Tip #2: Choosing a location

Some factors to consider:

• The Date:
• If you need to have a specific date, you should start by calling locations and asking for their availability for your date. No one wants to spend time and find the perfect location only to find out it isn't available. If you are trying to decide between 2 locations, ask if the locations can put on a tentative hold (with no deposit) so you can have a couple days to decide. Some locations might hold a date for up to 2 weeks.
• Cost:
• If you are on a budget...in most cases, a hotel or resort will be much more cost effective rather than an estate or beach house.
• Estates or Beach houses often require that you also rent the facility for a minimum of 1 week
• When your event is not at a hotel or resort, you will often be paying for rentals (tables, chairs, linen, lighting, utensils, etc.) and staffing (set up, breakdown, serving, clean up, etc.)
• Rain:
• Most estates & Beach houses don't have a back-up option should it rain
• Most hotels/resorts include a back-up option should it rain (although a "rain call" will need to be made by a specified time)
• Communication:
• Communication is key. In most cases, you will be working with more vendors if your event is at an estate or beach house (as you will need to bring everything in).
• If you are chasing down a contact (hotel/resort OR beach house/estate) from the beginning, it is a safe assumption that you will continue to have difficulty.
• You can ask the contact how quickly they tend to reply.
• Know what you are getting:
• If you need a spectacular sunset, try to visit the location during the time when the sun should be setting. You don't want to secure the location to realize later that your view of the sunset will be obstructed.
• Make sure you know about any site rental fees, minimums you must spend to reserve the space, and what the location might already include/offer.
• GET IT IN WRITING:
• No matter what someone tells you, make sure you get it in writing! That person might mean well, but if they honestly forget they promised something and you don't have it in writing, there will really be no recourse. If the person you are working with leaves the company and doesn't pass on their notes, you can show documentation of what was promised and in most situations, it will be honored.