My fiancé and I are having trouble deciding between two venues (venue 1 - first three photos)(venue 2 - last two photos). Both venues are extremely different. Venues in the location for our wedding are booked through 2020 so we are planning to have a 2 year engagement and get married in 2021. We might be moving to a new state in a year though and our parents all live about 4 hours away from both venues. The region is where we met, went to school, and got engaged, so it is very special to us.
Venue one is a vineyard but the ceremony and reception take place in a castle on the property. The castle is gorgeous but doesn’t give the vineyard views we have been hoping for for the ceremony and reception. Since the ceremony is on the rooftop you still get some vineyard views just not while sitting. This venue is all inclusive with a day of wedding planner, a team that helps plan before day of, bar packages with their wine and local beers, and a full service kitchen that will provide amazing catering. The venue is on a main road and easy to get to. It’s also close to lots of hotels at different price ranges. The venue is gorgeous and has great wine, but it’s a bit “extra” for us. Our guest list is at about 110 and they max out at 200 so there is ample space. In the unlikely event of rain this venue has indoor and outdoor options.
The second venue is a winery with gorgeous vineyard views. It maxes out at 100 people (they can do up to 110 if it’s a bit tight). They don’t do many weddings (a few a year) so they don’t have a wedding planner and don’t really provide much help in the process except for a list of recommended vendors. We would get a wedding planner for this venue to help us out though. They don’t have much indoor space so rain (rare during the time of year we want) would be tough. The road to the venue would be dangerous at night especially if people are drinking so we would need to shuttle people in and out. There are two houses on the property that can be rented for parents/family and the wedding party. This venue is very us but will be a lot more work to plan. It also might a bit small for our guest list if everyone shows up.
Both venues are pretty much equivalent in price so there isn’t much help for the decision there. We are really torn between the views we want and the ease of planning when we might be moving. We would really be happy at either. My fiancé likes the idea of not having to be stressed with planning but agrees that the views at the other venue are incredible. My parents like venue 2 with the views and his like venue 1 with the castle, guest safety for driving, and ease of planning. Help!
