Colorado Springs Wedding Venues
Bill Reed, a wonderful reporter for the Gazette called several weeks ago as he was researching an article on the local Wedding Venues. We spent about an hour on the phone as I gave him my personal list of old standbys (Broadmoor, Briarhurst, etc) and new and unique ideas (The BAC, Patty Jewett, Ghost Town, etc) and some good places, period. He included most of them in his article, so I'd like to direct you to his piece for some good wedding venues: Vow WOW. The link may not work for long, so hurry out there!
I also gave Bill my suggestions for researching a wedding venue, which I'll post here:
On Location - Brides & Grooms should strive to have their wedding be a personal reflection of them as a couple. My best piece of advice for brides trying to decide on the theme or style of the wedding is to personalize every aspect. Guests ought to leave the wedding saying to themselves ‘The wedding was so Jack and Jill.’ Everything about the day should characterize the bride and groom, both individually and as a couple. There are no sacred cows; all traditions are up for revision.
I'm a bit of a different kind of wedding planner, as Moonriver's tag line says, "Imagination transformed into the event of a lifetime" - I love it when a couple knows either exactly what they want or exactly what they don't want and we start from there. Unique, different, special are all wonderful! I truly believe the norm of having a hotel ballroom wedding reception is becoming extinct. People want fun, different reception ideas. They want to be outside, they want to feel an experience or be true to a theme. Even if they are in a hotel ballroom, they don't have to feel like they are. Décor (flowers, lighting, linens, decorations) can all transform a space!
Tips for finding a location:
1. Before looking for a location, determine your priorities and must haves for your wedding. If quality of food is on the top of your list, you need to determine your location first, set aside the budget, then allocate the remaining budget as appropriate. If where you get married is not as important as your photography and décor, set aside the bulk of your budget for those items and look for a inexpensive location you can work with.
2. Make sure you know your guests list before you go looking (and how many you'll need - depending on number of out of town guests, time of year, a certain % of those invited will not attend. 20% is a good ballpark. Obviously, if most of your guests are from out of town, that ratio will increase). The number of guests you expect will rule out many locations.
3. Know if there will be another wedding or event going on before or after your wedding. Also find out how much time you are allowed for set up/decoration and take down.
4. Make sure to ask what items are included with the site fee - are tables, chairs, linens included? Also ask about whether there is an on-site coordinator and if so, what, exactly does that person do for you and what won't/can't they do? How long will they be at the wedding?
5. Know all restrictions - music, alcohol, decoration etc. Also ensure there is adequate parking, bathrooms, coat check and security as necessary.
6. Finally, ask for a break out of all fees, including service charges and whether gratuity is included or not. Is there a deposit? Is it refundable? What is the cancellation policy?
7. Know that finding a location that fits every single one of your requirements or criteria is rare, make a decision on what feels best and what best accommodates those items that you feel are most important. Wedding Planners can help you work out any issues, such as lack of parking and so forth.
8. Hire a day-of wedding coordinator! Your wedding is the event of the lifetime - be there for it!
Happy Planning!
-Melissa
www.MoonriverWeddings.com
I also gave Bill my suggestions for researching a wedding venue, which I'll post here:
On Location - Brides & Grooms should strive to have their wedding be a personal reflection of them as a couple. My best piece of advice for brides trying to decide on the theme or style of the wedding is to personalize every aspect. Guests ought to leave the wedding saying to themselves ‘The wedding was so Jack and Jill.’ Everything about the day should characterize the bride and groom, both individually and as a couple. There are no sacred cows; all traditions are up for revision.
I'm a bit of a different kind of wedding planner, as Moonriver's tag line says, "Imagination transformed into the event of a lifetime" - I love it when a couple knows either exactly what they want or exactly what they don't want and we start from there. Unique, different, special are all wonderful! I truly believe the norm of having a hotel ballroom wedding reception is becoming extinct. People want fun, different reception ideas. They want to be outside, they want to feel an experience or be true to a theme. Even if they are in a hotel ballroom, they don't have to feel like they are. Décor (flowers, lighting, linens, decorations) can all transform a space!
Tips for finding a location:
1. Before looking for a location, determine your priorities and must haves for your wedding. If quality of food is on the top of your list, you need to determine your location first, set aside the budget, then allocate the remaining budget as appropriate. If where you get married is not as important as your photography and décor, set aside the bulk of your budget for those items and look for a inexpensive location you can work with.
2. Make sure you know your guests list before you go looking (and how many you'll need - depending on number of out of town guests, time of year, a certain % of those invited will not attend. 20% is a good ballpark. Obviously, if most of your guests are from out of town, that ratio will increase). The number of guests you expect will rule out many locations.
3. Know if there will be another wedding or event going on before or after your wedding. Also find out how much time you are allowed for set up/decoration and take down.
4. Make sure to ask what items are included with the site fee - are tables, chairs, linens included? Also ask about whether there is an on-site coordinator and if so, what, exactly does that person do for you and what won't/can't they do? How long will they be at the wedding?
5. Know all restrictions - music, alcohol, decoration etc. Also ensure there is adequate parking, bathrooms, coat check and security as necessary.
6. Finally, ask for a break out of all fees, including service charges and whether gratuity is included or not. Is there a deposit? Is it refundable? What is the cancellation policy?
7. Know that finding a location that fits every single one of your requirements or criteria is rare, make a decision on what feels best and what best accommodates those items that you feel are most important. Wedding Planners can help you work out any issues, such as lack of parking and so forth.
8. Hire a day-of wedding coordinator! Your wedding is the event of the lifetime - be there for it!
Happy Planning!
-Melissa
www.MoonriverWeddings.com
posted by Melissa | 9:44 PM
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