As wedding venue owners, we see SO MANY weddings! We meet hundreds of incredible people. We get to see the behind-the-scenes, the ins-and-outs of each special wedding celebration. We’ve cried and laughed alongside friends and family as everyone came together to celebrate the love of two people. It really is quite special; but because of this position we’re in, we have the inside scoop on what works and what doesn’t work so well on a wedding day. We’ve seen plenty of flops and plenty of original moments that the couple and wedding guests will remember forever. Here are just a few of the things we’ve learned over the past three years!
1.) SLOW DOWN! Jody tells this to all of our couples. As cliche as it sounds, the wedding day truly does fly by! Don’t let it go by without you. Take the time to slow down, look around, and soak it all in- the sights, the sounds, the smiling people who are there to celebrate you! It is also a fun idea to kick everyone out of your reception area BEFORE the wedding starts. That way, you can see the results of all your planning and decorating.
2.) On-site overnight accommodations are not what they’re cracked up to be. Couple after couple have told us that having on-site accommodations only distract from the wedding day. You don’t want your guests leaving your wedding early, missing the entertainment you paid for, or having a little too much to drink back at their hotel rooms and then return to the reception.
3.) Have a designated contact person. Whether it is a friend, family member, or wedding planner, having a point of contact takes the stress off of you! Your wedding day is busy as it is. Your contact person can be there to touch base with vendors, answer questions, or put out fires if need be (not literally, of course!).
4.) Have back-ups! As much as you plan ahead, some things are still out of your control. Take the weather for example. Minnesota weather isn’t exactly predictable. What happens if it rains on your outdoor wedding day? If you don’t have a back-up, you’re in for a stressful day. That is why we offer back-up reception spaces to all of our couples- including back-up tableware, microphones, generators etc. We’ve got you covered!
These are just a few of the many things we’ve learned running our wedding venue! We hope this helps you better prepare and enjoy your own wedding!
-Derek and Jody
