Three Things To Know Before Touring A Wedding Venue
Planning your dream wedding is one of the most exciting chapters of your life. With all the excitement around getting engaged and starting the process of wedding planning many couples jump right into touring wedding venues. As a popular Michigan wedding venue, we recommend making a few preliminary decisions before touring wedding venues so you can save time and make the most of every visit. When searching for a wedding venue in Michigan, keep in mind these three things to know before touring a wedding venue
The Felt Estate features multiple white event tents. Our West Lawn Tent is adjacent to the historic mansion and seats up to 250 people with room for dinner and dancing.
Number of Wedding Guests
How many people do you want to celebrate with you? Do you want an intimate gathering with your closest family and friends or a big party? While you don’t need a finalized guest list right away, having a good estimate will help narrow down your wedding venue options.
Many Holland wedding venues, like The Felt Estate, offer versatile spaces perfect for varying group sizes. Our beautiful estate features a historically restored 1920’s European style mansion, rustic carriage house, multiple white wedding tents, a classic wedding chapel as well as natural gardens and large lawns that can accommodate celebrations big and small. We can accommodate weddings with up to 250 guests and we’ve had as few as 20 people for a celebration but, most weddings at the estate have about 120-150 guests.
Once you do make your final guest list you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t exceed the total capacity of the wedding venue you have selected. We recommend confirming that your chosen location comfortably supports your anticipated guest count.
Grand Rapids wedding planner, Holden of Holden Michael Events shares this about the first steps of wedding planning; creating a guest list, “Creating a preliminary guest list is more than just jotting down names; it’s a strategic step that significantly influences your wedding, especially when considering its impact on your budget.” Which brings us to the second thing you’ll need to know before touring a wedding venue.
Total Wedding Budget
Establishing a total wedding budget is important, especially when exploring Michigan wedding venues. While discussing finances may not be the most exciting part of wedding planning, every wedding has a budget - no matter the size. Knowing the total budget you want to work with is important to understand how venue pricing aligns with your overall spending and will help in comparing the venues you’re considering.
Many venues differ in what they include. Some wedding venues are all inclusive with catering, bar, decor, coordination services, and sometimes entertainment all in-house. Our Michigan wedding venue offers more flexibility for couples looking to have more of selection for catering, bar, decor, and other wedding services by choosing from our curated selection of exclusive and preferred wedding vendors. Initially, an all-inclusive wedding venue may appear to cost less, but when adding in the other services as well as food and beverage minimums, it may end up being more expensive than a venue that doesn’t have in-house catering, bar, and other services. Knowing your total budget will help you compare those differences.
Financial services company Fidelity shares that nationally the average wedding in 2024 cost $33,000 according to data from wedding planning and registry website Zola. The average Michigan wedding was $28,983. Couples getting married at The Felt Estate will typically spend at least $35,000 on their total budget for around 100 wedding guests. Learn more about our wedding venue packages and amenities.
With so many Michigan wedding venues to choose from - knowing your budget before you tour a wedding venue will help you prioritize what matters most, compare wedding venues with different types of offerings, and help focus your wedding venue search to save you time.
Wedding ceremony at the historic chapel at The Felt Estate in Holland, Michigan.
Blackout Wedding Dates
Timing is everything when it comes to booking your wedding venue. Popular Michigan wedding venues—especially those in picturesque areas like Holland and Saugatuck—can book out two or more years in advance. Before touring wedding venues we recommend creating a list of “blackout dates”. These dates are ones that won’t work due to scheduling conflicts or preferences (like not wanting to get married on a holiday). This allows you to book a wedding venue you love by picking a date from their availability rather than settling for a wedding venue that happens to be available on the date that you’ve selected.
Flexibility with your wedding date can open doors to your dream venue. For instance, if a historic Holland wedding venue like The Felt Estate has limited availability on Saturdays, you might find a Friday or Sunday date that perfectly suits your plans. It’s going to be a celebration no matter what day you choose!
When exploring your options, ask venues about their availability and booking policies. You can always find our wedding venue availability online. Keep in mind that certain dates, such as holidays or holiday weekends, may come with premium pricing. Being clear on your non-negotiable dates will help streamline your search and prevent potential scheduling conflicts.
Your wedding venue sets the tone for your entire celebration. By carefully considering your guest list, budget, and blackout dates before you tour wedding venues you can make the most of every visit and enjoy the processes of selecting your dream Michigan wedding venue. Ready to start planning your Michigan destination wedding at The Felt Estate? Set up a private showing with our rental managers here.
Photography Credit: Kelly Sweet Photography
We’re proud to support locally owned wedding venues and vendors including: Holden Michael Events, Inn at Harbor Shores, La Joya Dulce, Ballroom at Windsor, The Bella Sera. If you’re a locally owned venue looking for a network of support for your small business, contact us.