You’ve made the decision to get married. Congratulations! Now what? Deciding WHERE to get married! Finding ideas for wedding venues isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you already have the ideal venue already picked out or you’re starting from ground zero or somewhere in between, the process of securing a venue can be almost as stressful as the wedding itself. The best advice is to start planning now and keep an open mind when selecting a wedding venue, which will reduce the challenges of integrating your location into all the other logistics of your special day.
This article is all about how to select the best wedding venue for your wedding style, helping you determine if a venue is right for you, and what to do if you can’t find the perfect place to accommodate your wedding wish list. We also have some innovative, affordable wedding venue ideas to get the creative juices flowing. Most of all, let’s bring the stress level down and the good vibes up!
How do I select the best wedding venue?
There are some steps you can take and decisions you can make now that can help ease your anxiety about finding the best wedding venue. Consider the following:
Be Ready to Answer Obvious Questions
Any professional wedding venue coordinator or wedding planner will ask you important questions up front that can help decide what venue is right. Know the answers to these questions before reaching out to wedding venues.
- What is the ideal wedding date? We recommend having an ideal date but be prepared to change it. The most popular wedding venues book up months and even years in advance. You may have to be flexible to get what you want.
- Guest Count: Some wedding venues can accommodate a massive number of wedding guests, while others keep parties more limited, like at an exclusive restaurant or more intimate setting like someone’s home. And some simple wedding venues can feel magical with 100 guests but cramped at 150. Vice versa, a larger venue feels cold and empty if there aren’t enough guests.
- What’s the budget? A lot goes into a wedding venue’s cost, but you’ll need to have some kind of budget in mind for a coordinator to work with. For 2026, the average cost of a hometown wedding (not a destination wedding) will be approximately $34,000, with about 30% or more dedicated to the venue. Cost varies widely and there are affordable wedding venue options at every guest count. Whatever venue you choose, make sure you understand what you’re getting for your money. For instance, does the venue rental include A/V, tables and chairs, lighting, heating (outdoor), etc. Don’t be shy to ask questions!
- Food and Beverages: Next to renting the venue, food and beverages will be your biggest cost. Be ready to discuss what you want, such as a reception hors d’oeuvres, a sit down dinner with options, an open bar, desserts and more. The options are virtually limitless, but have an idea of what you’re looking for. Monona Terrace offers an award winning catering team that can accommodate most requests, so let your imagination soar!
Answering these questions can help narrow your list of potential venues. Also, most wedding venues like Monona Terrace have online consultation forms that ask the questions you’ll need to have answers for prior to making contact. And many wedding venues are one-stop-shops for literally everything you need for an amazing wedding.
Now, after the basic questions are answered, here are some other things to think about that can help narrow your list of potential venues.
Theme
Every city has popular wedding locations, from barns and farms to mansions, museums, or a rooftop garden (ours can handle 3,000 guests!). If you already have a venue style/type in mind, contact them and see if it fits your dates, guest list, and budget.
Destination
Destination weddings typically have 40%-50% fewer guests than a local wedding venue. But you can still add about 25% or more to the overall cost. If you’re okay with the financial upgrade, then choose your location and start searching for venues in that location. They’ll ask the same questions above.
Onsite (or not) Reception
Some wedding venues are there simply for the nuptials, with the actual reception held at a different location. For instance, there may be a location that represents your relationship, like the place that you met or where you proposed. Many couples choose an offbeat location and then hold a reception at a different location. The flexibility of Monona Terrace allows us to offer a space for the wedding ceremony (such as outdoors on the rooftop) and then move the reception indoors to one of our many spaces.
Versatility and Flexibility
Having a wedding venue that offers flexibility and versatility can reduce stress and better ensure the event goes smoothly. Monona Terrace offers just about everything a couple needs for their wedding and can handle all the details. And a versatile venue doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive. Locations that focus on weddings have their process down to a science and can accommodate just about anything on your wish list. And most wedding venues of this type also have inclement weather options.
DIY Weddings (you can do it!)
You can save money by doing things yourself! This is often the most affordable wedding venue route. There are several apps available that are designed to assist in DIY weddings. You should consider hiring a freelance wedding coordinator (highly recommended). Then start your search. Maybe you have a friend with a big backyard or just rent a pavilion at a local park. With some imagination, pre-planning, and a lot of phone calls, you can do it all yourself. It’s hard, but your wedding will certainly be memorable. It’s the best wedding venue because you did it all yourself!
Guest Accommodations and Logistics
One of the biggest guest complaints is destination accessibility. Is the venue easy to find and get to? Does it require extensive travel time? Is it convenient to hotels for out-of-town guests? Is there enough parking? Does it require a lot of walking? Little things matter, so make it easy as possible for your guests. Monona Terrace has lots of parking, is handicapped accessible, and several hotels are within walking distance.
How do I know if a wedding venue is right for me?
As you’re going through the selection process and talking to different coordinators and vendors, you’ll narrow your list of venues based upon our previously set parameters. Here are some things you think about:
Style
Make sure the architecture and ambiance of the venue truly matches your style.
Walk the Space
You want the layout to flow well so guests don’t bottleneck and create issues with other activities. Placing the bar next to a dance floor might be a problem. Also, if your table layout encroaches too close to a doorway, you’re asking for a traffic jam.
Little Things Matter
Check out the lighting, acoustics, eyelines for seated guests, and consider how photography/videography will work in the space. And many venues require the renters to clean the space. That’s an hours-long job that can catch many wedding parties off guard.
Read the Contract Early
Ask to review a sample contract from a wedding venue. Understand their cancellation policy, upcharges and overtime fees, sound and timing rules, vendor rules (often a venue requires you select from their list of vendors), and what’s non-negotiable. You may find a deal-breaker earlier in the process to help you eliminate a potential venue.
Does It Make You Smile?
What are the simple add-ons and unexpected delights that make you smile about a particular venue. Sometimes you just know it’s right, right? After all, how did you know you wanted to propose or say “yes” in the first place? You know when you know!
What are some innovative wedding venue ideas?
Honestly, you can have your wedding anywhere. Up to 10% of couples get married in someone’s backyard. And you don’t have to get married in a traditional wedding venue. Many locations would be happy to host a wedding; it may just not be promoted. All you have to do is ask!
Art Gallery: Art galleries generally offer wedding packages. Choose one that matches your style from elegant to eclectic.
Museums: Another common but overlooked location are museums, which often have outdoor areas for wedding and/or receptions.
Botanical Garden: Botanical gardens are one of the most sought after wedding venues, with open air spaces and romantic backdrops. A sylvan environment offers beauty, mystery, and cuts down on your floral budget!
City Park: City parks are also popular, budget-friendly wedding venues, and select locations tend to offer quick ‘one after the other’ wedding packages that require you to have your reception elsewhere.
Libraries or Bookstores: Books connect us to our imagination, history, and intellect. These unique spaces can be great options for simple wedding venues; they are cozy, romantic, and sophisticated. But keep the noise down!
Wineries/Distilleries: Ah, the wine country! If you’re lucky enough to live near a region’s wine country, you’re likely already considering one as your wedding venue. But they do book early and fast. Most typically have full wedding packages.
Warehouses: Looking for that industrial vibe, maybe with a touch of Steampunk? Warehouses and old factories are perfect with their high ceilings, exposed wood and brick and versatility. And with their locations typically in non-residential or visitor-heavy areas, you can turn up the tunes and dance until dawn!
Charter a Yacht: Most cities with significant lakes or on the coast will have yachts for wedding rentals.
Theatres/Live Event Venues: Get married on stage and have a built-in killer sound system for dancing. Even movie theaters offer wedding packages for an offbeat style. And you can livestream it too! By the way, Monona Terrace’s A/V team offers livestreaming for all weddings at our location.
Farms/Barns: The rustic allure of farms and barns can’t be denied. Hay rides, a whole-pig barbecue and a bonfire? It’s easy to say “yes” to a farm’s natural charm and wide-open spaces.
Private Home/Property: While budget conscious couples sometimes host in their own or a friend’s house and backyard, there are also many larger mansions and estates that rent out for weddings. Do a targeted search on a wedding platform like Zola or WeddingWire.
Rooftop Gardens: If your city is lucky enough to have one or more rooftop gardens, they probably provide wedding spaces. The rooftop garden at Monona Terrace – William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens – can accommodate any size wedding party with indoor options for inclement weather.
The Beach/Water: Water locations are always high on a couple’s list if they want an outdoor wedding. Whether you have a destination wedding to an ocean/lake venue or you live near the water you want, be sure and let your guests know if sand is involved, and have a backup plan if the weather turns ugly.
Historical Hotels: Historic hotels offer history, architecture, and usually all-inclusive wedding options. It’s also easy for out-of-town guests and people who don’t want to drive home after a night of fun.
We could go on, but also consider zoos, aquariums, nightclubs, restaurants, and country clubs. If a location makes you smile, give them a call!
What are the latest audio visual trends in weddings?
More couples are treating audio visual as part of the guest experience, not an afterthought. The 2026 trend is tech that deepens the moment rather than distracting from it. Here is what is worth planning for, and questions to ask any venue you tour.
Livestreaming the ceremony: Not everyone you love can travel. A reliable livestream lets far-away family and friends watch in real time. Ask whether the venue has the bandwidth and onsite staff to run it, not just a phone on a tripod. Monona Terrace livestreams weddings using redundant Gigabit internet and an experienced in-house A/V team.
360 video and GIF photo booths: Guests want to capture and share the day, not just pose for it. Interactive booths and 360 video have moved from novelty to expected. Monona Terrace can help you incorporate both.
Programmable lighting: Lighting sets the mood more than almost any other element, and computerized systems let you shift a room from ceremony to dinner to dance floor at the touch of a button. Ask what a venue can do beyond a standard uplight package.
Slideshows and video montages: A montage of the couple over the years is a simple, high-impact touch for a welcome reception or dinner. Confirm the venue has the screens and playback to do it well. Monona Terrace offers a fleet of HD screens and a 45-foot projection setup for exactly this.
Strong, guest-facing connectivity: Your guests will post throughout the night. Venue-wide high-speed internet keeps everyone connected and sharing, and it is now a real factor in how a wedding feels.
One practical note: many venues, including Monona Terrace, are the exclusive provider of A/V for slideshows and room lighting, while your DJ or band can bring their own music and dance-floor gear. Ask early so you know what is included and what is rented.
What should I do if I can’t find the perfect wedding venue?
First, manage your expectations. That’s why you have to prioritize the things that are important to you and find a venue that checks off as many of those as possible within the other parameters of your wedding (size, date, budget, etc.).
Sadly, you may have to eliminate your heart’s desire for a wedding venue. But with a realistic list of what’s important to you, you’ll find the venue that’s right, and in the end, it will become the perfect venue.
Remember… There are ALWAYS options for a great wedding venue. A good place to start is with the wedding team at Monona Terrace. Contact Us and let’s start planning your perfect day together!