Sitting down at an initial appointment with a couple, I first ask a simple question to get the conversation started...
"What are your MUSTS in regards to your wedding venue?"
"We would prefer a hotel so guests don't have to drive to the venue. We are expecting 300 guests so we need the ballroom to be large. We would prefer a venue with a view from the ballroom. We would like an outdoor ceremony..." they respond.
I know it's coming, and the dreaded must finally slips off of her tongue...
"We have to have a venue that doesn't have ugly carpets. No bright colors and no patterns and that's an absolute MUST."
If you've never thought of it before, I guarantee you will think about it when planning begins but I am here to tell you that the carpet doesn't matter.
I repeat.
The carpet doesn't matter.
Of course it is going to look hideous when you walk into an empty room in the middle of the day, sun shining through those windows and all lights on.
But imagine your wedding day...
As guests arrive, they walk into a dimmed room with beautiful uplighting on all walls. There are 15 perfectly decorated tables, with the most beautiful centerpieces you've ever seen, spotlighted by the overhead lighting so that all eyes are drawn there. Each guest looks around for the bar, and then heads straight over for a cocktail and some appetizers. They wander the room, looking at all of the beautiful DIY you've carefully crafted over the past couple months, and are in awe of how beautifully everything has come together.
Did I mention the carpets? NO! Because no one will notice. With the lights dimmed and tables and a dance floor covering most of it, and decor that steals the spotlight, you better bet they won't be able to tell you the color or pattern of the carpet once the night is over.
And so, my point is made.
If you find a venue that you love and hate the carpets, just keep your head up and pretend like it's not there. Because on your wedding day, it will barely be there.
Keep your eyes above the carpet.
A quick tip for venues:
I've managed a couple of properties before and got this comment over and over. But I figured out a way to avoid it.
1. Set up the room and keep it that way so that it looks like a wedding is about to take place. Yes, it's a lot of work, but I promise it will get brides to like your venue even more!
2. Dim the lights if possible. If there aren't any windows, dim the lights during the day and even for night tours, as it would look during their wedding!
3. Create an ambiance: Turn on some light music, set up some sample centerpieces and a sample cake, and make it look like a real wedding!
Brides often have a hard time visualizing their wedding in a blank room. So if you create that vision for them, they're far more likely to love the vision they see!
