New and Exciting Venue Options for Destination Weddings
So, you are getting married. Congratulations!!
Being engaged means celebrating finding your soul-mate, the other half to your whole, the yin to your yang, right? Right, but before that, you will need to select a venue. So where do you start?
First and foremost, you must decide on the location first. Are you planning a destination wedding? (Destination refers to anywhere that is more than 200 miles from your home) Or maybe you will plan to hold the wedding in your home town?
Once you have established the location, the next step is to choose the venue. Gone are the days of “tradition” when it comes to weddings, so choosing a venue has taken on new meaning and more importance than ever before. Don’t get me wrong, weddings do still have a lot of focus on tradition, but more and more, couples are straying from the traditional family church down the street. Couples in 2021 are looking for unique appeal and individuality. Huge hotel banquet rooms, are no longer the calling card they once were as we see this next generation of couples choosing from outside of the wedding box. The new trending choices are of the personal and private variety and I as this trend continues on, we will see more and more original ideas coming forth, but for now, let’s talk about what is trending.
- Private rentals – Home rental sites, like Venues Locator, Airbnb, Flip Key and VRBO are making a killing now as wedding and event rentals. Venues Locator is by far the newest and is completely dedicated to finding wedding and event friendly villas and homes to rent out for your special day. Due to the new rules in Airbnb and some home rental sites, to no longer allow for gatherings in their rental properties, Venues Locator is picking up the slack and growing to show couples what is available and welcoming to their event.
Renting a luxurious home, in your chosen destination is a great way to cut costs and also make your wedding memorable and unique for your guests. A good planner will help you to hire the vendors and set the day up so you can enjoy every moment.
Another great perk to renting yourself a home for the event, is the ability to save on costs. You can rent a large multi-bedroom home and then share the nightly cost of rent amongst all of the wedding party or family members that will be staying in the property. Most luxurious properties come with a private chef as either an inclusion or an extra, but this allows you to have that resort feel, but not have to have hundreds of strangers sharing your space, especially on your wedding day. Your wedding, in a private home, is really all about you and your guests only.
- Restaurants – Have you ever considered renting out your favorite restaurant for your wedding or event? Most restaurants are happy to shut down to the public for an even such as a wedding. It is good income for them and good advertising for them, when the pictures are flashed about. Most will even do a special menu for you for the day. The best thing about this type of venue is that you will not have the extra expense of renting chairs, tables, linens, dish services, and you also won’t have to hire bartenders and wait staff. The restaurant is complete and can be a cost savings in the long run.
Sea-side restaurants, restaurants at the top of a mountain, or any other interesting location can be a big savings, as discussed, but also allow for you to have that forest feel or beach ceremony. The sky and your imagination is the limit.
- Boutique Hotels – If you have you ever gone and stayed at one of these little gems, you will know the true value in renting out the hotel for your wedding or special event. All of the little details and special touches are a boutique hotels true specialties. Many Boutique Hotels will close the hotel for your wedding, so long as you have a majority of the rooms filled with your guests and though many do not offer all inclusive, the extra attention and service really makes it perfect and will make your guest completely feel like they had a vacation too.
Make sure to ask the hotel if there are any special add-ons included, like a games room, babysitting or breakfast in bed for the couple on their wedding day.
- Attractions – Imagine if your parents had told you that they got married at Disneyland? What would you think? Well don’t worry about it, because years ago, people didn’t really stray far from convention. Now days though, attractions are a huge part of the wedding venue industry. Local natural attractions, like the Grand Canyon and Niagara falls are just a couple of examples that come to mind, but there are many more if you look around. Waterfalls, museums, art galleries, aquariums, and so many other ideas are right for a wedding, if you think about it. No need to stick with the local standard. Switch things up and make a statement and have the most memorable wedding your guests will ever attend. We promise, they will be talking about it for years.
- Think as far outside the box as you can – Imagine your day, family and friends close by and your hair in the breeze on a yacht, or you and your guests have all ridden the cable car to the top of a mountain in Jasper, in the Canadian Rockies. Your vows are said, as you are surrounded by mountains and valleys and clouds and love.
No matter your style, taste or vision, your wedding will be truly unique and an adventure and not like any other wedding before, and isn’t that the goal?
