WEDDING PLANNING HELP: FINDING AND BOOKING YOUR WEDDING VENUE
Why does the excitement of getting engaged so quickly get replaced by stress and anxiety? Wedding planning bliss can turn into wedding planning blues almost overnight.
Why?
Planning any large event is stressful. There are countless elements to consider, and you don’t want anything to fall through the cracks. Add unsolicited advice, family expectations, and financial stress, and you’ve got a recipe for overwhelm.
So, how do you stay in your engagement-bliss era and avoid moving into wedding-planning blues?
The truth is, you can’t completely. Unless you have a strong type-B personality and a wedding planner, there will definitely be moments of stress along the way.
But here’s the good news: we want to help you move through your wedding planning with ease. We can’t take away every stress point, but we can help manage expectations and give you practical tools.
Let’s start with the most important (and usually the most expensive) step: finding and booking your wedding venue.
We know we are a wedding venue ourselves, but we’re fully aware that we’re not everyone’s venue. That doesn’t mean we don’t want every engaged couple to find their perfect wedding venue. After more than 12 years of connecting with engaged couples, we’ve learnt a lot about what causes wedding planning stress—and how to avoid it.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING VENUE
Location
Decide where you want to get married. Local or destination? How far do you want guests to travel? Will you need overnight accommodation? Once you know this, you can move on to the next step.
Look and Feel
Every venue has a different vibe. Do you love a rooftop city space, a Tuscan-style estate, a modern venue, or a farm wedding venue surrounded by nature? Choose a style that reflects you.
Budget
Does the venue (and catering, if included) fall within your budget? Keep in mind that this is usually one of the biggest wedding expenses.
HOW TO START YOUR WEDDING VENUE SEARCH
Be specific in your searches. For example: “Bushveld wedding venue near Pretoria” or “farm wedding venue in Gauteng.” The more specific you are, the better the results.
Make a shortlist. Once you’ve found a few options, make a list of venues to contact.
Draft an enquiry email. Personalise it but have a template to make it easier.
DECIDE ON YOUR BUDGET AND
NON-NEGOTIABLES
Before you fall in love with any venue, decide on your non-negotiables. For example:
- Must have accommodation for close family and bridal party
- Must allow preferred service providers
- Must offer delicious food
HOT TIP FOR ENQUIRIES
If you want the fastest and best replies, avoid sending a generic “Please send prices” email. Remember, on the other side of that inbox is a real person who actually wants to connect with you.
Here’s a better example:
Good day,
We found your website on Google and we love the look of your venue. We’ve been engaged for two months and would like to get married in October or November 2027. We’re inviting around 120 guests. Could you please send us your pricing and any details that could help us decide? Once we’ve reviewed it, we’ll let you know if we’d like to book a viewing.
Warm regards, A & A
VIEWING WEDDING VENUES: TIPS
- Prepare a question list. Print it out and take notes at each venue. By the third viewing, details blur together.
- Notice how you feel. Are the staff friendly and helpful? Is the information transparent?
- Watch for red flags. If the coordinator says “yes” to absolutely everything, that could signal a lack of honesty. No venue can do it all.
- Compare reality to the website. Were you pleasantly surprised, or did the venue photos mislead you?
RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR
- The coordinator says “yes” to everything. No venue can realistically provide everything. A constant “absolutely, yes” can signal a lack of transparency.
- The reality doesn’t match the website. Were you pleasantly surprised, or did the photos oversell?
- The venue doesn’t offer an on-the-day coordinator. Hiring one yourself will cost upwards of R20 000, so factor that in.
- The quote doesn’t match the prices originally provided. If the venue hire suddenly comes with hidden extras—like cutlery, glassware, service staff, cleaning fees, or penalties for not using in-house providers—that’s a red flag. If these costs were clearly communicated upfront, no problem. But if they only appear in the quote stage, it signals potential issues with transparency.
HOW TO DECIDE
Sometimes the decision is clear—you just know you’ve found your venue. More often, it’s about weighing pros and cons. Use your notes and compare. Don’t underestimate the power of how you felt during the viewing.
NEXT STEPS AFTER CHOOSING A VENUE
Confirm your date is available. Peak months book up quickly, so don’t assume.
Request a provisional quote. This allows you to see the breakdown of costs before you commit. Compare it against the venue’s original price list to make sure everything aligns.
Request the contract. Don’t just skim it—read the fine print. If contracts aren’t your thing, upload it to ChatGPT and ask for potential pitfalls.
Check for planning support. Does the venue provide planning documents, timelines, or checklists? You should always know what the next step is, you don’t want to be left in the dark.
FINAL THOUGHT
Take your time, ask the right questions, and pay attention to how you feel. Your venue sets the stage for everything else, so make sure it feels right for you.
