Key Tips for Selecting the Ideal Space for Your Big Day
by Josh Tully, International Wedding Planner
Finding the perfect wedding venue can be one of the most exciting, and overwhelming, parts of planning a destination wedding. As a company that has designed dream weddings for international couples across the globe, we at Josh Tully Management have seen our fair share of gorgeous venues. That’s why we’ve partnered for years with Chateau Bee Selection — run by expert venue scout Ingrid and her top-notch team — to provide unmatched venue insights and recommendations. With their pulse on up-and-coming wedding venues in France, and an eye for matching unique venues with unique couples, Chateau Bee Selection has been an invaluable resource.
As we often reflect, personalized venue matching services like theirs are desperately needed in wedding destinations worldwide. So for all you brides and grooms planning destination weddings, take it from us—venue selection is vitally important.
Let us provide advice to help your venue dreams come true. The next slice of information is taken from Chapter 1 of our new online course we created to support as many couples as possible in planning a destination wedding. It’s what we have discussed with 100’s of couples and it nevers fails us or the couples.
Wedding Location
First, location is everything. For guest convenience, prioritise venues within 90 minutes of an international airport. Remote can be romantic, but don’t inflict 4+ hour drives on loved ones. Also, envision the views. If sunset sparks joy, ensure the ceremony and reception spaces face the right direction during your season. Vistas matter!
Wedding Venues with On-Site Accommodation
Onsite accommodation is crucial, especially for families. If hosting parents and the wedding party is non-negotiable, only consider venues meeting that number of rooms. Nearby accommodation options also add venue value for your guests. A range of hotels, or Airbnbs within shuttle range provide flexibility. A charming village or attractions close by sweeten the locale even more!
Wedding Party and Curfews
Curfews can be buzzkills. If late night revelry is essential, venues ending festivities pre-midnight won’t work. But marathon partying may not suit a multi-day wedding either. Find the happy medium! The good news is that most French wedding venues on Chateau Bee have late curfew (or no curfew at all) so you’re likely to get that all night party you’re after.
Destination Wedding Venue Cost
Cost Lastly, budget wisely. Venue costs should land around 15-20% of your total expense. If onsite rooms help offset venue fees for you, leverage that opportunity! Just ensure this dream location aligns with your overall wedding budget. Patience and preparations are key before contacting venues! Shooting off emails willy-nilly can create confusion if you reach out to the same venue multiple times. Let’s avoid inbox overload.
A friend of Chateau Bee is a friend to us, so as a thank you for reading these words we would love to gift you a tool we use but also comes as part of the membership to the course, it’s our Venue Tracker – click here.
Key Wedding Venue Questions:
Now you’ve narrowed down your shortlist – it’s time for venue outreach! Below are key questions to ask during initial communications if not already provided by the Venue:
- What is the 3-night rental cost? Are there minimum booking periods like 4 nights in peak summer?
- What’s the onsite guest capacity for accommodation and events?
- When’s the evening event curfew?
- Are any onsite spaces not included in the advertised cost?
- What furniture or staff are included?
- What meal options exist for onsite guests?
- How far is the closest international airport?
- Do they have a list of required suppliers or can you use your own?
- Is there a corkage fee for provided alcohol?
- Are additional fees charged like cleaning or garbage removal?
- And very importantly – is your wedding date available? Weekday weddings can offer significant savings if you have date flexibility.
You’ve got this, and if you don’t then ask for our help! Thanks for reading.
Special Offer to the Chateau Bee couples:
At Chateau Bee, we have partnered with The Destination Wedding Club, the first-of-its-kind, an online course designed by expert planners to empower couples planning a destination wedding in France. Collating over 10+ years of experience in the event industry, TDWC is an online course that will guide you through every step of planning your own French wedding seamlessly.
Use the following code to get a 20% off the course: CHATEAUBEE2024
Josh Tully
Josh Tully Management, Founder @joshtullymanagement
The Destination Wedding Club, Co Founder @thedestweddingclub