How to Choose a Wedding Venue You’ll Absolutely Love (and Afford)

We’re not saying we’re the most important part of your wedding… but we’re also not not saying it. 😉

Your venue affects almost every other decision you’ll make – from your menu to your photos to your overall budget. And if you’re newly engaged, you might already be feeling the pressure to get it just right.

That’s what we’re here for — to guide you through how to choose a wedding venue that fits your vision, your budget, and your personality, so the stress eases and the excitement comes back.

So grab your favorite drink (fancy iced coffee for me), and let’s go through what really matters when choosing your wedding venue so you can make the decision the works for you and your fiancé (which is really the most important part of your wedding) 🙂

Most wedding blogs will tell you to start with a budget, guest list, or the perfect view. And, yes, those matter. But just checking those boxes won’t get you a wedding day where you can enjoy every moment.

We’re filling you in on what the standard “how to choose a venue” lists miss, and what will actually help you make a decision that feels calm, confident, and right for you.

Start Here: How to Choose a Wedding Venue That Matches How You Want the Day to Feel

Yes, it’s tempting to jump into booking all the tours. But before you tour a single barn, ballroom, or mountain overlook, stop and think about how you want your day to feel.

Do you picture a cozy dinner with family-style tables and candlelight? Time spent with your closest friends and family, lots of conversations and laughter – the kind of day that lets you take a deep breath.

Maybe you’re more of a dance party vibe.  You want to spend the night on the dance floor, sing along to your favorite songs and go home with sore feet and a giant smile.

 Or you might be dreaming of romance, soft breezes, and dreamy sunset photos. Maybe an open-air garden ceremony with the sunset behind you?

That feeling should guide your venue search.

You might know you want an outdoor wedding and, in North Georgia, you’ve got a ton of barn venues to choose from.  But each one can have a slightly different vibe to it.  Knowing the feeling you want (and sharing that as you tour), can help you find the just right place for you.

Once you know the vibe, everything else gets much easier: florals, layout, even catering style.

💡 Pro tip: Think about your favorite way to spend time with your friends and family.  Is it a night out on the town?  A cozy dinner at home?  Take that and elevate it.  That gives you a day to celebrate in a way that you will truly enjoy.

If you’re just starting your planning journey, mark our post on How to Enjoy the First 90 Days of Wedding Planning to read later. It’ll help you prioritize the fun parts, and skip the stress of figuring out how to choose a wedding venue.

Know What Your Budget Really Covers

Most venues talk about one thing when it comes to budget — how much their venue costs compared to others.
But that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

The real question is: how much does your whole wedding cost — and how does the venue fit into that total picture?

Because, honestly, a wedding budget is more just numbers on a spreadsheet. Fully understanding how to set up your wedding budget is the difference between a calm, confident planning experience and that “wait, who’s bringing forks?” moment two weeks before your wedding. 

But how do you know how to do that?? (We get it, figuring out how to choose a wedding venue should not seem so hard.)

Most venues focus on getting your date booked, handing you a preferred vendor list, and sending you on your way to figure out the rest. We care about your whole wedding experience (the key to having your budget set up completely).

That means helping you see the full picture — what’s covered, what’s not, and what might sneak up on you later if no one’s looking out for you.

You shouldn’t have to earn a degree in event management just to plan your wedding.

And it’s those little details (the ones that everyone assumes someone else will handle) that have a way of quietly adding up. Like…

Cake Cutting 

Here’s one we see all the time. You book your caterer, the quote looks great, and you feel like you’ve checked another big box. Then a month before your wedding, someone asks, “Hey, who’s cutting the cake?”

I know, I know – why is this a thing?  But think about it, when you have a birthday party doesn’t everyone point to each other when it’s time to cut the cake?  Nobody wants that job.

And it definitely shouldn’t be you or your family on wedding day.

But not every caterer automatically includes cake cutting in their quote. “Cake cutting” is more than just the simple cutting.  It includes cake plates, cake forks, etc.

Plus, fun fact, wedding cakes are baked to a certain size for your guest count based on a very specific serving size. (See, it’s all those little things we’ve got your back on.)

That’s exactly why we build suggested spend amounts into your budget planning. We’ve seen where the gaps pop up, so we help you cover them before they ever become an issue. When you meet with your caterer, we’ll make sure you know exactly what’s included, and what needs to be added so you’re not scrambling later.

 What Is a “Suggested Spend”?

We’ll be honest — this isn’t an industry term. We made it up.
But it’s something every couple deserves.

Your suggested spend is a realistic budget amount based on years of working with trusted North Georgia vendors. It’s “suggested” because you still work directly with them (you choose your menu, your floral style, your cake design) but we make sure your budget is a realistic amount. $500 for flowers won’t get you very far…

Think of it like wedding planning guardrails.
You drive, we help you stay on the road. You get full access to the experts, make the fun decisions, and we keep an eye out for those sneaky little “extras” that can derail your budget.

Hard Truth Time: Don’t Pick Up Your Own Cake

We’re all about hard truths that will make your life easier.

We love a good budget hack — but there are some corners you just don’t cut. This is one of them.

Yes, technically you can save a few dollars by picking up your cake instead of paying for delivery. But one hard brake, one sharp turn, and your buttercream masterpiece might arrive looking like modern art. 

The bakers we recommend handle delivery. It’s not just about convenience. It’s about less stress and more celebrating, not troubleshooting frosting.

Saving money is great, but saving your time together is what really makes a difference.

The Big Picture: Plan for the True Wedding Cost, Not Just the Venue Cost

When you’re looking at your numbers, zoom out.
Don’t just focus on the venue fee. Look at the entire picture: catering, rentals, staffing, delivery fees, and those little items like utensils and linens that make the day actually work.

That’s where Pleasant Union Farm comes in. We don’t hand you a binder and wish you luck. We walk you through how each decision connects, what’s covered, what’s custom, and where to expect extra costs — so your budget feels real, complete, and stress-free.

Because knowing your true wedding cost isn’t about spending more, it’s about being prepared enough that nothing surprises you.

The right budget isn’t the cheapest one — it’s the one that covers everything you need without any surprises.

If you want to be extra prepared, grab our free North Georgia Wedding Venue Tour Checklist.  It will help you compare venues and make sure you don’t miss the important items as you figure out how to choose a wedding venue.

How to Choose a Wedding Venue by Asking the Right Questions

Most venue blogs will tell you to ask the same checklist of questions – things like, “What’s your capacity?” “Do you have parking?” “How many hours of access do we get?”

And, yes… we’ve done that too. (You can check out our own posts that break down those logistics in detail right here.)

And those things are important. You absolutely want on-site parking (not “a public lot nearby”), and you’ll want to make sure the size and feel of the venue fits your guest count comfortably.

But those are just scratching the surface.

If you want to really want to know how to choose a wedding venue that’s right for you, you need to dig deeper and go beyond the space, into the experience. Because your venue should be more than just a beautiful space.

And that’s where the questions you ask on a tour start to truly make a difference.

The Questions That Get to the Real Story

When you’re touring a venue, don’t just focus on the layout or perfect photo spots.  Make sure you ask questions that show you how supported you’ll be once you’ve booked.

Here are a few that make all the difference:

• Who helps us choose the right vendors for us?
  You don’t need a giant list of “preferred vendors.” You want recommended professionals who fit your vision, style, and budget and work together as one team.
  At Pleasant Union Farm, we’ll walk through your plans and recommend trusted vendors who’ll make your day seamless.
  
• How do we make sure we’re not missing any details?
  That’s the question most couples don’t think to ask but it’s the one that will save you the most stress.
• You’re not supposed to be the wedding planning expert – someone else with knowledge should be guiding you through the process.
  We don’t just hand you a list and wish you luck. We stay in the process with you, answering questions and making sure nothing gets missed.
• What happens after we book the venue?
  For most venues, that’s where the end goal – you’ve booked your date, hooray!
  With us, that’s when your real support begins. We guide you step-by-step through planning with the end goal that you enjoy your engagement season and your wedding day.

A great venue doesn’t just give you a date. It gives you direction.

The Real Difference: Guidance vs. Guesswork

When you choose Pleasant Union Farm, you’re not left trying to coordinate ten different vendors, manage deliveries, or guess whether you’ve covered every base.

You get a team that helps you connect the dots, making sure your menu, rentals, flowers, timeline, and décor all work together effortlessly. We help you make decisions in the right order and help you avoid the expensive kind of surprises.

Your engagement shouldn’t feel like a second job. It should feel like what it really is: a celebration of the season before “I do.”

💡 Pro tip: Ask about support, not just space. When you’re touring venues, pay attention to what they focus on.
If the conversation is all about square footage and ceremony views, ask yourself, what happens once I book?

Ask these instead:

• What does your support look like after we book?
  
• Do you help us choose and communicate with vendors?
  
• Who keeps track of all the moving parts?
  

Once you step out those doors, you’re either on your own or you’ve got a team that walks with you all the way to your wedding day.

At Pleasant Union Farm, that’s what we do best. We don’t just rent space. We create a full wedding experience that’s calm, beautiful, and taken care of..

Compare the Experience, Not Just the Expense

Every venue structures its packages differently, which makes side-by-side comparisons hard (we don’t do it on purpose, I promise).

One might include tables, linens, and a coordinator. Another might include the building and… gorgeous views!

Most venues focus on showing you how their price stacks up against others. But price alone doesn’t tell you what your day will actually feel like.

A lower price might look great at first, until you realize you’ll need to rent extra linens, find a separate day-of coordinator, or hire staff to serve and clean up. Suddenly, that “affordable” option costs just as much (and takes ten times more energy).

At Pleasant Union Farm, we believe comparing venues should go beyond cost and into value: how much is handled for you, how supported you’ll feel, and how much time (and stress) you’re saving by having experts who care guide you.

What You Should Really Be Comparing

When you’re reviewing proposals or sitting down after a weekend of tours, take a look at what’s included and what’s left for you to figure out.

Here’s what makes a real difference in your experience:

• Setup and Teardown: Who handles it? (Hint: it shouldn’t be your family.)
  
• Vendor Coordination: Is someone managing arrivals, timelines, and transitions?
  
• Catering & Service: Is food service included, or will you need to hire additional staff?
  
• Access Time: How long do you get before and after the event? (Those hours matter more than you think.)
  
• Décor & Rentals: Are they part of the package or completely separate vendors?

Example	Includes	Venue	Other Items	Total	Time Spent by You
DIY Venue	Space only	$3,000	$14,000+ (food, flowers, decor, DJ, staff)	$17,000+	Countless hours of planning plus managing the day
All-Inclusive Wedding Package	Space + staff + food + flowers + DJ, etc.			$16,000 – $22,000+	Show up & celebrate

What the number alone can’t show is the knowledge and guidance that comes with an all-inclusive wedding experience.  When you DIY, you have to figure out which caterer really knows how to serve a wedding well, how to create floral arrangements, what the timeline of the day should look like and so much more.

At Pleasant Union Farm, we’ve done the background work to build a team of trusted vendors who show up and check all the boxes.

The Pleasant Union Farm Difference

We often hear from our couples that what they valued most wasn’t just the venue. It was the support of our team.

They never had to wonder if the florist remembered the delivery window or if the candles would be lit on time. They simply showed up to a beautiful day that felt like them, not a production they had to manage.

That’s the real difference between comparing costs and comparing experiences. We care about more than how your day looks. We care about how it feels.

If you don’t have the goal of starting a career in wedding planning, do you really need to figure all that out on your own? ( the answer is no, no you don’t)

Look for a Team, Not Just a Space

The best venues don’t just give you “beautiful views” — they give you an experienced team who handles the details you’d never think of.  They do the work so you, your family and your friend can fully enjoy each moment of the day.

That’s the real difference between booking a space and booking an experience.

The Real Test During Your Venue Tour

When you visit a venue, don’t just look at the views. Pay attention to the people showing you around.

Are they listening to you? Do they ask what kind of day you want to have, or just talk through package options?
Do they sound confident and experienced, or like they’re reading from a script?
Do they make you feel calm, or like you’re being sold something?

Your gut feeling tells you more than any brochure ever could – that’s the real test for how to choose a wedding venue you’ll love.

At Pleasant Union Farm, our all-inclusive model was built for busy couples who want a beautiful, intentional wedding (without it becoming your second job).

You bring the vision, and we’ll walk you through each step.

The Bottom Line

Your venue sets the stage for everything that follows. It influences your budget, your timeline, your photos, and even how your day feels from start to finish.

Figuring out how to choose a wedding venue that’s right for you isn’t about finding the cheapest option or the one with the prettiest view. It’s about finding the place and the people who will make your day feel calm, organized, and unmistakably you.

At Pleasant Union Farm, we believe wedding planning shouldn’t feel like a second job. It should feel like an exciting season filled with good food, happy tears, and moments you’ll actually remember because you weren’t too stressed to enjoy them.

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 Ready to Start Touring?

Grab our free North Georgia Wedding Venue Tour Checklist so you can ask the right questions and compare with confidence.

And if you’re ready for a planning experience that feels calm, organized, and actually enjoyable, learn more about our All-Inclusive Weddings at Pleasant Union Farm.

FAQs: How to Choose a Wedding Venue