Picking the perfect venue is one of the most daunting decisions that form part of your wedding day. The venue will influence your photos, ambiance and over all wedding experience. Depending on what is included in the venue package and what needs to be supplied by the venue, the importance of the perfect wedding venue will increase very quickly.

For the DIY enthusiast, take some advice from a dynamic ‘do-it-yourselfer’, you don’t need to do it all yourself, even though everyone knows you can. With all the arrangements you need to make and everything you need to keep track of, it places unnecessary pressure on yourself and your loved ones to try and do almost everything yourself to save a buck or two.

Keep in mind what each venue offers you, what is included in their packages, what is excluded and what will become extra costs at the end of the day. Weigh all of this up against each other and also take in consideration the overall feeling and look of the venue (and your budget, ofcourse).

Having a venue that includes more extras will make life much easier for you. Also, consider hiring an event planner or coordinator who can keep track of everything for you, especially if you’re going for a venue that offers you less extras.

Depending on how big a wedding you want to have, the size of your venue will have a big influence on your final choice and budget. Whether you want to get married in a church chapel or somewhere else, will also need to be decided in advance.

If you want a grande, big wedding with all your family and friends, you have to keep the location of the venue of choice in mind. Will your guests need to sleep over or will they be able to easily travel on the special day? Will it be close for guests from both sides? Be careful not to book a venue that involves too much traveling, because you might end up losing some of your guests this way. Your guests might also end up leaving early as to avoid driving too late at night.

If you have always dreamt of saying your I do’s under an arch of flowers in the garden or in the field between the hay bales, make sure you have an indoor alternative or some kind of roofing solution for unforeseen whether changes. You never know when icy weather, gushing winds or unsettling storms might make it a very tiring experience.

Some venues will be more accommodating in this regard so make sure you ask about this from the start.