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Although it’s tempting to just enjoy your engagement, to book a wedding venue for your big day should be done as early as possible. Most great venues get booked up to 12-18 months in advance, so the possibility of your dream wedding location being unavailable is high. Before you book a wedding venue, you might want to consider the following 9 things.

Book a Wedding Venue

A Fixed Date

You should only book a venue when you’ve fixed a date, but make sure you have a back-up date incase your chosen venue has scheduled another lucky bride on your date.

Seasonal Choice

After finalizing your date, you will obviously know the season of your special day. This is important to consider before reserving a specific venue since some locations are better in certain seasons. Decide which season fits you as a couple first.

  • Winter

If your date falls in winter and you are drawn to the whimsical beauty of frost and enjoy the bitter cold, then go ahead and reserve a cosy venue. Make sure you’re ready to put on some layers to avoid getting cold feet!

  • Spring

This season is a popular time to get married because of how perfect it is for outdoor locations. You get to enjoy the blossoming trees and flowering plants as your backdrop.

  • Summer

When you plan to book a venue for summer, make sure you do it at least a year in advance, or even two. This is because summer is the most popular season. Besides booking in advance, send out your “Save The Date” invites in advance. Friends and family might make plans for a summer holiday. In addition to that, make sure your wedding outfit can withstand the heat in case the temperature gets too high.

  • Autumn

It’s so easy to fall in love with this season with its lovely autumn leaves and fairly good weather. You’ll find that getting married in autumn offers you so many options when choosing a wedding venue and at more affordable prices.

Venue Tour

You can’t decide on a venue based on pictures alone. In fact, even if you’ve had your eye on a certain venue for quite some time, looking at it from another perspective is vital. This is why certain venues, such as The Nut Farm, allow you to schedule a venue tour to give you a chance to visualise yourself walking down that aisle with pecan trees and the majestic Magaliesberg mountain range as a backdrop.

Budget

The cost of your venue will most likely take up a huge percentage of your wedding budget. Make sure to manage this well and find a place that will not leave you empty-handed. It is also recommended to look for a place that offers their own catering services as they can give you great packages to save more.

Accessibility

Do you dream of getting married in a location where you can bask in the great outdoors? Make sure that your “great outdoors” venue is accessible for your guests. The Nut Farm, a beautiful pecan orchard in Hartbeespoort Dam, is centrally located so it’s easily accessible. You wouldn’t want your guests not to attend because you’ve chosen a venue in the middle of nowhere. Make sure to check this first before deciding.

Venue Theme

It’s probably not wise to pick a venue in the middle of the city if you’ve dreamt of getting married in the middle of nature. If you can’t afford to be too far away from the city, why not look at farm venues on the outskirts of the city? The Nut Farm is only 45 minutes away from Johannesburg and Pretoria. Its central location makes it accessible for nearby cities, giving you the opportunity to stick to your theme, but also pull off a dream destination nuptial, convenient for both you and your guests.

Space

Choose a venue that can accommodate your guests well enough. There should be enough space for everyone to move as comfortably as possible. A glass wedding venue can give you that, but too much space is also not recommended as it may appear too empty, leaving you to splurge more money to fill up the space with decorations and whatnot.

Back-up Plans

To make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible on your wedding day, book a venue that can present a backup plan in case an unprecedented event occurs. What if it suddenly rains? Do they have an indoor space on standby? The Nut Farm has a special “plan B” chapel on the mezzanine level with the most spectacular views of Hartbeespoort Dam. Check on the venue’s cancellation policy too. You can measure the readiness of your venue if they are able to provide clear action plans for your concerns.

Gut Instinct

Sometimes, the sign to finally say “yes” to a venue comes from within. If you feel like you’re ready, then go for it! If you feel like enjoying your time as an engaged couple before diving into anything related to wedding planning, then sit back and enjoy it. An engagement period is special, so savour it. Once your gut is telling you to book a wedding venue, everything else will follow.

When you are ready to book a wedding venue

If you’re ready to start your search for the perfect venue, book a tour with The Nut Farm so we can show you what we offer. It’s everything that you’re looking for… and more!