Plan ahead before touring event venues.
Photo courtesy of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Planning ahead before using any public venue has only become more important in the past few months.
It’s always a good idea to tour a venue before booking a big event. But before you request an appointment, keep these tips in mind.
“When clients reach out to [us], the first thing we ask is for them to tell us how the event goes in their mind. Is it a seated dinner or more mix and mingle style? Will there be dancing or a cocktail reception?” says weddings and events manager Lauren Macher at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg. Having a vision for your event will help narrow the options.
Carey Bailey, director of operations at Heritage Hunt Golf & Country Club in Gainesville, stresses that venue flexibility is important. “You may want to change your menu options, or your guest count, or even your timeline once you see the sunset schedule,” says Bailey. “Make sure that, even after you sign the dotted line, the venue is open to changes.”
Last, be patient. “Some venues, like ours, are always slammed with inquiries and have an extremely busy events schedule,” says Bettina Theilacker, events manager at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna. “Please know that we are doing our best to help everyone in a timely manner.”
