Planning a wedding or birthday celebration and can’t seem to find the right venue? Everything seems too unaffordable, out of the way for your guests to get to, or not appealing enough?
Event planning is a huge challenge with budget constraints, limited planning time after work hours and limited function rooms across Sydney.
Here are five tips to help you find the perfect venue:
1. Don’t judge a book by its cover
Sure first impressions are said to be everything, however, when it comes to picking a venue, even the most humble reception entrances can have WOW factor once you step through the door. Make sure you make an appointment to check the venue out in person. Ask for plenty of pictures and testimonials of past events to see examples of how the venue can be decorated. The plainer the venue, the more you can dress it up to make it your own, and, it doesn’t have to break the budget either!
2. Venue capacity
If you are still unsure about number of guests that will attend your event, make sure you don’t choose a venue that is too small. There is nothing worse than a venue that can just squeeze everyone in like a bunch of sardines. This will make last minute invites and plus ones an awkward challenge that should be avoided. Always opt for a venue that has a little extra room for extra flexibility. Plus you can always use the extra space to add extra guest entertainment areas e.g. a photo booth or cheese corner.
3. Lighting
The venue lighting is what will really help you put on a show. Make sure the venue you select has plenty of natural light if your even is taking place during the day. If it’s an evening event, you should be provided with plenty of lighting options to match your theme.
4. Food
Make sure your venue has catering services to help you create the perfect menu for your guests. After all, the food can make or break a guests’ event experience. Ensure the venue you choose specialises in one form of cuisine, as they will help you ensure the quality is great. Most venues will allow you to sample the food prior to your event. Some venues will even allow you to use their commercial kitchen for your own caterers to prepare the food of your chose, should you choose not go ahead with the cuisine provided by the venue.
5. Seating
Although some people will opt for a cocktail party wedding or corporate function, you have to take into account the length. The majority of these events can be quite long, be considerate of your guests. They will be dressing up nicely to attend your function and can’t be expected to remain on the dance floor for the entire night, although there are always the odd grooving queens that will be. We recommend providing enough seating for at least half or your guests.
If you are still feeling overwhelmed with this whole event venue selection process, do not hesitate to give us a call. You can book a venue inspection and our experienced event coordinators will help you sort out the rest.