Wedding Reception - Stressed Out! Trying to Find a Venue - DOBIEMOM725's Black Wedding by Color Blog

Finally picked a few wedding venues to go check out. I am having a hard time finding a place that fits our needs and that's in our budget! I have 5 different locations and am going to visit each on next Friday. 3 of the places are ballrooms, one is a theater, and the other is a upscale reception hall with a specatular view. Here's hoping one will sream "Pick me for your wedding!" We also hope to find a venue that will allow us to have the ceremony and reception in the same place.

Finding a possible venue hasn't been easily. And although this is our first big wedding task, I feel a little stressed out already. I having been calling and emailing venues almost daily as well as figuring cost for food and beverages. Some of the places cater and require you use their services, others don't. Some include alcohol, some it's an added expense. Some I feel in love with immediately just to receive their price list and be horribly disappointed that it's over our budget.

Intially we planned on a smaller 75-100 person wedding. We put or tenative guest list together over the weekend and have about 225 people. Eek! Twice as much as I anticipated. So that changed the venue plan a bit. We are planning on cutting the list back some, but there are just some family and friends that have to be there.

It doesn't help that a lot of family live in other states -- including my mom -- so I have been doing just about everything myself. Can get a little lonely and confusing -- especially since I have no idea what I'm doing!

Any advice for an already stressed out bride-to-be?!

I've had the same problem - but thankfully we did & we are in love with it. But, think about this.. is there people on your list that don't need to be there for the dinner & ceromony but could stop by after dinner?! that brought down my budget (which is small) qutie a bit!

(read my venue drama on my blog, if your feeling down) keep your chin up hun it WILL work out :)

also- the quote I got for the place we're hoping for?! Yeah $8700.00 now, it's down to $6000.00 ish (hopefully, rough numbers still) they give you the high end of things which you can go down to add talk to the ones your in love with and see what they can do :)

Thanks for the nice comments! Your first venue looks amazing! I'm trying not to be stressed -- but it's been hard finding a different venue that's affordable! Not much around here in our small town. :)

Negotiation I guess it very important! Wow 8700 to 6000 dollars. That's incredible!

I had the same problem. I found usually you end up better off finding a place that doesn't require you to let them cater and letting the catering be a whole separate ordeal. I rented the first place I went and looked at because it was exactly what I wanted and after months of trying to cut my guest list down to where we could afford to feed the guests at 18.95$ a person it just wasn't working. Now that I decided having the people I wanted there was more important than having it at that location I lost $1500 deposit when I changed venues. My only advice is to make sure it fits your budget and its really what you want before you put down a deposit.

No problem, yeah my venue lady said that they do give you the amount of high end first. But we went and we both really enjoyed it soo we started talking down and yeah cause I have a budget of like 8000.00 soo trust me I'm with you!

Promise me you'll call again?! You never know ;)

My saving grace was a website called www.eventective.com - it pretty well found everything for me and I had venues and all other vendors calling me that we needed. It was a huge help! I wanted to scream initially trying to find a venue and this resource was awesome. It works for the US and Canada so check it out! And def be willing to walk away, they will shave off costs left, right and centre!

Me and FH are having the same problem and what's worse is that I'm planning my wedding 2hrs away! I can't seem to find a venue that fit's the pocket and the feel I'm looking for. When I find one it's too much or not right!

Thank you everyone! Glad to hear I'm not the only one having a difficult time finding the perfect venue. I was getting nervous that being stressed out this early in the wedding planning was clue that I was going to be a future bridezilla! Glad to hear this is just a normal part of the wedding process -- or at least that it's common.

I'm trying to keep an open mind and not get too discouraged. I guess I will go to look at all the venues I can and try to work with them on price.

One of the places have to work, right?

mibride080610: Wow that has to be difficult. Eek! Good luck and don't worry, you will find the right place!!!