How to Find Your Dream Wedding Venue on a Budget
By Becky Rogers, WeddingVenueMap.com
Congratulations! You’re engaged and now you’re on the hunt for your dream wedding venue on a budget. Maybe you’ve already started with the help of family and friends or you’ve done some deep diving on the internet to help you figure what the perfect ceremony and reception space look like to celebrate your love.
Rachel Doyle Photography | Azalea Lodge at Mead Botanical Gardens
Before You Start Searching
Information you need to get started
There are a few things you and your partner will need to discuss before beginning your search for that perfect wedding venue. First you’ll need to decide what time of year you plan to get married or if there’s a special date or day of the week that you plan to tie the knot on.
It’s important to know so that you don’t waste your time falling in love with a venue that already has the date you’re set on reserved for another couple. If you have no preference of date or day of the week, it’s good to have a month or two you’d prefer to hold your wedding.
Live Happy Studio | Venue on the Lake
The second thing that’s important to know before searching for a venue is the guest count, making a list of people you absolutely couldn’t have that special day without and another list with everyone you’d like to invite including those must have guests. When you start looking for venues, you’ll want to look for venues that have the capacity to hold the entire guest list.
The third, most important, discussion you will need to have with your fiancé before searching officially begins, is the budget. This should be the budget for the entire wedding, once you have that we recommend having a consultation with a local professional wedding planner to get a better idea of what your budget will get you.
It’s hard to know what things cost and how far your budget will actually reach. Especially in terms of the amount you really have for the venue rental and catering since this is the largest portion of your budget.
Dreamscape Photography | Altamonte Chapel
Do you know what you’re looking for?
Before you begin searching for local wedding venues on a budget, you should know the overall vision for the entire location as well as the ceremony, photograph areas, and reception spaces. This is the time where you might decide if you like barns, ballrooms, resorts, beaches, or any other style wedding venues.
Along with the style, you should decide if outdoors/indoors matters to you for either ceremony or reception space and which you would prefer for these.
Lori Barbely Photography | Trellis 925
Keeping Track of The Venues You’ll See
Chances are, when you’re looking at venues with similar styles it can be hard to remember which included specific features, what their prices were, and what stood out the most to you and your partner.
To avoid getting confused or overwhelmed, create a system that works best for you to keep track of the venues, something such as a notebook, word document, spreadsheet, or anything else that helps you remember key findings.
Some of the items you should include would be:
- Name
- Price for weekdays (with tax and service charges included)
- Price for Friday & Sunday (with tax and service charges included)
- Price for Saturday (with tax and service charges included)
- Hours allotted for rental
- Website (to easily find their gallery and information again)
With this list, there are plenty of other amenities or features that may stand out as important when searching and you may want to add those to the system as well.
Captured by Elle | Art & History Museums Maitland
Beginning Steps to Finding Your Dream Wedding Venue
Venue Budget
After all of the preliminary work is done and you’ve worked with a local planner or resource to figure out the breakdown of wedding costs in your area, you should have a better understanding of what each of those vendors costs and you can determine the realistic amount you have to spend on just the reception and ceremony venue.
Jennifer Nicole Photography | Ever After Farms
Resources in your area
Finding the perfect wedding venue on a budget can be hard to sort through all of the venues that don’t fit for you. Luckily there are free resources for engaged couples, such as ours i n Central Florida, that can help to narrow down the list for you to save time without sorting through all of those wedding venues yourself.
The Wedding Venue Map is a print and online resource for engaged couples to locate and search through over 400 Central Florida wedding venues with over 40 different ways to filter through them. Our online venue search allows you to find the style, price range, ceremony and reception settings, as well as other unique settings that fit your venue vision the best.
Live Happy Studio | Bridle Oaks Barn
These kinds of resources will help you do preliminary searching to discover more of the things you like or don’t like about venues and to discover the venues you eventually want to tour in person.
Be sure during this time to keep track of any venues that stand out to you and any of the information that will be helpful later in narrowing down the wedding venues that will be the best considerations.
Jennifer Nicole Photography | Field Manor
Narrowing Venues Down
Considering The Comparisons
At this point, you should have a list compiled of the venues that have fit your style, ceremony and reception requirements, and overall vision. The next step to narrowing your list into your top favorites that you’ll schedule tours with is to eliminate based on price range.
If you’re working to find a wedding venue on a budget, then the cost of the rental will need to be an important factor in determining those to move lower on the list. From here sort your list by the top picks based on the online research you’ve already done.
Captured by Elle | Bending Branch Ranch
Scheduling a Tour and Making The Most Out of It
Taking the time to schedule a tour is significant to deciding on a wedding venue, it gives you the opportunity to see the entire place including spaces that might not be easily seen during research.
Start with a few tours of the top 4-5 venues on your list, take the tours and if by some chance you’re not in love with any of them you can head to the next ones on the rest of your list.
Dreamscape Photography | The Delamater House
Questions to Ask
During your time on the tour, chances are you’ll have questions about the property itself, but there are some important questions you should be asking if you’re looking for that wedding venue on a budget. Knowing if they require specific vendors, especially catering company limitations, can affect whether or not it still fits your budget.
Other factors to consider might be how many hours are allotted on the day of, what spaces you’re free to use during your wedding, and if there are tables and chairs included in the rental if so what they look like. If you’re planning to have an outdoor ceremony around the time the sun would begin to set, a crucial question to ask is where the sun sets on their property.
Write down any other questions you might have for each specific venue, no matter how small, these are questions that may have answers to help in making your final decision.
Live Happy Studio | Orlando Science Center
Deciding
After you’ve gone on every wedding venue tour you and your fiancé wanted to see in person, there should be a relatively clear pick of which one or two venues stood out most. There might be an obvious fit for your vision and budget but if you’ve fallen in love with a space slightly out of your budget on the date you chose, there are ways to see if you can make it work without increasing the budget.
Considering another day of the week rather than just Saturday like Friday or Sunday or even a weekday. Consider narrowing the guest list even further to the people that truly are the most important part of your wedding day may help your dream venue fit your budget.
If you have trouble deciding what would be the best fit for your perfect wedding day, this is where a local wedding professional or your wedding planner can provide those well informed suggestions. The Wedding Venue Map team is also always available to help engaged couples find that perfect wedding venue in the Central Florida area.
If this was helpful for you, please check out our Music Remembrance wedding music guides, tips and song lists.
Clermont Singing Telegram a Surprise They Will Love!
When looking for a surprise gift, a Clermont singing telegram creates a lasting memory for everyone involved. They can be used for many occasions in Lake County Florida.
Occasions for Surprise Clermont Singing telegrams
- Birthday
- Anniversary
- Congratulations
- Promotion
- Proposal
- Valentine’s Day
- I miss you
- I love you
- Cheer up
- I’m here for you
- Across the miles
- Landmark birthday or anniversary
- Holidays
- Christmas Gift
Styles of Singing Telegrams
- Funny or Novelty
- Teasing/Over the Hill for 40th or 50th birthday
- Romantic
- Sincere to friend or family
- Movie, book, star singer video re-creation
- Custom funny, romantic or sincere lyrics
- Favorite song
Use a Single Singer or a Marching Band
The sky is the limit! A singer in formal attire or a novelty costume is perfect for many occasions. There are also many dramatic options that may be perfect for your Clermont singing telegram. Using different combinations of singers and musicians gives endless available options. For example:
- String trio for Valentine’s Day
- Dixieland band with singer performing patriotic music for the Fourth of July or a Patriotic Holiday for a Veteran
- New Orleans funeral jazz band marching in a parade around the office. Mourning the death of youth, the band performs traditional New Orleans funeral music for the bosses 40th birthday.
- Singer with guitarist for a marriage proposal performing her favorite love song
- Irish Band with a singer for Saint Patrick’s Day
- Popular music quartet with singer performing love songs for dancing next to a surprise candlelight dinner
- Singer dressed like a princess for child’s birthday
- Singer with violin and guitar for an anniversary from a husband away on work
Clermont Singing Telegrams for?
Singing telegrams are a memorable gift for anyone. Whether it’s a funny novelty telegram, a romantic serenade or serious telegram, it will make a lasting memory. Great for mom, dad, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend, relative, baby’s party, child, boss or co-worker.
To hire a singing telegram in Clermont, Lake County or Central Florida contact Music Remembrance.
Fun Ideas for your Ceremony Music
Orlando wedding ceremony music selected today by most brides and grooms is personal to them. Most brides and grooms used to select from the same few traditional selections, e.g. “Here Comes the Bride”. Now it has become more popular to personalize your Orlando wedding ceremony music. Brides and grooms often pick wedding songs, wedding music ensembles or musical styles that are personal to them. If having unique and personal wedding ceremony music is something that you are thinking about, here are some fun and unique ideas.
- Have a dixieland band parade your wedding guests from your traditional ceremony to the wedding reception or cocktail hour location. This is a fun way to transition from a quite and romantic ceremony to a celebratory and party mood.
- Have a dixieland band parade the bride and groom down the aisle for the recessional after the wedding ceremony. This can be done instead of the dixieland parade to the reception if the reception site is too far for your guests to walk. This can also be done in addition to the parade to the wedding reception or cocktail hour location.
- Use nontraditional music for your Orlando wedding ceremony music. Many Orlando wedding couples choose to use music that is special to them rather than the traditional classical music. Music Remembrance had one couple that choose to have alternative 1980’s rock music like songs of “the smashing pumpkins” performed at their Orlando wedding ceremony. In order to make it more serious feeling and enjoyable for older guests they had the music performed by a classical guitar and bass duo. This way that had music that was unique and personal to them that still fit the tone they wanted to set for their wedding ceremony and their guests. If you are a jazz fan, romantic jazz ballads always make a beautiful edition to wedding ceremony music. They can be performed by vocalists or by instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, saxophone accompanied on piano or guitar. You could also have jazz ballads performed on solo guitar or solo piano.
- Use traditional music on nontraditional instruments. If you are a fun couple that would like to do something unique you may elect to have traditional classical wedding music played on nontraditional instruments. Electric guitar or electric guitar duo, electric guitar and bass duo, small rock band, singer with electric guitar, traditional organ with an oboe, english horn, french horn or other nontraditional instrumental soloist, bagpipe ensemble, solo bagpipe (has a limited classical repertoire), accordion, blue grass band, banjo or steel guitar are just a few choices.
- Use instruments that are special to you. If you met your fiancé at a concert, if you met your fiancé in a school band or at a concert, or if one or both of you play instruments you might consider using those instruments. If you met at a John Mayer concert you could use a guitarist/singer that performs his music. If one of you played trombone and the other piano a trombone and piano duet might be a fun and unique choice that your guests will enjoy.
- Ethnic music is a great way to personalize your Orlando wedding ceremony music. If you have an ethnic background or would like to pay tribute to a grandparent or parent from another country, Ethnic music can be so personal and unique. You can choose from using the style of music, the authentic ethnic instruments or both. I have yet to see a German band at a wedding so you could be the first in Orlando.
Whether you choose traditional music or something unique and personal for you, your Orlando wedding music will help set the tone and make your ceremony a day to remember.
Author-Andrea Rowlison. Music Remembrance. For more event and wedding music tips please visit the Music Remembrance blog or Published Ezine Articles by Andrea Rowlison.
Using Brass Music for Weddings: Tips and lists of Brass Ensembles
Brass music adds a regal touch to any Orlando wedding. At the beautiful royal English weddings you will always hear the triumphant sound of the long fanfare trumpets. Brass music adds a sense of importance, regal atmosphere and pomp and circumstance. There are many different brass soloists and brass ensembles to fit a variety of types of wedding ceremonies, size of venues, and budgets and they are all available in Orlando and throughout Florida.
When it comes to making a strong regal statement at your wedding, the fanfare trumpets and/or a brass quintet or brass choir really stand out. Brass instruments can be heard without amplification in large venues and have the capability of playing softer for smaller venues. If you have a very large wedding venue and want a big sound, the larger the brass ensemble is, the louder the music can be. Even the largest brass ensembles like the brass quintet and brass choir still have the capability of playing softer for smaller wedding venues. Whatever you choose, brass music for weddings is always regal.
SMALL BRASS ENSEMBLES AND SOLOISTS FOR WEDDING MUSIC
Musicians are paid per person so for weddings on a budget a soloist or a small ensemble works best. Some of the nicest and most budget friendly choices are:
- Solo Trumpet
- Solo Piccolo Trumpet (smaller and higher pitched trumpet)
- Fanfare Trumpet (the very long trumpet used for fanfares)
- Trumpet and Organ
- Piccolo Trumpet and Organ
- Trumpet and Piano
- Piccolo Trumpet and Piano
- Trumpet Duo
- Piccolo Trumpet Duo
- Fanfare Trumpet Duo
- Trumpet Duo with Organ
- Piccolo Trumpet Duo with Organ
- Trumpet Duo with Piano
- Piccolo Trumpet Duo with Piano
- Brass Quartet (two trumpets, trombone & tuba or two trumpets and two trombones or two trumpets, french horn and trombone)
The fanfare trumpeters in this list add such a wonderful regal presence to weddings but are best used for fanfares (e.g. before the brides entrance). They are often not the best choice for complete songs for wedding processionals (walking down the aisle) or wedding recessionals (walking back down the aisle after the ceremony).
These brass ensembles and soloists work well for classical/traditional wedding music and other styles. If you are using unconventional music you can replace the trumpeters with other instruments to fully create a non-traditional atmosphere. Using brass with unconventional music can add a sense of balance and please a variety of guests. You can also replace the trumpeters with other brass instruments, like trombone or french horn, while using traditional music for a more unconventional sound.
LARGE BRASS ENSEMBLES FOR WEDDING MUSIC
For a more dramatic effect, the larger wedding brass ensembles are breathtaking. The look and sound are truly royal and have the capability of great volume when needed for large wedding venues. Some of these brass ensemble choices are:
- Brass Quartet
- Brass Quartet and Fanfare Trumpets
- Brass Quintet (two trumpets, french horn, trombone and tuba)
- Brass Quintet and Fanfare Trumpets
- Three, Four or more Fanfare Trumpets
- Brass Choir (also called Brass Ensemble)
- Brass Choir and Fanfare Trumpets
- Antiphonal Brass Choirs (Brass Choirs or Brass Quintets on two, three or four sides of the venue). To hear this effect listen to the Antiphonal Brass Choirs of Gabrieli.
- Antiphonal Brass Choirs (Brass Ensembles) and Fanfare Trumpets
Percussion may be added to any of the larger brass groups.
Whether you go with a dramatic large ensemble, a smaller brass ensemble or a brass soloist, using brass music for your Orlando or Florida wedding will set a classy and regal tone that your guests will remember.
For more information on hiring music for your Orlando or Florida wedding please visit our other Music Remembrance blogs and our Music Remembrance wedding pages.
Wedding Music Do’s and Don’ts
The music for your Orlando wedding ceremony and reception will be one of the most important factors in setting the tone for your special day. This wedding music advice article of do’s and don’ts will help make your wedding day a day that you and your guests will always remember.
Do
- Check for volume and time restrictions for music at your venue
- Seat older guests away from loud music and speakers.
- Include your culture in the wedding music. Ethnic instruments, songs and costumed musicians for the ceremony or reception can add a personal touch to your wedding music.
- Ask your married friends about what they liked and didn’t like about their wedding music.
- Ask your wedding musicians and band for ideas. They are professionals and if you tell them what tone or theme you are trying to set they will often have great ideas.
- Hire full time professional musicians with wedding experience. Your wedding is not the time for someone’s first wedding gig.
- Make sure your wedding venue has enough room you have for the number of musicians you are using.
- Have music for the cocktail hour or while your guests are waiting for your arrival.
- Have the ceremony music reflect who you are.
- Have the some reception music reflect who you are but have music for all ages.
- Pick a first dance song that holds a memory or has meaning for you as a couple.
- Take dance lessons for your first dance song.
- Have the wedding planner or someone else coordinate with the reception band about the announcement of the bridal party, special dances, toasts, cake cutting, guarder and bouquet toss. Have the band announce these events.
- Use music to set the tone at the wedding ceremony and reception.
- Find out if the wedding band plays continuous or takes breaks. All professional wedding bands will have cds of music to play during breaks. There is often a higher fee for continuous music.
Don’t
- Call wedding musicians that don’t have recordings and a web site. Any professional musician with experience will have these resources available to you.
- Make your wedding too long with too much featured music or solos.
- Forget to ask your musicians for referrals. Wedding musicians are usually very familiar with the other wedding vendors and venues and can share valuable information with you.
- Wait until the last minute to hire wedding ceremony musicians and a wedding reception band. Good musicians are often booked for peak days and seasons a year in advance.
- Forget to find out about overtime possibilities and prices from your wedding band ahead of time.
- Give your wedding band a strict play list. They are experienced in playing for the crowd and keeping everyone dancing.
I hope that these tips will help you have beautiful and memorable wedding music to make your day special. For more articles with tips on wedding music in Orlando, Central Florida, Tampa and Florida visit the Music Remembrance Blog.
Over 50 Music Ensemble Choices for Weddings
When you are planning your special day, you have almost unlimited choices of wedding musicians and bands in Orlando. Brides and grooms may sometimes find it difficult selecting music for their events. This is often because only a few choices are known or many choices are known but it is difficult to imagine which music groups would be the most appropriate for your special day. I think that lists of choices that work well for the wedding ceremony, wedding reception and cocktail hour can be very helpful.
Below are lists of music ensembles that I believe work very well for wedding ceremonies, receptions and cocktail hour. All of these wedding musicians and bands can be found in Orlando and Central Florida.
Wedding Ceremony
Wedding Ceremony Ensembles
Classical and/or Ambient Music: Any of these ensembles can play a large variety of music styles including classical, pop, jazz standards, Christian pop and folk music.
- Brass Quartet: Two trumpets, trombone and tuba. Some ensembles vary instrumentation.
- Brass Quintet: Two trumpets: french horn, trombone and tuba for a slightly more full sound than the brass Quartet. Works well for large venues or large wedding parties.
- Brass Choir: Large brass group for that “wow” factor
- Brass Quartet, Brass Quintet or Brass Choir with Organ: This magnificent and regal combination will fill the air and create an awe inspiring sound.
- String Quartet: Two violins, viola and cello, gives a sophisticated elegant feel.
- Harpist
- Organist
- Harp and Flute Duet
- Solo Violinist
- Violinist with piano, guitar, harp, or organ
- Trumpet and Organ Duet a very popular wedding choice for a regal effect
- Fanfare Trumpets – The long trumpets used to announce royalty
- Guitarist
- Pianist
- Italian Tenor
- Singer with Piano, Guitar, Harp or Organ
- Woodwind Quintet: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horn
- Chamber Orchestra: Combine the brass quintet and string quartet for a small orchestra
- Symphony Orchestra: A full symphony orchestra for the couple that wants something truly extraordinary
For themed wedding music choices see blog below, “Great Party and Weddings Themes”
Wedding Reception
Before selecting your wedding reception musicians it is helpful to decide if you would like music for background, lively music or dancing music. Do you want one kind of music or a large variety that will please and keep all of your guests dancing? If you are like most couples you desire background music for dinner and a large variety of dance music after dinner. If this is your desire, you would be best served with a band that specializes in wedding ceremonies. Wedding bands have a large repertoire of all styles and welcome requests. These bands also have the expertise to perform as master of ceremonies (MC) and assist you with all of your music details including picking times and songs for the bridal party entrance, bride and groom entrance, first dance, father and daughter dance, mother and son dance, toasts, cake cutting, guarder and bouquet tosses. Having an experienced band to keep things running smoothly through these events is important, but will be essential if you do not have a wedding planner.
Wedding Reception Ensembles
- Wedding Band
- Your favorite rock, pop, country, salsa or other style band – Remember, you will not get variety for your guests or the MC and wedding expertise with these groups.
- Jazz Band or Combo – for a more mellow but still danceable approach. I suggest getting one with a singer to please more guests.
For themed wedding reception music see blog “Great Wedding and Party Themes below.”
Cocktail Hour
Many of the wedding ceremony music groups will work very well for the cocktail hour. If you can use the same group that performed for your ceremony you can save a considerable amount of money. Another option to save money is using a group from the wedding reception band. Most wedding bands have a duo, trio or quartet from within the band that can arrive early and play the cocktail hour. These groups can usually play light pop or jazz as soft ambient music. If you are on a tight budget but would like music for cocktails request the wedding bands guitarist as a solo guitarist or pianist as a solo pianist. Most people prefer to use a group without a vocalist. This helps keep the music as background so your guests can enjoy mingling. Do you want the music as the focal point or background? If it is a focal point a group with a singer or a brass group work well. Which ensemble you pick will set the tone for cocktails. Do you want the sophistication of the harp, the elegance of strings, of more of a party atmosphere with a pop trio?
Cocktail Hour Ensembles
Wedding Ceremony ensembles that work well:
Any of these ensembles can play a large variety of music styles including classical, pop, jazz standards, Christian pop and folk music.
- Brass Quartet – Two Trumpets, Trombone and Tuba. Some ensembles vary instrumentation.
- Brass Quintet Two Trumpets, French Horn, Trombone and Tuba for a slightly more full sound than Brass Quartet.
- String Quartet -Two violins, viola and cello, gives a sophisticated elegant feel.
- Harpist
- Harp and Flute Duet
- Solo Violinist
- Violinist with piano, guitar or harp
- Fanfare Trumpets: The long trumpets used to announce royalty. Used at the end of cocktail hour to announce that it is time to move to the dinner location. The fanfare trumpeters perform a fanfare to get your guests attention and then either the trumpeters, or a chef standing in-between them, announces that “dinner is served” as the doors to the dinner room open.
- Guitarist: Classical jazz, pop or folk
- Pianist: Classical, jazz or pop
- Singer with piano, guitar or harp singing light classical music
- Singer performing pop or jazz accompanied by guitar or piano or ensemble of guitar bass and drums or piano, bass and drums
- Woodwind Quintet: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horn
- Chamber Orchestra, combine the brass quintet and string quartet for a small orchestra
Small Ensembles from Wedding Reception band that work well:
- solo pianist
- solo guitarist
- solo pianist that sings
- solo guitarist that sings
- Duo, trio, or quartet from reception band, either jazz or pop music or both can be requested
Other Suggestions:
- Jazz duo, trio or quartet. If you are a jazz fan and want that specifically it always takes things to another level if you hire a group that specializes in that.
- Blues singer. To bring the mood up from the ceremony and get your guests ready to party, try something a little different to set the tone.
- For themed wedding music suggestions see blog below, “Great Party and Weddings Themes”
