?  This prevents anyone getting hurt on the dance floor and the kids will have a ball! Remember that weddings are a time for friends and family to get together…

Did you know that if you choose a venue in a residential area you’ll be restricted in terms of the music on the night?  So instead of the rocking party you expected, you’ll be having a toned down affair with guests nagging you (and your DJ) to turn up the tunes. Now you might not have thought about this, and the venue probably neglected to mention this, but as they are in a residential area, they are not allowed to play loud music, especially not after 22h00 at night.  And as a DJ we are obliged to stick to that rule, or we might be kicked out. Usually your party will also end strictly at 00h00, so no overtime here…

While a wedding in the country or in outlying areas are a better choice in terms of the music, you have to consider that your guests might have been drinking the whole evening and some of them will be driving home afterwards. A good idea might be to have the telephone numbers of cab companies handy for those guests who have had one drink too many, after all you wouldn’t want your guests to remember your wedding as the night they spent in jail…

Finally, always keep in mind that your entertainment for the evening will be one of the most important choices you’ll make. Should you decide to go with a DJ, always ensure that they are registered with both SAMRO and SADJA (the South African Music Rights Organisation and the South African DJ Association). This will prevent embarrassment during the evening and also ensure that you get quality entertainment – All Night Long! (For more on SAMRO and SADJA please visit their respective websites).

By Derek Jansen ? founder of DerekJay Entertainment. DerekJay Entertainment specializes in wedding DJs and DJ Hire. For more information, visit www.djentertainment.co.za/dj-hire.html