How far in advance should I book my wedding venue?

Deciding how far in advance to book your wedding venue is a question with a not-so-straightforward answer. It truly depends on the venue and their availability for the date and time you want. The best advice is to start as early as possible – 9 or more months in advance kind of early! Remember that during peak wedding season, wedding venues can book up 1-3 years in advance, so if you have a very specific venue and date in mind, you need to confirm your venue far in advance. It is never considered “too early” to begin searching for your wedding venue. However, if you’re a couple prone to changing your minds often, then set a deadline for you to choose your venue and work as a couple to keep this deadline.

Don’t rush this decision! You and your partner should both be happy with the final choice and a little research can go a long way here. Make sure you look at Google reviews, ask other brides opinions in online wedding chats, and go to the venue’s website/social media to see other weddings they have done, this will help you to decide which wedding venue – plus you may learn other information regarding what vendors to use (or not to use). This research does take time, so once you book your wedding venue and have a set date, then continue with booking the next vendor you know will be hard to nail down. This could be your photographer, officiant, florist, etc. If the vendor is good, they will be booked up. Don’t wait until 2 months before your wedding to book vendors, as you may not get the highest quality vendor. Give yourself enough time to make the right decision. Some wedding vendors will be easier to decide on than others, leave time for you and your partner to make those hard decisions. 

Another detail to consider once you have booked your wedding venue is to block off hotel rooms. Forgetting this detail can be awkward and frustrating for you and your guests, so as soon as you’ve signed on the dotted line for your wedding venue, find a hotel nearby that works for your needs and negotiate the number of rooms and a discounted price. 

Finding a wedding venue can be daunting but once you’ve narrowed it down, try to find the fun in the wedding planning process! Go for day trips to the wedding venues and chat with the wedding coordinators, have lunch at the venue (if possible), and try to soak up all the details about the venue prior to booking it. It will make you feel good about your venue choice and give you something to look forward to during your wedding planning.

At The GrandWay, we have had the privilege of booking a variety of weddings so far. Our Wedding Coordinators will help you navigate your wedding planning process. Click here to set up a meeting to see if The GrandWay is the wedding venue for your big day!