I have recently been writing a series of articles called “Through the Lens”.
Having been a bride not long ago myself, I understand how much time, money and planning goes into a wedding. I also know that all of the different vendors that make a wedding happen have a lot of information to help you plan. They have seen so many other vendors and have so many ideas; they truly are a fountain of knowledge in this industry. As one of those vendors, I wanted to share my knowledge and ideas for all those brides out there whose heads are spinning from all the planning!
The first article is about wedding venues and how to pick one……
Enjoy!
Venues
When I first started planning my wedding I remember looking around and feeling overwhelmed before I even started. There are so many places you can have a wedding, you have to know what you are looking for. First deciding what time of year you want to get married and how big your guest list is. A lot of venues have a limit on the number of people it can hold, so this will help you narrow down your choices if you have a large guest list. On the other hand if you are having a smaller wedding then you won’t want to pick a venue with lots of open space. You will also need to determine if you are going to have more than one venue, in which case you will have a whole other set of things you will need to do.
Some things you should consider when picking your wedding venue:
1. Do they have a place for the bride and for the groom to get ready if needed?
2. Do they have time restraints?
3. Will they have a person there the day of your wedding to help, answer questions and solve problems regarding the site?
4. What are they like when you go to visit, are they welcoming or are you just another bride?
5. If the weather doesn’t cooperate do they have another place you can move to for the ceremony or the reception?
6. Will they give you the date you want with a deposit on a first come first serve basis or is it by lottery?
7. Do they have specific vendors they make you use or can you bring in anyone you would like?
8. Do they do more than one wedding at the same time?
9. If it is out of town, what kinds of accomadations are there for your guest to spend the night after your wedding?
10. What is the size and how many people can it hold?
A good wedding photographer will be able to work with whatever venue you pick. They should be able to take whatever is around them and make something beautiful out of it.
However, you will want to think about the timing of your wedding day based on how important the pictures in and around the venue are. If you do pick a venue based on its beauty make sure you give the photographer plenty of time to capture it with you.
Here is a list of wedding venues here in Colorado you might not have thought of:
The Lumber Baron Inn (Denver) http://www.theinnkeeper.com/bnb/11488
The Grange (Castle Rock)
The Belmar Center (Lakewood) http://www.belmarcenter.com
The Pines at Genesee (Genesee) http://www.thepinesatgenesee.com/
Denver Firefighters Museum (Denver) http://www.denverfirefightersmuseum.org/
Ken Caryle Terrace (Littleton)
Hotel Teatro (Denver) http://www.hotelteatro.com/
The Wildlife Experience http://www.thewildlifeexperience.org/events/weddings.asp
Cherokee Ranch & Castle http://www.cherokeeranch.org/
Butterfly Pavilion http://www.butterflies.org/
Heritage Eagle Bend (Aurora) http://www.heritageeaglebend.com/wedbanq.html
Peaceful Valley Ranch http://www.peacefulvalley.com/
The Cable Center http://www.cablecenter.org/rent/weddings.cfm
Good luck and happy venue hunting!
Andy and Angie Wood
A & A Photography
Colorado Wedding Photography
