Concerned for Venue

There’s really nothing you can do about another separate entity’s store front. You will just have to weigh out the pros and cons of hosting your event there. If you do decide to go with the venue, I would just have your photographer avoid capturing the boarded up restaurant in your photos.

Do you think you/your guests will be spending any time outside other than departure and arrival? My friend had an absolutely gorgeous venue, but the outside looked like a warehouse surrounded by other warehouses. I actually thought I was in the wrong spot when my Uber dropped me off. But the inside was amazing, so totally worth it and as a guest I didn’t think twice about it once I was inside.

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Thats kind of funny. I visited a venue like that. Buy my husband to be didn't like it(they were not organized. when we arrived) That's what I was thinking though. If we make the inside come to life, the outside won't matter too much. There is like a grass patch with a gazebo for pictures but thats about it. Most of the guests would love the inside if we do it right. Thank you for being reassuring! (I just wanted to know that outsides don't matter too much. )

It sounds like the interior of the venue has these green boards and probably not just blocking one entrance but many separate exit points?

There are three options you might try in case the venue doesn't or can't do anything:

1. decorate the green boards with trees, lights (light strands or colored floodlights), or cloth

2. distract from these green boards by giving other areas to look at

3. overwhelm with decorations in the main venue area so that people are drawn to the prettiest area

Maybe lights can be turned off in the area of the green boards but have lighting where people need to walk through that area.

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The green boards are on the exterior on the right-hand side of the building. They aren't blocking an entrance really. It's just not the thing I want guests to see. However, everything you said is excellent suggestions. I will direct guests' attention to somewhere else so they won't even notice that part.

I like Michael's suggestions #2 and #4. I think lighted pathways are an inviting way to pull the eye and attention to your space. You could use colored ball lights, luminaries, lanterns, faux candles. Or you can have your sign outside with a few flowers. It doesn't have to be expensive or overwhelming as it's outdoors.