Pick Venue or Pick Dress First???

We are really having a hard time trying to pick our venue. I want to get married on the beach in Santa Barbara but he wants to get married on the grounds of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco!!!
So, is it necessary to pick the venue first before picking out the dress? I cannot wait to go dress shopping and I am kind of getting antsy!!!

Posted On: Nov 7, 2009 at 11:36 AM | Vendors are allowed to participate

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JensWill
Community Performer

Wedding: 10/16/2010

19 Comments | Login or Signup to post a comment!


Amber Lynn W.
Community Superstar

Wedding: 04/17/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:38 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
I would wait, just because those two spots are very different from eachother and you want the dress you pick to go somewhat with you location and not be to formal or to informal.. Good luck

JensWill
Community Performer

Wedding: 10/16/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:43 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
I have these two dresses in mind. Will they fit both venues? He wants to get married underneath the rotunda on the palace's gardens.
http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?style=RD1044
http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?style=SD5230

future Mrs. Gamble
Community Superstar

Wedding: 07/04/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:46 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
well if you pick out your dress now i don't think there will be any harm in it. but just remember after you pick out your dress that if your wedding on the beach try to dress up the beach a bit... lol add an archway and some white runners, white chairs for the guests to sit on, white ribbon on the inside of the isles... you know dress it to match your dress. as for the palace of fine arts i've never been there so i can't tell you to dress that up or dress it down lol. just try to make it fit with your dress. good luck

future Mrs. Gamble
Community Superstar

Wedding: 07/04/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:52 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
jenswill- those are so beautiful and i think they would work great with either place... hell they would work great even if your having a costume wedding on halloween! :)
i hope that came out and sounded as wonderfully as it did in my head when i was typing it! lol if not it was indeed a compliment)

JJ
Community Superstar

Married: 10/17/2009
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:52 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
venue first definitely or you could end up being a two dress bride....not horrible, but best to avoid that situation.

Mrs. Sarah Halliwell
Community Megastar

Married: 10/03/2009
Reviews: 10
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:54 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
always do the venue first. you have time before your wedding date.

lynda l.
Community Newcomer

Married: 09/06/2008
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:55 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
I would pick your venue or at least pick a dress that fits both venues.

Amber Lynn W.
Community Superstar

Wedding: 04/17/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:56 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
wow both of those dresses are beautiful and would work at both places.. I really like the second one.. good luck

MEG
Community Superstar

Wedding: 06/12/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:57 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
Go ahead and go dress shopping but I would wait to buy the dress until after you select the venue. Both those dresses are beautiful.

JensWill
Community Performer

Wedding: 10/16/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 11:58 AM | Flag As Inappropriate
Thank you, Future Mrs. Gamble! I figured it's either going to be a beach or a garden wedding. I don't want anything heavy with a huge train either.
We also might move up the wedding. Instead of fall, we might move it up in the middle of the summer, depending on the venues' availability. I do not have an specific date in mind anyway so whatever they have, we will take it.

J.J
Community Superstar

Wedding: 09/10/2011
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 12:13 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
I would say go ahead and go dress shopping to pick out what you like and what flatters you but don't buy anything until you have your venue picked out. You never know what venue you are going to chose in the end so you want to make sure that you dress will be compatable(sp) with it.

Nicole K.
Community Megastar

Creative Elegance Weddings
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 2:29 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
Maybe for a venue compromise you could find a place that is on the beach so you could have the best of what you both want. As far as the dress goes I would wait till you pick the venue. You may want a totally different look for the dress after you do that.

Libragurl
Community Megastar

Wedding: 10/30/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 3:53 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
I love Maggie....the first one is my favorite

revcatey
Community Superstar

Rev. Catherine Black-Ward
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 3:58 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
I would agree you should pick your venue and the style of your wedding before picking the dress. Knowing that, you will be better able to chose a dress that will fit your vision. A church gown would be entirely inappropriate for a beach wedding, and vice versa. Know what you love, and follow your heart. The venue style you love will lead to your perfect dress.

MDLS
Community Superstar

Wedding: 10/24/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 4:03 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
I myself would just be worried that the venue wouldn't be available on the day I wanted so I would pick the venue first because I've heard some get booked 1 year to 1 1/2 years beforehand. The dress will sometimes take approximately 6 months to get (check with the place you are thinking about purchasing the dress from on the turnaround time). Some dresses don't take as long but I think there would be a greater risk of the venue not being available versus the dress not being available for your date.

Ms. Soon to be his Mrs.
Community Superstar

Wedding: 11/06/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 7:48 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
I would say PICK a THEME or 2 FIRST, then pick a venue that will accommodate your theme, then the DRESS, but most dress people tell you it takes 6 to 9 months for dresses to come in so Keep that in Mind....

Sachele D.
Community Superstar

Married: 09/18/2009
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 7:58 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
Maybe get married on the beach and have the reception where your man wants or vice versa. I love the dresses but I think they are more suited to a beach wedding.

Not-A-Bridezilla
Community Megastar

Wedding: 05/15/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 8:04 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
Wait, you might get married this summer? PICK YOUR VENUE NOW!!! I don't want to freak you out because it can be done but if you want to ensure that you can get married this coming year, you need to book your venue now so your two choices aren't completely booked. We're experiencing this with my FBIL and his fiance and they were planning on October but things are booking quickly. Once you have your venue, feel free to go dress shopping. You just need to get both done soon so you can ensure your venue's availability and so that you have time to order your dress

HeatherH
Community Performer

Wedding: 06/05/2010
Posted On: Nov 07, 2009 at 8:10 PM | Flag As Inappropriate
Oh I love the dresses! Especially the first one! Gorgeous! I think they'd be fine for either but you might feel more comfortable if you had the venue first that way you'd know for sure when you bought the dress :)
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