How many venues did you look at before you found the right one?

[Deelight]

So far IRL I have looked at 3 on to number 4 tomorrow, on the net I have looked at about 30-40+ easily and narrowed it down to 20ish that I want to look at in person. So far only one venue has been good, the venue itself is quite nice and the food is meant to be divine but it is to close and not what we are looking for 110% - however we have it as a back up.

So far venue searching has been mostly disappointing, today FI and I drove about 2.5hrs (return trip) to visit what we thought would be a stunning manor house get there get excited because it does look amazing only to walk inside and be utterly disappointed with the whole place.

The tablecloths were dirty, the rooms were dirty and smelled musty, the cutlery on the table I looked at was stained and some of the light fixtures were broken.

The bridal changing area I don''''t even want to mention because it was horrid, think dirty and ugly crappy 70''''s decor and office furniture.

It was the kind of place I would like to be in the garden (which was beautiful) but wouldn''''t want to stay there.

Last weekend we went to a really beautiful golf course up the coast (with a fantastic chef), walked in for our appointment (they were setting up a wedding) and look around and the room again is dirty, dead bugs/cobwebs on the ceiling, ding taken out of the wall, dirty hand prints and crap on the windows, gum and stains on the cutlery cart and dead bugs in the light fixtures. I was so disappointed it was so nice on the outside and it was just so let down when we walked in.

The thing is neither of these places were all that cheap the first was around $130+ a head including drinks and the second was $140-$150 a head.

Tomorrow we are looking again (only 4hr drive around trip this time LOL), I am hoping this won''''t be disappointing too.

Sorry for the long whinge but I am starting to feel like I won''''t find my perfect/mostly perfect venue.

 

[Deelight]

D''oh posted this in the wrong forum, I have messaged admin to move it LOL

 

[emeraldlover1]

We looked at about 100+ online and visted maybe 35... There were two that we liked and we booked the one we liked the most.

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

We picked the 2nd venue we went to see. It is a famous restaurant in town that we have been to before so we already knew it would be beautiful.

 

[Blair138]

I looked at about 10-15 online. We went to visit 4 (cancelled an appt. on the 5th because it was too expensive), reserved dates at 3 and then booked when we found our church. I was very limited because I wanted to get married in July on a Saturday and most places didn''t have the dates open. Out of the places I did look at, I had been to wedding at 2 of them, a friend got married at the other one (but I didn''t go) and the only one I wasn''t familiar with, was the place we booked.

I am sorry that things are not working out for you. It sounds like you are looking at a wide variety of places, but have you tried restaurants or hotels near you? It does sound like it''s expensive by you, we are paying $90-$100 a head and I live in the burbs outside of Chicago.

 

[palomablancabride]

I probably looked at online/inquired about 10 places. When I stepped out of the car and saw the grounds, even before I even entered the manor house, I knew that is where I would have my reception. It's the one and only place we looked at.

 

[bee*]

I only went to see one spot before booking it. A girl I used to work with was getting married there and told me about it about two years before D and I got engaged. I looked it up on the internet and I absolutely fell in love and showed it to D. As soon as we got engaged, we went out to look at it and booked it. I have no regrets at all. I hope that you find somewhere soon Deelight! Keep on looking-you will find it!

 

[marchswallowbird]

Two for the ceremony and three for the reception.

 

[MissDimity]

One. We have been to about 15 weddings in our area. So wanted somewhere different to everyone else. Plus my boyfriend proposed 50m away from the venue and both places ( the place where he proposed and the wedding venue) are owned by his friend''s parents.

 

[Deelight]

Why is it when you have a whinge about something the universe just all seems to fall into place and like show you something that is workable and you end up looking like a git for whinging in the first place?

Last night I went to bed crying thinking I wouldn''t find anywhere and just being a downright sook feeling sorry for myself, today we drove out to whoop whoop (4hr round trip) and visited one of my top picks from the net while it was not 110% perfect it was mostly doable. The coordinator was nice however I am not completely sold on her, the building was beautiful, the rooms okay but the chapel was small and I hated the entrance and I am not sure the colours I would want would work in there perfectly but it has character and charm and possibility.

It has potential and has been shortlisted

.

I am going to contact a wedding planner tomorrow that has access to private residences (mansions and the such) and see if they have something with the vibe I am entertaining *fingers crossed*.

emeraldlover1 WOW, I am not sure there is even that many venues around here but it makes me feel better knowing that I wasn''t the only one who had a big search.

ilovethiswebsite, palomablancabride and marchswallowbird Thanks for posting


Blair138 I have been looking at (I have to get out there though) hotels, wineries, golf courses, old buildings etc trying to keep my options open so as not to pre-judge a place and miss out on somewhere great. Unfortunately what I really want is just not available (Plantation manor house or a Castle) here I would need to get married either in the south US or in the Europe LOL.

bee* I puffy heart your venue it is AMAZING .

MissDimity Different is good, that''s what we are aiming for as well .

 

[Nocturnius]

Oh geez, probablylikeamillion.

I toured venues all over the state of Florida and every single one had a problem. I think I toured at least twenty, if not more. I just found that I kept going back to one every time.

Finally, my sister went with me and said the one I kept going back to was beautiful and that she thought I should go with it. I really just needed someone else''s opinion, I guess.

Venues are the most frustrating part of wedding planning, I think. Just keep looking - you''ll find it eventually!

 

[musey]

Date: 1/10/2009 5:46:06 PM
Author: emeraldlover1
We looked at about 100+ online and visted maybe 35... There were two that we liked and we booked the one we liked the most.

Holy moly!!!!!!!!!!

I looked at probably more than 50 online (if we''re talking about "looking at" as actually considering, as opposed to just idle browsing), and passed my favorite 50% or so to him. We visited one, and booked on the spot.

 

[kittybean]

I probably looked at 50-75 online and in magazines, and 12 in person. It was a lot! I felt like my venue search dragged forever. I ended up seeing the place I booked on a whim, and I fell in love. We booked it about two and a half months after getting engaged (an eternity in my plan-everything-early world).

 

[Deelight]

The place I shortlisted last night I decided I don''t like it anymore it just doesn''t feel right so I am back to square one, I didn''t get butterflies and there are things that I just could not fix with a little sprucing.

I spoke to a wedding planner today and they are emailing me some private residences, I am not holding my breath the one I liked online which made me call them was 20k to hire for the week even if it were possible - not sure if it is possible to hire for just the weekend but even so it is over budget.

Right now I feel really dejected and just over it.

 

[sunnyd]

Oh no Dee! It''s hard, but you will find something.

I looked at about 50 online, had a list of about 15, and visited 2. We booked the second place.

 

[lliang_chi]

Dee,

I must''ve looked at like 100 online. I narrowed it down to 5, and actually visited 4 when my mom said that 5th one was just TERRIBLE. I think it''s best for you to have an idea what you want in terms of a venue. I didn''t know what kind of ceremony I wanted etc, but I did know I wanted something that my parents didn''t have to drive over an hour to. So that narrowed a lot of choices. Plus I wanted something that my guests didn''t have to drive over an hour to, so that whittled it down to 5. For you it might be you want an amazing outdoor environment, or a really cool looking dinner area, or a place that allows you to BYOB. Whatever it is, make a list of what you think is important criteria in your (and your FI''s) eyes and narrow things down from there. Also it helps to have an idea of how big you think your guest list will be. It doesn''t have to be an EXACT count, but just a general : I have 12 uncles and aunts and 30 cousins, 30 friends, FI has 4 uncles and aunts and 15 cousins, etc. You get the idea, right?

Good luck and don''t get discouraged!!!