When trying to find a venue to hold your wedding ceremony and/or reception, the first rule is to start your search early. It can take time to find a place that has everything you are looking for. Ask friends and family for recommendations and browse websites that cater to your area.

Keep in mind that churches and reception halls book up fast, especially during the summer months. If you don't start looking at least a year in advance you may have trouble finding a location with availability. And if you are having your ceremony and reception in different locations, you'll have to worry about coordinating the dates and times carefully.

Some other things to consider when choosing a wedding location include:

• Size of your wedding party.  You should at least have a rough idea of how many guests you can expect to attend before choosing a location. Be as precise as possible. Don't be vague, like "between 200 and 500 guests."  The 300 person difference would matter a lot in terms of the venue size. You must also leave ample space for the dance area. The more guests you have, the larger space you need to allot for the dance area.
• Size of the venue.  The size of the wedding venue is a very important consideration. If the venue is too large, the wedding will loose its intimacy. If it's too small, it will feel cramped and uncomfortable. The size of your wedding will depend of course on the number of your guests. So before looking for a wedding you must at least have a rough idea of how many guests you will be planning to invite.
• Parking for your guests.  One of the biggest complaints of people who have attended weddings is the lack of parking space. Be sure that the wedding venue you will choose has ample space for all of your guests.
• Accessible restrooms.  If you have guests who are older or disabled, make sure there are restrooms that are accessible to them. If the only restroom is up a flight of stairs with no elevator access, that could be a problem for some people.
• Know the restrictions of the venue.  Some venues have restrictions on alcohol, some may have noise restrictions, which may prevent you from employing a band with a sound system. There are even venues with restrictions on decorations. Check if the wedding venue allow you to bring your own caterer, florist, decorator, etc., because there are venues that have preferred contractors and suppliers.
• Area for photographs.  Is there an area for taking photographs? If not you might have to have them taken offsite.
• Private rooms.  Is there a private room available for the bride and groom to relax and freshen up?
• Wedding coordinator.  Who will be supervising and troubleshooting on your wedding day? Does the venue supply a wedding coordinator?  If possible meet him or her ahead of time. You'll need to trust this person to handle any little emergencies that may pop up.
• Backup site.  If the location you choose is outdoors, is there a site on the premises in case of rain?

Finally, trust your instincts. As soon as you arrive in a particular venue you will automatically have a certain feeling towards it. If you feel a certain positive vibration to the venue then you should examine that. If it's a good vibration, then that's a good thing.  But, if you get a bad feeling about a place, even though logically it may seem like a good venue, then you should go with your gut and look elsewhere.

Synonyms:   Weddin, weeding, weddnig, weddign and weding are typos for "wedding."