What is one of the most important aspects of planning your wedding? Location, location, location! Choosing the perfect venue for your wedding can be really difficult because there are endless options, but there are also some limitations. As you plan your Vancouver wedding, it’s important for the venue to be available, accommodating, on budget, and aligned with the overall wedding vision.

Vancouver Wedding Venue Capacity: How many guests can you fit?

This is the easiest factor for determining if a venue is the right fit for you or not. Start with a rough guest list to see how many people you’ll be inviting. Before spending too much time researching all the details about a given venue, make sure it can accommodate your number of guests. You may also find that venue capacities help you make guest list decisions.

Vancouver Wedding Venue Budget: How much will it cost?

We all know that “A” always comes before “B”, but let’s get the “B” out of the way first by drafting out a budget for your wedding and venue. By doing this first, you’ll have a much clearer idea of which potential venues are within your price range so you don’t go over budget.

TIP: Create a spreadsheet so you can stay organized and have the costs displayed right in front of you!

Availability of Your Vancouver Wedding Venue:

One of the biggest struggles for any Vancouver wedding planner is availability! Especially after years of pandemic postponements, many venues book 1-2 years in advance for popular dates. Depending on the specific day of the week, time of day, and season of your wedding, your dream venue may not be available (or may cost a premium due to popularity).

Accommodations at the Wedding Venue:

When it comes to accommodations, these are some questions you should bring up when meeting with various venues:

What items are included in the venue rental? (For example: tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, etc.)
Is room set-up and take down provided by the venue?
Will parking be a problem for your guests?
Is there a “bridal room” or area to refresh?
Will the venue work well with your vendors or will there be any restrictions that come up?
Are you able to bring in your own catering and alcohol vendors?
What time must your event end by, and are there any noise curfews in the area?

Alignment with your Wedding Vision:

Does the venue fit the “vibe” or the vision of your wedding? Every bride and groom should have their vision brainstormed and ready to bring to life because the venue is where all the magic will take place. We also suggest working with your venue when it comes to your wedding design (think colours, textures, style).

Since Vancouver is known for their majestic mountains, lush forestry, and waterfront vistas, many Vancouver wedding planners suggest an outdoor theme or a west coast vibe to stay true to the beautiful city. Alternatively, a heritage venue could offer the vintage-inspired feel you’re after, a downtown restaurant could give you that urban glam vision, or a unique “outside of the box” event space could provide an eclectic oasis.

Spotlight Events is Vancouver’s most trusted wedding planner and events firm, named the top three best wedding planners in BC. Contact Spotlight Events today for a complimentary consultation.