What Should You Look For In A Wedding Venue?
We’re getting married at Dandy in Milwaukee, but let’s talk about what’s right for you.
Knowing how to pick a wedding venue for your wedding day is no easy task. If you’ve never planned a wedding before, it’s even more daunting. We recently photographed an engagement session at Dandy – a vintage store that doubles as a wedding venue and event space in Milwaukee – and we were blown away by how perfect the space is for weddings and receptions (get to the bottom to see those photos). Our experience at Dandy inspired us to reflect on what truly makes a great wedding venue, and it comes down to a few key elements. As you plan your wedding, use this checklist for the top 5 things to look for when picking the wedding venue best for you.
- A vibe that matches your personalities
- Nooks and crannies
- Good lighting for the ceremony
- A getting-ready space
- The right size for your guest count
A wedding venue with a vibe you vibe with
Getting married in a space that feels genuine to you as a couple is a choice you will not regret. Are you two romantic? Playful? What kind of wedding do you want to have? Does dancing into the late hours of the night sound like something you’d enjoy, or are you more of a “morning bloodies and in bed by eight” kind of pair? Answering those questions can help lead you to the right event space.
If you’re going for a certain aesthetic, choosing the right venue can be a make-or-break that theme. If you’re vintage lovers with eclectic taste like us, Dandy is where it’s at. For the European and traditional art lovers, Villa Terrace or Charles Allis will make your dreams come true. Laid back couples who want a backyard barbeque feel but don’t actually want to host at their home would enjoy a brewery reception space in Milwaukee like The Fermentorium. The key to the best venue? It should feel undoubtedly like “you.”
Nooks and crannies
What can we say – a venue needs a little charm. We’re wedding photographers so we had to give aesthetics a plug! Some elements you can look for are rooms with unique wallpaper, timeless or trendy furniture pieces, paintings or neon signs on the walls, and anything else with an interesting geometric shape or pattern. If you’ve found a venue that you vibe with, chances are, there is a visual reason you feel that way. Those touches that made you fall in love with a venue are exactly what will make for good photographic elements.
If you found a venue that you love but it’s a more simple setup, that can also play to your favor. Rental companies, such as Relics Rentals, can help create styled lounges and provide decor elements that fit your taste exactly. Florists are another great resource for bringing a blank canvas to life (Unordinary Omen Floristry created some of the most stunning hanging florals we’ve ever seen). Your photo and video team have trained eyes to notice the elements that will photograph well, so if you’re working with a photographer you trust, they will be able to guide you to the perfect spots.
Good lighting
What does ‘good lighting’ mean as it relates to a wedding venue? It’s complicated, but this one comes with a heavy disclaimer: don’t stress too much about the technicalities, because when you’re working with a creative team that understands light, they’ll be able to work with whatever they’ve got.
That being said, there are some things to keep in mind, especially when choosing a location for your ceremony. Photographer flashes can distract from your guests’ experience during quiet, intimate moments such as a ceremony. For that reason, most photographers choose to keep their lighting setups to a minimum during this portion of the day. With less flexibility to change the angles to capture you in the best light during these moments, the lighting setup where you exchange vows plays an important role in the look of your ceremony photographs.
Two things you will want to look for with ceremony lighting in a wedding venue:
- You and your partner can both stand in the same kind of light. For example, if one of you is in the shade of a tree, you should both be in the shade of the tree.
- You are not being heavily backlit. Backlighting occurs when there are bright windows directly behind you without an even brighter light in front of you. The result is that you’ll appear as a silhouette. This will impact your photographs as well as your guests’ experience who may struggle to see the emotions on your faces.
The good news is, most wedding venues have a few options for ceremony spots. You can always use a floral backdrop or curtains to reduce backlighting if needed.
When it comes to other parts of the day? Go wild. We’ll have more freedom as photographers to work with the natural lighting conditions and add in flash as needed without causing a scene. While many photographers enjoy the natural light windows provide (it’s great!), that comes with an important note. Windows don’t have to be floor-to-ceiling (or even on the walls!) to be good. Dandy has an incredible sky light over their ceremony spot that makes for dreamy pictures.
A getting-ready space
Having a getting-ready space for both you and your partner at the venue will give you a little sense of relief on your wedding day. Staying at one spot saves you from spending too much time in a car and lets you relax more (no worrying about if you left anything at another location). It will also cut travel time out for your photo video team, so you’ll get more out of your 8-10 hours of wedding coverage.
If your dream space only has room for one of you (or neither of you) to get ready, you can still make it work! Just look for a nearby hotel or airbnb that fits multiple guests for pre-wedding prep. Just note that, no matter what, it’s important to hide your clutter and keep your space clean if you want beautiful getting ready photos. At least one window or white ceilings is also a big plus when it comes to the ideal getting ready space for photographs.
The right size wedding venue for your guest list
How many guests are you expecting? Before you make any decisions on a wedding venue, it is best to answer that question. The perfect size wedding venue is not too big and not too small in relation to your guest count. *In pandemic-times, you’ll want to have extra space for distancing, but fingers crossed for some normalcy returning soon. Please spread out while there is still a pandemic going on.
If you’re maxing out the wedding venue’s seating space, it could feel a little tight for your guests. There also won’t always be room for your photographers and videographers to walk around to get “the shot.” The perfect size wedding venue has room on the perimeter of your ceremony, so your photo video team can get multiple angles and include your important guests in shots, as well.
If the venue space is too big, it can feel empty – even if all of the people you love are there. Guests who are too far apart to enjoy each others company can lead to the energy fading more quickly. You’ll also have to do more running around if you’d like to spend a little time with each of your guests.
If you have a dream venue in mind already, ask them how many guests they can comfortably seat for a ceremony and host for the reception. Then, check to see if you can fit your guest list within those numbers! If there is a venue you’re in love with that can hold many more guests than you plan to invite, ask about dividers or limiting guest access to a smaller portion of the space.
Ready To Book Your Wedding Venue?
Dandy, Villa Terrace, The Cooperage, Turner Hall… The options feel endless
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you think of all of the factors to consider on a wedding day. The most important thing is undoubtedly that you get married to the person you love. If you’re feeling stressed, always go back to basics. Or… call a planner. Our sweet friend Liz at Dream Weddings will always know how to help.
On the topic of dream weddings, dream venues, and dream couples, Andrew and Megan’s engagement session at Dandy gives us LIFE. We cannot wait to see what this writer and interior designer come up with for their wedding day next year. Working with other creatives will never get old.
