The Stoneleigh as a wedding venue. (Photos courtesy Winston Lackey/WTL Photos and Video)
Location, location, location
Online exclusive: Experts offer these tips for choosing the ideal wedding venue
By Rich Lopez | Staff writer
So you’re getting married and have just the right place in mind. That’s great. Or, you’re going through wedding websites and recommendations visiting way too many venues and just can’t make up your mind. Picking the perfect spot for your wedding day can be magical or daunting, but either way, these local experts have something to say when it comes to doing it right.
Wendy Kidd, Master Wedding Planner for Each and Every Detail. (Courtesy photo)
Certified Master Wedding Planner Wendy Kidd of Each and Every Detail (EachAndEveryDetail.com) has found that there are two big mistakes that most people make in their venue selection. People get that glint in their eye on a particular place, but crucial details can help or hurt the decision making.
“The first mistake is that they make their guest lists after finding a venue and then may have selected a venue that’s too small,” she said. “Make a guest list with everyone involved and tend to think in estimates.”
She adds to get with everyone such as the parents and future in-laws who are contributing to the guest list and use proper or legal names. “Nana” on the list twice is just going to cause confusion. Compare lists and put them into a spreadsheet online that everyone can review. Then you can come up with a good estimate of people that can lead to selecting the venue.
In short, don’t pack people in because that’s what they will remember. An interesting point she made is don’t rely on formulas for attendance.
“Those don’t work and they don’t address any variables,” she said. “Plus, most of those were made pre-COVID and that’s really changed everything.”
The second common mistake Kidd found is crunching the numbers. Budget is key to planning and of course, to selecting the venue that you can afford. Just don’t fool yourself.
“People haven’t made any kind of budget. They have not put the numbers down or researched what everything costs,” she said. “What we’ve found is that typically with a venue that offers catering and basic rentals, that’s about 50 to 60 percent of the budget. If you have a 100K budget, then you’ve cut into it so deeply.”
To summarize, budget every single thing to prevent any overspending.
Do same-sex couples have to think about anything differently? Well, in these times, yes. There are likely some venues out there who aren’t the marrying kind.
“You can usually spot these by looking at their websites. They will either state it plainly, or they’ll use lots of faith-based language and only the terms bride and groom,” Kidd said. “You can inquire with venues and ask if they are same sex-friendly of course.”
Kidd’s company, Each and Every Detail, does its part of allyship in that it refuses to recommend any venue or vendor that doesn’t serve same sex couples
Couples do want reliability when it comes to selecting their wedding venue. Those with a strong reputation and history of weddings can be appealing as well as its versatility. JD Tamez, Director of Sales at The Stoneleigh adds that with such a foothold in hosting ceremonies can instill a confidence in the couple’s selection.
“Most couples seek out venues that have a great reputation and most importantly does the location align with their vision. Then of course venue capacity and costs round out the top four,” he said. “The Stoneleigh has a long-standing tradition of hosting wedding parties under 120 people, which allows the use of multiple space options to make it an exciting and celebratory event.”
The place has its own trick up its sleeve for appealing to couples on the hunt.
“Stoneleigh’s historic eleventh floor is like no other in DFW and is able to encompass an entire wedding itinerary as each event room creates the perfect backdrop,” he added.
Kidd’s third tip is one that can take a lot of troubles off couples’ shoulders.
“Get an event planner,” she said. “We can cut through so much time and research. We’re here to help with decisions and can help with venue searches, vendors and any extra needs. Plus, couples can absolutely hire an event planner and ask them to find out if venues and vendors are a good fit by serving same sex couples.”
Whether it’s shopping for a space, looking into the one that’s already decided on or even creating a space at a private residence, Kidd says that a planner can cut through all the labor-intensive work for couples to concentrate on other plans and details.
In finding a planner to do all that, research their website, Google ratings and reviews and even the vendors and venues they’ve worked with. If they work well with others, they may just work well with you and find that one perfect place to help create that one perfect day.
Special thanks to photographer Winston Lackey and WTL Photo and Video for contributing images featuring trans-activist bride model Avalisa Ellicott in a wedding photo shooot at the Stoneleigh. See more images below.
