How To Find Unique Wedding Venues In Australia

By Author: Villa Botanicau
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The venue you select for your wedding day sets the tone for your event, and most couples are looking for unique wedding venues, whether it is a casual beach or the newest ballroom in town. The venue should be one of the first things to look at when organising a wedding, as many of the other elements depend on where your wedding reception will be hosted.

Finding the perfect location is challenging – you want your venue to be in a great location, spacious, and affordable at the same time. And available on your chosen date if possible. Soon you may feel like falling into a wedding venue abyss, with dozens of locations to choose from and unable to settle for any.

However it’s important to have fun through the process and focus on feeling good not just on your big day, but also on every day of your engagement and wedding planning. At Villa Botanica we have worked with numerous couples who were looking for their unique wedding venue and we know pretty much everything about finding that perfect place for the day you tie the knot:

Start searching early
Most wedding venues are booked out years in advance, ...
... so if you are considering one of the most sought-after locations, you may have to book it as early as two years in advance. Setting for a low-grade venue that doesn’t offer beauty and space just because you want to get married as soon as possible and all the good venues are already booked is a mistake which can totally spoil your event.
Know your guest list
Estimating the number of people that will attend your wedding is vital if you want to choose right between the numerous unique wedding venues in Australia. Selecting a venue that is too small for your guest list will get you into a tough situation if more people than you can fit in the space confirm. Estimating a larger number of guests than the actual number is also a bad thing, because you will be paying for space you won’t be using and the ballroom will look empty, giving the impression that your guests “stood” you up.

Keep an open mind
Don’t limit options, even if you had something in mind initially. E.g. If you had a beach wedding in mind, don’t rule out the option of a wedding on an estate. Maybe your first option is not affordable or accessible at the desired date – your wedding planning needs to move on with minor compromises if necessary. A solution used by an increasing number of couples is organising their wedding at least popular times – during the week, in the morning, or in a different season – so their favourite venue is available without booking years in advance.

Do some research
When looking for unique wedding venues, read reviews from previous brides who have had weddings in Australia. While the marketing of a venue can be very convincing, this doesn’t mean that their services are excellent or suited to your wedding concept.
Create a list of venues you want to go and visit in person
Today’s online promotion tools allow wedding venues to communicate a lot of their benefits without the client needing to actually visit the spot. As you narrow down your list of unique wedding venues, however, you will need to visit in person those locations or ballrooms because you can’t be 100% sure you like it until you set your foot in that place and check the quality of their service.
Prepare a list of questions for venue managers/customer service
Examples of important questions to ask include if they are available on your desired date, their capacity, the benefits they offer, pricing information, alternatives in case of bad weather or unexpected events, etc. the way venue staff replies to your questions can tell a lot about their approach on customer service – you’ll want to collaborate with a business that replies to email in a relatively short timeframe and is flexible so they accommodate most customer requirements and preferences.

Set a realistic budget but keep in mind that you might go over slightly

There are two large variables to consider when looking for unique wedding venues in Australia: preferences and budget. While the former can set your goals really high, the latter will bring you with your feet on the ground and limit your range of choices – which makes it easier to take a decision, after all. Set a budget slightly lower than what you can afford, because extra costs usually come up along the way and you don’t want to be obliged to borrow money days or hours before the event.

Wait before you sign the contract
It’s common to fall in love at first sight with a particular venue, but if it is the first location you visit, don’t let that amazing feeling lure you into making haste decisions. Have patience and visit all the venues on your list, and afterwards take a step back to discuss with your partner and weigh all the pros and cons of every option. Both you and your partner should be happy about your choice of venue, even if you don’t agree on every single aspect of your wedding organisation.

Choose a theme
Your wedding theme should match your wedding venue – for instance you cannot opt for a country-garden style wedding if you are getting married by the seaside. Instead you should look for the closest barn venues and forget about sumptuous decors.

Choose a suitable location
Some couples get married close to where they live, while others choose a place where either the bride or groom grew up. There is also a third option, organising a destination wedding, which means you will book a venue from a remote place you like, such as Villa Botanica, the exclusive destination wedding venue with Balinese-inspired specific located on Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia.
It is also important to choose your venue taking into account your church location, that if you want a church wedding. The venue should be close to the church, and before booking the venue make sure you can get married at a certain church. You may probably be required to be living in the parish or have maintained a family connection to that church.

Consider accessibility
Your guests should be able to reach your wedding venue without much hassle – the location must be easily reached, not too far from the place where you hold the ceremony, and have enough space to park cars. It’s imperative to make sure that your attendees can travel to and from the event without discomfort and not have to walk a mile from your ceremony site and back or drive a long way to arrive to the venue.

Check restrictions
Your venue contract should specify when your party has to end as well as noise ordinance restrictions – if you plan to dance all night on amplified music, make sure it is possible without risking a fine.

Trust your gut feeling
In the end, your gut feeling is what matters the most when making a decision towards choosing your wedding venue. If you find yourself awake at night trying to convince yourself that this venue is right for you, then it’s all wrong. If the venue immediately becomes part of your dream day vision and you have carefully weighed the pros and cons, then it’s probably right.

It is understandable to feel overwhelmed at each step of wedding planning, especially when you are checking on dozens of unique wedding venues. Every couple has a list of expectations from their chosen wedding venue, and aside from the obvious, like impeccable serving and seamless customer service, Villa Botanica distinguishes itself from other venues through its picturesque location, amazing taking photo opportunities, the possibility of completing an online tour, and perfect privacy as we only organise one wedding per day. Get in touch with us here to start creating a unique wedding experience!