Guide: How to choose the right Venue
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So you have an event to plan, and a House Party for whatever reason just isn’t going to work for you.
And so begins - the venue hunting!
But where to begin, and what should you be looking for?! We plan a lot of events, both at our own Venue, Upstairs at Bahari in Richmond, and at select other venues around Melbourne. This said, we thought we would share our experience, and help guide you in things to look for - to find that perfect venue, for you special event.
The following steps should help you narrow it down, and make your process as efficient as possible :
GUEST NUMBERS / Get your guest list sorted first. There’s no point searching for venues if you’re not sure how many people you’re going to invite! Once you know your numbers, you search will be a lot more accurate, and you’ll narrow it down a lot quicker!
LOCATION / Focusing on an area, or a few select locations often helps this process along. Think about how far you want your guests to travel, the time of day your event might be held, and how late they might be getting home.
FOOD & DRINK / Obviously a super important part - feeding and hydrating your guests! Some venues handle this themselves, and others might require you to bring in your own caterers and bar. Consider if the venue handles the food themselves, if you’re happy with the type of food, and whether it might suit your vibe. If you have a certain food type of cuisine you’re wanting, you’ll probably need to find a venue which allows external catering - so this might help you narrow it down as well!
Chat to our team about which venues we cater at here!
TYPE OF EVENT / Does your event suit more of a sit down, or stand up style? Some venues are flexible on both, but if you decide which way you would like to go early, then you can search based on this and will get closer to something to best suit your needs.
ELEMENTS / Think about all of the elements you would like your event to have. Do you need an area for a cake table? An Arbor or space for a ceremony? Would you like room for a dance floor? Once you jot all of your elements down, you’ll easily be able to see whether a venue is suitable or not and this will help you along the process of finding the perfect fit.
INCLUSIONS / Some venues have a lot of things included that you might need already, and others are more of a blank canvass. Does it have enough seating? Is the lighting ok? Is there a good provision for music or entertainment? Carefully consider what is included when assessing a venue, as although you can hire things in of course - they do add up quickly! Be aware of your budget, and what it allows for.
PARKING / Something to consider, is ease of parking for your guests! If you can choose a venue which has great parking options - it just makes everyone’s experience that little easier. If you love a venue, and the parking isn’t great - that’s ok too! Just do some research before, and send your guests some info or a little map on where to find some parking spots - they’ll really appreciate it!
We hope this guide helps you find that perfect venue, and as always, feel free to reach out to our team to see if we can assist you with your event!