Site Visits 101

So we have talked about factoring the site visit into your budget, so this week, I thought I'd talk a little bit more about what they are and why they're so important.

A site visit is your chance to see the venue where you're getting married, interview vendors in person, and scout hotels where you're going to send all your trusting guests.

When the budget starts getting stretched thin and couples are trying to cut back, a lot of brides ask me if they can't just skip the site visit. But if you want to make sure everything goes off without a hitch, there's just no getting around it. It's worth the investment, if for no other reason than to avoid being horribly disappointed that something wasn't what you imagined.

Finding the right venue is the most important task. Even if you see a place on the internet that looks gorgeous, no amount of PR photos can help you visualize it like actually being there can. You have to make sure there aren't any surprises, like a funny smell coming from the fertilizer plant down the road or the constant sound of jackhammers coming from a construction site next door.

You'll also want to meet with your vendors to make sure that they're professional, courteous and talented, and that they don't just have a really nice website. I'll be talking about the site visit more in weeks to come, so check back to find out more!