Wedding Wednesday: Venuelust - How to Find the Perfect Venue
This post is part of a series of wedding-inspired posts, to be posted on Wednesdays. Because Wedding Wednesdays! Easy to remember, right? My goal is to post Wedding Wednesday topics every other week, but eventually you'll get wedding ideas, tips, and stories every week! This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.With the completion of Thanksgiving weekend, I think it's safe to say engagement season is officially upon us. A few sparkly rings already caught my eye on Facebook this weekend, and with all of the family gatherings and holiday festivities still to come, social media is about to get even sparklier. I've already been brainstorming so many ideas for you newly engaged brides-to-be!Today's post is going to be a little short and sweet, because what I really want you to do is a little research of your own. Within the past year, I came across a website called Venuelust, and I've been completely obsessed ever since. This website allows you to search for specific venue types in the location of your choice, and it's not just limited to wedding venues. You can search from a wide range of event types, and if you don't see your specific event listed, just search a similar one that will give you the type of venues that'll work for you!
One aspect of Venuelust is that it allows you to browse venues by location based on continent. That's right, you can search virtually all over the world for your perfect venue, which is why this website is especially great for couples who want destination weddings! You can search locations as close as say, Michigan, or you can search all the way to Australia. Even if you're not doing a destination wedding, scrolling through locations will give you perspective on the type of design and ambience you want to incorporate in your own local wedding, and you may even find a venue close to home!If you're more flexible on your location, you can skip that step and search by event types. Like I said, sky's pretty much the limit on this one. You can search by wedding, retreat, road trip, babymoon... For instance, an open search for wedding venues immediately pulls up locations including California, Costa Rica, Montana, and Italy, and one of my personal favorite venues since using this site, Estancia Del Sol. I'm especially drawn to the Spanish tile and architecture, beautiful green scenery, and the pool area obviously, and I could totally see myself having a wedding here.
Although, I don't feel 100% confident in that decision once I start looking at all of the many venue styles available. There are so many amazing and interesting venues in exotic locations. There are places that fall under categories including private estates and mansions, private islands, farms and ranches, rooftops, chapels, and museums. There are luxury safari camps available for weddings, and those same locations can be used as glamping (glam camping) for company retreats. Many venues are versatile, so that's why I recommend doing research and thinking outside the box about your options. I promise you, whatever wedding you've dreamed up on Pinterest or otherwise, you will find the perfect venue on Venuelust.You can start narrowing your search down even further by indicating your preferred cost, maximum number of guests, proximity to hotels or the beach, catering options, etc. Overall, I do think the venues listed on Venuelust may be a bit expensive because of their unique qualities (although I have not requested additional information about any of the venues yet). However, as I mentioned before, you can absolutely use the venue styles, layouts, and decorations as inspiration for your own wedding! When you see pictures of a location and your heart starts beating just a little faster, then start going that direction with your wedding planning. I'd love to help you figure out how to recreate the things you like to design your dream wedding right here. (Let's get crafty!)
Oh, I almost forgot to mention two other major parts of the Venuelust website! In fact, they're a couple of the greatest aspects of the site, and I look forward to digging further into them myself. There's a Tips and Ideas section that has tons of articles with fun, unique inspiration infused with professional knowledge and expertise. There's also a section that lists various Local Experts, so you can explore some of the local vendors that may be in your preferred venue location. If you have any additional questions, I'm sure Venuelust would be happy to help!Now it's your turn! Check out the website and let your mind wander. You never know, maybe you'll just be inspired to book your next vacation!If you could have your wedding anywhere in the world, where would you choose?Happy planning and exploring!Sara