How to Decide on Your Wedding Venue

We did it, we signed the contract today. I'm so happy. 

At first, when my fiance and I started looking at venues for our wedding we made a list of what we wanted from the venue. The list included: price, fun, quality of food, and ease of planning. It was simple but had everything we valued for our wedding. We asked each other questions about what we envisioned on that special day. And then we started visiting places in person. Each location had its own pros and cons and soon I got confused on what to pick. It was a lot of money and I started worrying about all the "what ifs". I asked friends and family for their advice. I appreciated all the help but their voices made me question my own.  

My search changed from our list of values to my fears about all that could go wrong. Suddenly my primary concern became about the budget and secondary, did we like the venue. My question: Could it hold our wedding?  My dream became my checklist. In the end, I was just making sure a wedding could be performed and that I would be happy with it. 

And then something happened that made me pause. I was planning the wedding like it was an event for my job.  A wedding should make you happy and want to run to sign the contract because you're in love. My fiance realized I had lost my my dream before I did. He said I acted like touring a venue we were thinking about choosing was a chore - "I wasn't excited".  He knew the one I truly wanted before I did.  I love him for knowing me so well. 

Your venue should not be solely about price.  The budget is an important part, but not the only part.  The venue must express who we are as a couple and what we want.  My friends also gave me some very important advice. Slow down until you are 200% sure you know what you want.  

I think because I had done so much research there would be no bad outcome.  Either way our wedding would be fun and I would be happy because I'm marrying such an amazing man.  However, by slowing down and realizing what we wanted, the event turned back to us celebrating our love, not having a "wedding."

The brain should do the research, the heart should pick.