Finding a wedding venue is no easy task. Faced with the multitude of offers (estates, châteaux, private hotels or restaurants, party halls...) and the wide range of prices, it's easy to get discouraged. Yet this is the most important stage in your preparations, and one that will have a major impact on the atmosphere on D-day. Fortunately, Team Winnie has prepared a step-by-step guide to help you find your ideal venue in just 4 simple, effective steps. Let's get started!
First of all, ask yourself what kind of atmosphere you're looking for on your big day. Do you see yourself in :
Having a fairly precise idea of the type of location(s) you're looking for will help you refine your criteria, and save you precious time in your search.
Each couple has its own vision of the wedding, and it's very difficult to make generalizations about the budget. Some think big (grandiose venue, wedding planner, orchestra...) while others want to keep things simple (decoration, home-made hair and make-up, second-hand wedding dress, amateur photographer...). Still others go the extra mile for the reception venue, and save on the rest.
To find out what budget to allocate to your wedding venue, define your overall budget, then prioritize the services that are most important to you. Venue rental is often the biggest expense, but again, this varies widely.
Here are a few approximate figures:
Price ranges are wide, as prices vary greatly according to capacity, services included, and location. Bear in mind, too, that if you're planning a multi-day wedding weekend, you'll need to extend your booking.
We strongly recommend that you take the time to think about your guest list. Having a clear idea of the number of guests you're planning to invite will help you avoid many disappointments, such as finding yourself in a cramped room on the big day, or visiting multiple reception venues unnecessarily.
If you're not sure how to draw up a realistic guest list to suit your budget, we've written a comprehensive article on the subject.
Now that you know exactly what you're looking for, you need to define your perimeter. Here again, it's essential to define a specific area, to avoid multiple return trips to visit the site.
In theory, a civil marriage must be celebrated in the place of residence of the future spouses. However, it is possible to obtain dispensations directly from the Mairie of the commune in question.
So, in practice, you can celebrate your union wherever you like. We recommend, however, that you choose a venue that is relatively easy for most of your guests to get to, or a region with a particular symbolism (your meeting place, a vacation spot...).
There are several platforms that list wedding venues, such as Winnie Mariage, 1001 Salles, or Mariage.net.
Winnie Mariage lists wedding estates and châteaux in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Normandie.
All our venues are fully privatizable, and run by people you can trust to give you a warm welcome.
You can apply advanced search filters (number of beds, equipment, season of availability, eco-responsible commitments...), then simulate a quote to get a precise idea of the services included. In each description, our team takes care to highlight the elements that make the place unique. But if you still have questions, you can contact the owner directly.
At this stage, you should have a selection of 3 or 4 places that match your criteria on paper.
How do you decide between them? By visiting them! Here's a list of points to discuss with the owners once you're there:
There's no such thing as a wedding venue that ticks all the boxes. Unless you have an unlimited budget, you'll have to make do with certain criteria. In our opinion, the most important thing is :
That's the end of this article, in which we've given you the keys to finding the venue that's right for you.
We hope we've motivated you to find your wedding venue in the weeks to come!
To find out more ➡️ Choosing your wedding venue: 9 essential criteria.
