How To Choose A Wedding Venue—When You Can't See It In Person!

In today's world, you don't need to be in the same city, state, or even country in order to connect with loved ones or meet new people. So why should you need to criss-cross the ocean blue to find your perfect wedding venue? 

The wedding industry has met this modern moment with creativity and flexibility. Many venues will now happily offer one-on-one virtual site tours via FaceTime, Zoom, or Google Meet to couples who can't visit in person. This way, you can virtually "walk" through the event spaces with the venue's on-site coordinator, talk through what your wedding could look like at their location, ask questions, and address concerns as they come up in real time.

Of course, just as there are questions to consider before an in-person tour, you'll want to get prepared for your virtual tour, too. Here are some of our best tips on how to choose a wedding venue—when you can't see it in person!

Before booking a site tour of any kind, it's important to decide on your must-haves. For example: How many guests will the venue need to accommodate? Do they have an outdoor space for your ceremony? Will they allow you to BYO alcohol? What's their curfew?

We recommend having a general idea of at least your budget, guest count, desired geographic location and wedding date range before beginning your venue search. Getting your highest priorities in order first will make the process of finding your ideal venue MUCH more simplified and streamlined.

If you still need to figure out your finances, we recommend starting with these 6 Simple Steps To Setting A Wedding Budget. We know you'd rather skip this step and go straight to the site tours, but having a budget in mind before starting your venue search is key! You don't want to fall in love with a place that will bust your bank account entirely, so sit down with your fiancé and crunch those numbers.

Since your venue has the potential to take a healthy bite out of your overall wedding budget, you'll want to not only have a dollar amount in mind for how much you're able to spend, but also be sure to factor in some extra cushion for unanticipated costs—like service fees, parking fees, additional rentals, etc.

If you weren't already aware, we've got thousands of wedding venues listed on our website! We're super Type-A, too, which means that we've organized them in every way imaginable—from wedding venues by style (barns, and ballrooms, and beaches – oh my!), to wedding venues by state, and even things like all-inclusive venues and small wedding spaces for guest lists under 50!

You can then filter these venue lists down even further by refining by budget, capacity, catering options, alcohol options, and more. View gorgeous photo galleries, get special offers, see pricing and package information, and shoot off an email right from the venue's profile page. Boom.

Reach out to the venues on your A-list to see if they have dates available in your desired time of year, and if they'd work within your budget. Once you have a few venue options that fit the bill, schedule those site tours!

Now, because you're reading this article we're going to assume you're unable to do a site tour in person. And that's TOTALLY okay! Actually, there are lots of unique advantages to doing a live virtual site tour: You can do it from the comfort of your own home, you can screenshot or record portions of the tour for future reference, and you can share these recordings with parents or anyone else involved in the decision-making process. (More on this below!)

You'll want to make sure you get the A-OK from the venue coordinators that this arrangement will work for them, and provide all the details. Let them know the device and program you'll be using (e.g. you'll both need iPhones to FaceTime and the free version of Zoom has some time limitations) and coordinate the details when it comes to syncing up your apps and scheduling the actual appointment.

Here's how a virtual site tour usually goes: The on-site coordinator will use FaceTime, Zoom, or Google Meet to connect with you, and will most likely begin the "tour" with a quick consultation. They want to get to know you as a couple, your love story, your vision for the wedding day, and your style and preferences! Once the consultation is over, they'll hold their phones up to give you a panoramic view of each event space as they walk you through the property in real time.

A few pro tips for your virtual wedding venue tour:

• If possible, try to schedule your virtual tour during the day so you can easily see the event spaces in natural light. Even if you want an outdoor ceremony at sunset, it gets difficult to see details on a phone screen in dark or dusky lighting.
• Make sure your phone or other digital device is fully charged, and that you have a snappy connection!
• Have the "tour" in an area of your home where you can focus. Turn off the TV, limit other distractions, and get cozy with a cup of coffee. Dedicate at least 45 minutes to an hour for this tour, depending on the size of the venue.
• If your on-site coordinator is okay with it, why not record the site tour? Most phones have the option to record your screen. (Just practice beforehand to ensure you capture the video and sound.) You can also snap photos with the FaceTime Live Photos option, or simply take screenshots of key details.
• Ask questions. And no, not just a few questions. Ask all of the questions! When you can't see a venue in person, you want to be extra thorough in your communications. And if you're not sure what to ask, we got you! Print out our comprehensive list of Questions To Ask A Wedding Venue and keep it handy during your site tour.
• Ask for references. If you don't feel like you got the full picture of the venue and what it would be like to host your wedding there, don't be afraid to ask the coordinator for references. Chatting with couples who recently tied the knot at that same location can help fill in any blanks.

Yes, you love the venue itself. But is it an easy trek from the airport, or close to the hotels you're securing room blocks at? You don't want anything that's too off-the-beaten path for your guests' sake—and when you can't visit the location yourself, Google Maps can be your best friend.

One of the best things about a virtual tour is that you can share it with your nearest and dearest! You wouldn't bring 10 people to an in-person site tour, but you can easily share a virtual one with the group! (Again, check with the venue coordinator to be sure they're comfortable with you recording and/or sharing the tour with friends or family.) Whether it's a few screenshots or a full 45-minute video, your VIPs will love getting a behind-the-scenes look at your potential venue.

If the venue has all of your must-haves and fits your budget, there's just one more box to check: How did you feel during your site tour? Did you have a connection with the site rep? Did they answer all of your questions and seem open to your vision and ideas? Did they seem excited about your big day, and the prospect of working with you?

If the general answer to these questions is a resounding no, then you should continue searching. You want to feel valued and heard during the wedding planning process, so trust your gut and ultimately book the venue that not only checks all the boxes, but also makes you feel taken care of.

You may have had more than one virtual (or in-person!) site visit, so now's the time to sit down with your fiancé and compare notes. Write out your pros and cons of each venue, review the small print on any paperwork, and compare your options until you're able to declare a winner. Sweet victory!

But remember, it's not a done deal until you sign a contract. Have the on-site coordinator go over all the details with you, ask about the fine print, and make sure everything you verbally agreed to during the site tour is written in black & white. No matter what someone told you about the availability of a dance floor, the price of those upgraded crossback chairs, or use of the ceremony arch, you can't hold the venue to it until the contract is signed.

Once you feel comfortable with what's written in the contract, read through it again—sans pressure—in the comfort of your own home before you and your fiancé sign on that dotted line.

Congrats, you've virtually booked your venue! Now go to the kitchen and pop that bottle of champs you've been saving.