Tips & Reviews

5 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING YOUR VENUE

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Photo courtesy of Johnathan Day

Number One

Location

When choosing a venue, a bride might start first with an area in which she would like to have the wedding.  The location and season of the event is probably the most important decision a bride and groom can make.  Every location will have it’s merits and faults as does every season of the year.  A venue too far will cause scheduling issues and could make it impossible to retrieve a forgotten item on the big day.   The closest venues may not offer the best photographic shots, but will definitely make the planning and scheduling of meetings a lot easier.  In most areas, a bride should be able to find several secluded venues that offer both beautiful scenery and convenience within an hours drive.  Most vendors will work within this same distance at no extra charge.  Keeping your wedding ceremony and reception within this one hour circle can greatly reduce planning time and expenses.  

Wells Wedding

Ginny Lee Cafe at Wagner’s Winery

Number Two

Capacity

Sometimes less is more.  A venue should be able to host all of your guests, but shouldn’t be designed to host more than double.  A large empty room will give your guest an empty feeling.  This empty feeling will greatly affect how comfortable your guest are during the reception.  Large well lit rooms are simply not conducive for getting a crowd dancing on the dance floor.  Make sure you talk with your venue manager about climate control in relation to the number of guest you expect and time of year.  Some venues may be too hot in the winter once they get filled up with people.  Often in an effort to save money the venue operators will restrict the opening and closing of doors.  Make sure your venue operator is more concerned with your guests being comfortable than they are with their utility bill.

 

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Layout is less of an issue in smaller venues.

Number Three

Layout

The layout of your venue of choice will play a huge roll in how easy it is to entertain your guests.  A venue that allows the head table, cake table, bar and entertainment to be as close together as possible will be the most suitable.  Placing all of the reception’s main attractions in the same area helps to draw in your guests and keep them engaged in the fun of your big day.  You should also keep in mind that long or oddly shaped rooms will create dead pockets in the sound.  A professional entertainment company can overcome this, but it will require additional equipment and sound setup that may cost extra.  Without this additional sound equipment some of your guests will miss out on hearing the speeches and announcements.  

 

 

The Italian Wine and Food Advocates Alfresco Dinner

Make sure you read the reviews before you make your final decision.

Number Four

Staff

You’re looking for clean, well-kept staff that are eager to please.  Some venues are in great demand.  Unfortunately, some of these elite venues are often staffed by inconsiderate, aloof employees.  The staff play a huge role in making your guest feel at ease.   If the venue allows you to preview one of their events, do take them up on the offer.  This will allow you to determine first, if the staff works as a team, and second, if the team is a happy one.  Stressed out staff will always leave your guests feeling like the whole party is running out of control.  The old saying of “never let them see you sweat” goes a long ways here.

 

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Lighting should be adjusted gradually as the evening carries on.

Number Five

Lighting

Ask the venue operator about the lighting controls.  You’ll need to know what can be turned on and off individually and what fixtures can be dimmed.  Keep in mind that some venues have security lights that can not be turned off.  Typically your entertainer will work with the staff to make sure the lighting is just right.  You should talk with your entertainment about this ahead of time and make sure that someone is in control of the lights.  Lighting should be low during dinner, but not so low that people can’t see their food.  When it comes time to dance, the lights should be very low and get even lower as the event continues.  A few wall fixtures set to their dimmest settings and some colored uplights will do the trick to make any room look amazing.  When it comes to up lighting more is usually better, and less will leave you wishing you had more.  

Just a short video with some very basic tips. Feel free to contact me for more tips and advice.

Had to share some footage from this corporate party for Hazlitt.
I swapped out the audio to avoid any copyright issues from the original music.

Jason & Staff- Thank you ALL for giving us the absolute BEST WEDDING experience ever! you and your staff were incredible throughout the whole process! I have never seen a display of lights, music, tech, and professionalism in any wedding performance EVER! Jason K entertainment is truly a one of a kind, one stop shop!!!! you all did everything we asked....AND SO MUCH MORE! Again, we cannot thank you enough for everything you and your team have done to make our day so grand!!!!!! to anyone reading this review::: If you want the BEST STAFF, SPECIAL LIGHTING EFFECTS, SUPERIOR SOUND QUALITY, SLIDE SHOWS AND INCREDIBLE PRICING....JASON K ENTERTAINMENT IS WHO YOU NEED!!! ~Ryan

Jason & Staff-
Thank you ALL for giving us the absolute BEST WEDDING experience ever! you and your staff were incredible throughout the whole process! I have never seen a display of lights, music, tech, and professionalism in any wedding performance EVER! Jason K entertainment is truly a one of a kind, one stop shop!!!! you all did everything we asked….AND SO MUCH MORE! Again, we cannot thank you enough for everything you and your team have done to make our day so grand!!!!!!
to anyone reading this review:::
If you want the BEST STAFF, SPECIAL LIGHTING EFFECTS, SUPERIOR SOUND QUALITY, SLIDE SHOWS AND INCREDIBLE PRICING….JASON K ENTERTAINMENT IS WHO YOU NEED!!!
~Ryan

 

Jason K was the DJ for our wedding and he did a fantastic job. He put together a playlist based on songs we wanted and he created a sideshow of our photos. He spent a lot of time making sure everything was perfect. I got several calls from him to check in and ask questions about what we wanted. If was nice that he was so great at communicating, it was one less vendor to worry about. Overall he did an awesome job with the light show/lights, music and photos. The dancing went on all night! If your looking for a DJ with reasonable prices but amazing service, I highly recommend him! ~ Kirsten

Jason K was the DJ for our wedding and he did a fantastic job. He put together a playlist based on songs we wanted and he created a sideshow of our photos. He spent a lot of time making sure everything was perfect. I got several calls from him to check in and ask questions about what we wanted. If was nice that he was so great at communicating, it was one less vendor to worry about. Overall he did an awesome job with the light show/lights, music and photos. The dancing went on all night! If your looking for a DJ with reasonable prices but amazing service, I highly recommend him!
~ Kirsten