What to Look for When Choosing Your Wedding Venue
Amongst the many things you need to consider when planning a wedding, choosing your venue can be one of the hardest parts of the entire process. Your venue sets the tone for your wedding. It’s the backdrop in your photos and is essentially the focal point (besides the bride and groom) of the entire event. So, to help we have gathered a few helpful tips on what to look for when choosing your wedding venue.
Choose the location
It sounds obvious, but choosing your location should be the first step in picking your wedding venue. For some, it’s where you two first met, or where you are both from. For others, it is a place you both have always wanted to travel to or a place you travel together to frequently. Whatever the reason for choosing the location, this decision is the first step in narrowing down the location for your wedding.
Elkins Resort’s location along the shores of Priest Lake, Idaho has been the setting for many weddings over the years. For couples who vacation with us and who love the beauty of the outdoors, Elkins Resort is the ideal location for your wedding venue.
Determine your budget
Just as important as determining the location, but less fun, is setting your budget. Determining your budget sets the stage for most of the wedding planning process, but it is probably the biggest qualifying factor when choosing a wedding venue. Typically, your catering and venue will take up about half your budget.
When you book your wedding with Elkins Resort, we offer an affordable venue & catering package with additional discounts for winter weddings. Be sure to download our wedding brochure for more detailed information regarding cost breakdown.
Estimate your guest count
Most likely, if you’ve set your budget, you have some sort of an idea about your guest count. Every venue has a max capacity that is not a flexible number. And while you don’t need to determine the exact number at this point, it is good to have an estimate in mind. This will help prevent falling in love with a place and finding out they only hold 50 people and realize you have a guest list of 100.
Depending on whether you want an outdoor or indoor wedding, Elkins Resort offers enough space for a moderate to a larger-size wedding. For indoor weddings, our space can accommodate up to 140 people and for outdoor weddings, our space can accommodate up to 300 people.
Have specific dates in mind
As you start the hunt for a wedding venue, it is a good idea to have a date in mind. For some, the wedding date might be flexible based on booking their dream wedding venue, while others have a specific date in mind that might eliminate certain venues based on availability.
No matter what time of year you plan to get married, Elkins Resort is happy to host your wedding. While spring and fall are our most popular time to book, we are also finding that winter weddings at Priest Lake are just as popular and offer a unique and romantic setting.
Think about what is included
Some wedding venues don’t offer anything but the space your rent, while others provide a comprehensive package. Often, using an outside rental company and caterer can end up costing you more money in the long run, despite the larger up-front cost of a full-service wedding venue. So, it’s important to understand exactly how much you are spending on each piece of the wedding.
At Elkins Resort we offer everything from catering and wedding cake to decorations and set-up. Our staff comes with 30+ years of wedding experience and is here to ensure your special day is perfect, from start to finish.
Do they provide accommodations?
Often a determining factor when choosing a wedding venue is considering if they offer accommodations or not. Especially if you are planning a destination wedding where most of your guests will be coming in from out of town, you will want to consider a wedding venue that offers accommodations.
Elkins Resort offers 30 individual cabins, with a lodging capacity of 200 people. Our cozy cabins range in size, sleeping between two and fourteen people. All cabins have a full kitchen, bathroom, and living area, with most offering a fireplace and views of the lake.
See you how you can have your dream wedding at Elkins Resort on Priest Lake by requesting more information here.