Things to Look for in Your Dream Venue
Are you looking for a venue in Key West for your big day? How fun — finding a Key West wedding venue is truly one of the most exciting parts of planning your wedding.
While wedding planning is exhilarating, it’s not without its challenges. You have to make many critical decisions, from choosing the venue, wedding decor, dress code, and all the vendors you need. But out of all your decisions, you must be anxious about finding a venue. At all, what’s a wedding without a venue to hold it, right?
The venue is practically the foundation of an ideal wedding. It creates the perfect setting and can make or break your wedding day.
While choosing Key West as your venue is a great start, you must be wondering what to mark off your checklist as you visit all the venues the island has to offer.
At Plan Your Key West Wedding, we have you covered. In this article, we guide you through what you need to consider before settling for a Key West venue.
Factors To Consider When Finding a Key West Wedding Venue
Do you envision an intimate gathering with close friends and family? Or do you prefer a grand celebration with a large gathering? What type of venue fits with the vision for your wedding? Is it a tropical garden setting with a serene vibe or a beach venue with open skies and views for miles?
There are many factors you must consider when choosing a wedding venue, so sitting down and talking through these main factors will make your decision-making process easier and less stressful. Knowing what you want is the first step to finding the ideal venue.
Let’s look at some key considerations you must have in mind when choosing a Key West wedding venue.
The Size of the Venue
Your first step in really looking at a venue is deciding how many people you think will be at your wedding. You need a venue that can accommodate all your guests and you don’t want to book a venue only to discover you will have more people there than originally planned for. .
So, how do you start?
Before going too deep down the rabbit hole of venue searches, you should sit down with your partner and make a guest list or at least have an estimate of how many people you’re inviting. Then go through and make a second list of who you think will actually come to your wedding. Statistically, anywhere from 35-75% of invited wedding guests come to a wedding — which is a wide range — so do your best to guess and, if all else fails, assume 75% of your guests will attend so you can make sure you book a place with enough room.
Now that you have an estimate of the number of guests, you can work with your planner or connect with the venue directly in order to make sure you don’t waste time looking at a venue without enough space.
The Type of Vibe You Want
What vibe do you want for your wedding? Do you want a casual feel or a sophisticated vibe? Or are you into a beachy outlook? Or even a tropical garden vibe?
See, the type of vibe you want needs to match your choice of venue. For instance, a rustic-themed wedding would look totally out of place in an elegant ballroom. And a beachy vibe instantly calls for one of the oceanfront venues in Key West.
Keep your wedding theme and vibe in mind when researching venues. Thankfully, Key West has everything you need, regardless of your vision.
Unsure of what type of wedding you want? Check out our real wedding section to get some inspiration and guidance!
All-Inclusive Versus Total Control
If a Key West wedding doesn’t sound lovely enough, some venues give you the option for all-inclusive wedding packages. Generally, all-inclusive wedding packages are geared more towards smaller weddings, like micro-weddings or elopements.
You need to ask yourself whether you want convenience or more control over your planning.
If you’re looking for convenience, you need to check out the venues with all-inclusive packages.
These planning packages offer you what you need from start to finish. They come with a wedding planner, in-house catering, and other vendor services guaranteed to make your planning more manageable.
The Getting-Ready Space
Remember to check if the venue provides a getting-ready space. Many of the venues on the island are hotels and resorts, making it easy to find a getting ready space close to your ceremony space. Others are gardens or historical sites and require that you book a room at a local hotel or Airbnb.
There really isn’t a right or wrong in this situation, but you do need to be aware of what your venue offers before booking. If your venue doesn’t offer a getting ready space (or you aren’t staying on property), you need to book something early and, ideally, close to the venue.
And remember, to add in transportation costs and time if you have to travel from getting ready location to your venue.
Time Allowance
How long do you have the property for?
Some venues offer the venue until the noise ordinance (which varies depending on where your venue is located) requires you to shut the music off but some have hourly rates.
Ask yourself how late you want the party to go and go from there. And pro tip — if you want the party to continue after your time at the venue ends, consider inviting your guests to one of Key West’s many famed bars to keep the momentum going.
Venue Inclusions
What is included in the venue packages? What exactly do they supply? Do you need to pay additional for specific services? And do they offer any party rentals on site?
It’s vital to clarify any inclusions with the venue and whether you need to pay additional costs to access them. Knowing what you’ll get with the venue will help you better plan and enjoy your experience. And, obviously, if you have a planner, they will have all of this information.
Available Backup Space
Most Key West weddings are outdoors, and although our wedding is beautiful for most of the year, rain is always possible. When looking at venues, consider indoor alternatives at your venues, just in case.
Although we all hope for a perfectly sunny, serene wedding day, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Just ask the venue coordinators for any contingency plans they offer and make your choice of the ideal venue for you.
Venue Requirements
Many venues have requirements that you and your vendors need to fulfill. Here are a few things to ask your venue or planner before signing any contracts.
Do they have insurance requirements you need to fulfill?
Some venues may require event insurance to protect against unforeseen circumstances. Event insurance is always a good idea (think hurricanes, travel snafus, and, unfortunately, world-wide pandemics).However, keep in mind that getting insurance will come with additional costs.
Do they require your vendors to have insurance?
Many venues require your vendors to have insurance and ask to see this insurance before allowing them on the property. It is your (or your planners) responsibility to communicate this to your vendors so make sure you know what is expected from your vendors before booking them.
And pro-tip – your vendors should always have insurance coverage. Any legit, organized business should.
Choosing the perfect wedding venue in Key West is an exciting part of planning. We hope we have made your work easier when it comes to finding the perfect Key West venue. Search our directory of venues and planning information here.
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