Unique Locations for a Unique Event- Part 2

Locating the Unusual Location- Part 2

Hey there readers! As promised, here is Part 2 of great places you might consider for your wedding venue.

Restaurants

Restaurants can be great places to have a wedding reception. Maybe it was where you had your first date, or somewhere you go often now as a couple. By having a reception at a restaurant, you can expect the food to be just like it would be if you were going for a great night out. They have all of the dinnerware, tables and linens so you may cut costs on rentals. But you may be limited on space, and depending on the venue, dancing may not be as high on the priority list. A great restaurant for a small, intimate event, perhaps even a shower or anniversary dinner is TreVi in Glenside, PA. TreVi's classic Italian cuisine will bring a warmth to your special night that you won't find in larger restaurants.

Parks

On a lovely spring or summer day, there's no better place to be than in a park. They provide the perfect natural backdrop to any event and it gives a fun, down to earth vibe for your guests to relax with. You may want to consider just having the ceremony in the park, with a reception venue with an indoor space. Tenting is also an option but figure out the logistics of bathrooms, catering areas and any park service rules about having events in the park. One of the nicest parks just outside of Philadelphia is Sculpture Park at the Abington Art Center. Within the wooded park area are sculptures from local artists scattered throughout. The displays are changed every so often and with a pavilion for the reception, you get the best of both worlds!

Art Galleries

If you and your fiance are the artistic sort, an art gallery or museum will be perfect for you. Guests usually have time to roam the galleries during cocktail hour and your reception will need little decoration to make the room look fabulous. Be careful of rules stating where you're allowed to have food and beverages. One of the best art venues in Philly is the Fleisher Art Memorial. The gallery spaces at Fleisher add so much detail and interest to an event that will awe your guests and a venue like this is hard to find in Philadelphia!

Corporate Centers

A lot of large companies have big spaces that they use for their own events or just have very large lobbies with interesting displays that end up being perfect for private events. They are usually blank slates which allow you to really personalize the space and most of them have a modern feel that really lends itself to some great lighting options. A great venue is WHYY, Philadelphia's public radio and tv producer which rents out portions of their building for private events. With its large spaces and beyond average media capabilities, you can really put together a fun, personalized event, plus they display your names and a congratulations message on their jumbo screen on the front of the building.

Unique Locations for a Unique Event

Locating the Unusual Location

If you've read my last post on tips to finding your perfect venue location then you're ready for a little inspiration on locations. You wouldn't be able to guess all of the places that are willing to host private events these days. Any building that has the space is now realizing that they are capable of hosting an event and in this economy, they're capitalizing on it. Take a look at some of the types of places you can hold your event, highlighted by some of our favorite Philly venues.

Historical Locations

Historical locations can be great for weddings because they come with built-in charm. They usually have wonderfully manicured outdoor areas and can be a great talking point for guests. They typically very adaptable to many different styles of weddings so they're great for just about every bride while maintaining the ability to be different for every event. Many historical venues have restrictions on where food and drinks are allowed, if loud music or dancing is allowed and if it is, you want to make sure that the electricity is up to date and is able to accommodate your all night partying. One of our favorite historical places is the Belmont Mansion located Fairmount Park. This old mansion was once a stop on the underground railroad and is now a very nice museum dedicated to Black History, not to mention the breath-taking city skyline view.

Out Door Locations

An outdoor location can make for one of the most beautiful and customizable venues for a spring, summer or early fall wedding. Out door weddings often include a tented reception, or feature a pavilion which guests love because it keeps them out of the sun. Just be careful on choosing an outdoor venue that doesn't have a good rain plan. Even if rain on your wedding day is good luck, no one wants to be a soggy bride. Bartram's Gardens is a great venue for the outdoorsy bride. As one of Philadelphia's most notable botanical gardens, Bartram's offers all of the charm of a sweet, modest wedding with great buildings and a nice barn just in case of rain.

Museums

Museums are fantastic wedding venues because it gives your guests something to do while you're away taking pictures with your bridal crew. With built in entertainment and spaces that are kept impeccably, museums are the way to go. There's a museum for just about everything you may be fascinated in so you can really showcase you and your finance's interests. These types of venues may also have restrictions on where you're allowed to have food or if you're allowed to have a big dance party so choose a place that will not only reflect your love of a sport, city, or hobby but that will also allow you to have a great time at your wedding. The Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent is located in Center City Philadelphia and features a great outdoor space that is rare to find in any city. Featuring everything that is great about Philadelphia, your guests will not only be invited to a venue full of interesting things but may even learn something along the way.


And since venues are so important and one of the most exciting decisions you'll make about your wedding, there's a PART 2 coming in a few days!

Finding the Perfect Venue

Finding the Perfect Venue

So you've found the perfect guy and he's asked you to marry him. The first thing on your to-do list should be to pick out a venue for your wedding and reception. And there's a lot to consider but finding a place that really captures the essence of your perfect day is the one thing that will set the pace for everything else. Keep these things in mind when looking for your venue.

Capacity

Make sure the venue can comfortably accommodate your guest list. Venues will let you know their capacity limits right off the bat but a lot of times they will give you a maximum capacity, if you're expecting 130 and the venue capacity is 130 do some extra research and viewing of the venue to make sure things won't get too tight.

Price

Like anything else, be sure of what you're getting for the price of the rental. Does it include the ceremony fee if you need it, are any of the rentals or services included? Review any contracts with your planner, caterer, or the facility staff before you sign it so you don't miss anything.

Look and Feel

It's true that you can style almost any place to convey any feeling you want, but why not choose a venue that already has a bit of your style incorporated? Existing decorations and room styling don't have to match your theme exactly but they should not clash completely. Don't try to have a simple, country style wedding at the Grand Plaza Ballroom and don't try to have a lavish $100,000 wedding in the basement of your church. A bit of work and strategic decorating can take an empty space and make it your dream vision.

Insurance

A lot of venues and vendors will have insurance but sometimes they will ask you to take out a plan on your homeowners policy. Insurance riders are typically free, or very inexpensive and a simple call to your insurance company should do the trick. It's usually not a big deal, but don't be caught off guard a week before the wedding, this is one thing you can do ahead of time and not have to worry about!

The little things.

You've fallen in love with a venue. Its easy to be picturing your perfect day and then forget about the logistics. You're guests will appreciate a little fore-thought. What is parking like, is it free? What are the electric capacities? You don't want to start the first dance and blow a fuse in the middle of it. Is it handicapped accessible? What do the bathrooms look like? Especially with out door venues, you want to make sure that you grandmother won't have to adjust her evening gown in a port-a-potty. Walking through the event as a guest in your head may go a long way when picking up some of the little details.

Other weddings and privacy

If you want your venue all to your self and make sure that the venue staff are devoted to just you, then make sure they don't do multiple weddings in one day, or that they've scheduled an early afternoon wedding right before your evening wedding. If you're getting married on the beach or at a park, expect a passer-by and there's a chance they won't be discreet about their presence. I've been to a wedding in a park where a jogger ran through the ceremony.

So when you're choosing a venue, keep these things in mind. If you've hired an outside caterer, I urge you to do multiple walk-throughs with them so they can trouble-shoot any issues that someone who's only planning one wedding in their lifetime might not realize. There's also specific kitchen-related issues that they will be more concerned about than you but will make all the difference come day of. And look for my upcoming posts on venues that you might not expect to have a wedding at!