Venue shopping can be a little bit overwhelming when you're just starting off, especially in the Bay Area. Here is a method that worked for me and may work for you.
1) Figure out a budget.
2) Make a preliminary guest list - this is to guestimate how big your venue should be.
3) With #1 and #2, you should be able to guestimate how much you want to spend per person (ie, $50/person vs $150/person).
4) Have a wedding date (or range of dates) in mind. Date flexibility may give you huge discounts (see #5 below).
5) Read the Bridal Bargains book to learn how to save money. For example, Brunch can be cheaper than Dinner. Hors d'ouevres/Appetizers can be less expensive than a full sit down meal. Off-season wedding months (Oct - March) can be cheaper. Consider a Thursday wedding instead of Saturday.
5) Buy Here Comes the Guide and bookmark possible venues. It has summaries of a ton of wedding venues in the Northern Cali region and separates it into regions. Looking for places in San Francisco? Then check out the SF region. Wanting something only in the wine country? Then check out the Napa region. I was able to eliminate venues that were too much $$$ or had a small space (we were going to need a place that could hold 200-300 guests). This magazine is a lifesaver! It had a picture of the venue, a description of the place, the capacity for ceremony and reception, fees and deposit amounts, and availability. It also included info on catering, alcohol, amplified music, services/amenities, wheelchair access, site type and restrictions. You could also go online to their website here and check it out. I just liked having the magazine on hand so that I could take notes and bookmark. Seriously, if you live in Northern Cali, you should buy this ONE magazine. If not for you, then for a loved one that may be planning a wedding. It's that good.
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6) Pick up The Knot, Northern California at your local supermarket or bookstore. This will give you ideas of possible venue locations and vendors. You just need one though because it's basically the same throughout the year. You could also check out their website here, but again, I liked to have things on paper.
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7) After I had bookmarked possible venues, I then made appointments to see the places. I tried to make the same appointment days for the same regions so that I wouldn't have to drive all over the place, but sometimes this was a little bit hard.
8) Before going off to see the venues, I had printed off a venue sheet to compare the different sites. (I had originally gotten it from weddingbee, but I can't find it now - sorry!). It had such things such as min/max guests, size of tables, site fee, deposit, service/gratuity, tax, in house planner, price per guest, etc. It was really helpful to have available and to be able to take notes so that I didn't miss any important questions, such as if there was a cake cutting fee.
Up next: Venues I visited around the Bay Area.
8) Before going off to see the venues, I had printed off a venue sheet to compare the different sites. (I had originally gotten it from weddingbee, but I can't find it now - sorry!). It had such things such as min/max guests, size of tables, site fee, deposit, service/gratuity, tax, in house planner, price per guest, etc. It was really helpful to have available and to be able to take notes so that I didn't miss any important questions, such as if there was a cake cutting fee.
Up next: Venues I visited around the Bay Area.
How did you do your homework before going Venue Shopping?
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