Different wedding venues provide different levels of accommodation for wedding parties. While we typically think of choosing a wedding venue strictly in terms of choosing a location for the big day, some wedding venues handle far more than just providing the backdrop to your special event.
There are two main venue types: those that are full-service and those that are not. While there is usually room for negotiation in terms of what you’d like to handle yourself and what you’d like the venue to take on, opting for a full-service venue can be a huge stress reliever.If you prefer to handle all the details yourself, a venue that lets you choose all of the aspects of your day could be right for you.
If a venue doesn’t provide full-service, that typically means that you’re paying to rent the space and only the space. Whatever happens next is entirely up to you. This is more common for venues that aren’t principally wedding venues; if you want to rent out your local art gallery for example, the venue might not have the facilities or staff to accommodate wedding parties. Most venues that are used principally for weddings will have far more options and provisions than you might expect.
Here are some of the things that a venue might provide!
Tables & Chairs
Most venues will provide you with tables and chairs for your wedding, including making sure that there are enough seats and that the tables are large enough to accommodate your seating arrangements.
Depending on what type of chairs you’d like at your wedding, the cost may vary. This is one of those details that the venue coordinators should cover—they know the space and will be able to ensure that everything works well within it. They will also know where to procure rentals that may go above and beyond what the venue provides.
Linens & Catering Supplies
This includes everything from table covers to napkins, cutlery to glasses. Most venues will be able to work with you to determine which style of linens and catering supplies will work best with the aesthetic you’re trying to cultivate for your wedding.
Ensuring that all the tableware is right is a huge job, especially if you have a big guest list, and letting the venue take care of it can be a huge relief. Remember, if the venue doesn’t have cleaning facilities, you will need rentals for each course or section of food service that you have planned for.
Caterers
It’s become increasingly common for venues to provide wedding parties with a list of potential caterers that they recommend. Certain wedding venues require that you choose a caterer off the list while others allow you to find one of your own if you’d prefer.
Working with an approved caterer is a great idea. There are tons of catering companies in Toronto, and choosing from them can be overwhelming. Venues are recommending caterers they believe are top quality; anything less would reflect poorly on them. Additionally, these are caterers that you know have experience working with the venue, which can make all the difference in terms of quality and speed on the actual day.
Wedding Coordination
This is one of the very services that wedding venues provide—wedding coordination. Depending on the venue, this coordination can be anything from an event planner that works with you from the very beginning, to a coordinator who will work with you on the actual day to ensure everything goes smoothly.
Most venues are willing to provide more intensive coordination, so it depends on you in terms of how much assistance you’d like. Coordination services can completely change the way the planning stage goes. Things like contract negotiation and payment tracking aren’t the first things you think of when you imagine planning your wedding, but they play a big part and they can be incredibly stressful.
Venue coordinators have a lot of experience working with different vendors to ensure that everything is handled properly, making the whole experience so much more pleasant—as it should be!