The location you choose for your ceremony and reception will help determine the theme, colors and formality of your wedding. There are a myriad of venue types to choose from - hotels, restaurants or private homes - and each one has its own pros and cons.
Instant Weddings: From "Will you?" to "I Do!" in Four Months or Less has a breakdown of each type of location to help you find the perfect setting for your big day.
Where to Look
Once you have a sense of the number of guests, you can start looking for a location. The venues listed in bridal guides are most likely to be taken, although that's not necessarily a given. People do cancel. Prime Saturdays are sometimes mysteriously skipped over. If there's somewhere you have in mind, but you think it's not likely to be available, pick up the phone anyway! You may be surprised at what a little sweet-talking and finagling can get you. Perhaps the main ballroom is booked, but a lovely suite is open. Your favorite restaurant might be full but able to cater an event that's held elsewhere. You won't know until you try.
Fortunately, there are many great alternatives and effective techniques for betrothed couples to find a place in a hurry. Here are a few suggestions to help get your creative juices flowing:
Embrace Monday Through Friday
Is there a spot you've dreamed of for your wedding? Don't despair if it's booked every weekend until 2040. Call up the place and ask in your sweetest voice if there's an opening on a weekday or weeknight. Friends and family worth their salt won't mind taking a day or two off for your wedding.
Break It Up
If your ceremony spot is only available in the morning and your reception venue of choice can only make room for you in the evening, consider splitting the events up. Invite close friends and relatives to an intimate morning ceremony followed by a fabulous bash that evening. Everyone gets to take a nap, and you get to spend a luxurious long day with your now-husband before putting on your party dress. What's not to love?
Get more information about getting married
outdoors,
at home,
City Hall or an
unlikely locale.
Ah, The Great Outdoors
Your local parks and recreation department likely has numerous facilities available to be rented for events - both indoors and out. Beaches and public parks may require permits for certain types of gatherings, but generally they are free, spacious, and mighty beautiful. Urbanites might want to consult with friends who live or work in skyscrapers; often there are rooftop facilities in offices or apartment buildings that provide stunning views at little cost.
Home, Sweet Home
A home-based wedding can be simultaneously elegant and cozy, and as extravagant or casual as you desire. A friend's lush rose garden may be just as nice as a hotel courtyard, and who can beat a mom's hospitality? Friends who live in a condominium complex may be able to hook you up with their on-site clubhouse or swimming pool.
City Hall
Before weddings were elevated to the level of myth and fairy tale, they were often practical, small-scale events that would start at the local city hall. In many ways, the simple civil ceremony is one of the most traditional options around, and the grand historical architecture may provide a dramatic setting for your exchange of vows.
Far, Far Way
One way to prevent hurt feelings caused by a limited guest list or last-minute elopement is to take your wedding overseas. What could be more romantic than riding through a Greek village on donkeys while locals applaud, or saying "I do" in front of a dramatic tropical waterfall? Wedding travel packages can be found for destinations from Hawaii to Moscow and everywhere in between and are perfect for just the two of you, or a small group of immediate family and close friends.
Think about getting married in a
restaurant, a
religious location or
a location special to the two of you.
The Chapel of Love
If religion is a big part of your life, or if you just love the theatrics of a traditional religious ceremony, then it's likely you'll want to be wed in a church, synagogue, or mosque. Do you or your parents belong to a religious congregation or parish? Often these places set aside wedding time slots just for members. Again, you'll have to contend with the fact that most Saturdays are booked in advance. If this is the case, see if there's not a neighboring church that's available or ask for a weekday or weeknight instead. Many facilities include kitchens and banquet halls where you can celebrate after the ceremony.
Memory Lane
Couples rarely meet in a place as romantic as the one where they eventually get married, but that doesn't mean the place where eyes first locked, hands first touched, or saliva was first exchanged isn't special. Marrying in the bar where you first bumped into each other or at the dog park where your pups introduced the two of you can be very meaningful, not to mention fun. If it's a public place, make sure to check with the city for restrictions and permits.
Unlikely Locales
Your local nursery may have never hosted a wedding, but that doesn't mean the owners won't be willing to, if you ask nicely. Galleries, schools and clubs can all provide excellent backdrops for your event. In cities, interior decorators often doll up unoccupied houses as showcases for their work, which can then be rented out for events. Lavish private mansions are often maintained by holding weddings and bar mitzvahs. Often they advertise only by word of mouth, so be sure to ask around.
Packages
Many hotels and popular destinations like Hawaii and Las Vegas offer all-inclusive wedding packages. Fort he couple that's short on time and not terribly picky, it can be a wonderful time-saver to get your flowers, cake, food, officiant, even music all from the same place. Personal touches can be added to things like favors or clothing.
Restaurants
If your wedding is going to be on the smaller side, a nice restaurant can be a perfect setting for your reception (and even ceremony). If the establishment doesn't have a private room or courtyard, plan your party for hours when the restaurant is usually closed, so you don't have to pay a staggering buy-out fee (which basically covers what they would be making if regular customers were there). Check with your local chamber of commerce and visitor's bureau for lists of restaurants that are available for special events.
Excerpted from
Instant Weddings From "Will You?" to "I Do!" in Four Months or Less by Jennifer L. Shawne. © 2003 Chronicle Books
