I have not shared the venue selection process for our wedding because to be completely honest, it was pretty miserable.
Now, I don’t mean touring a venue with a glass of rosé in Palm Desert was horrible, but the selection process and the difference of visions was.
I feel like we had just turned on our phones after arriving from Paris, when I had calendar invites pop up for venue tours.
Carms, because she is a rock star/maniac, had booked venue walk throughs in Los Angeles, and in the desert.
Why Palm Springs? Travel is difficult for my Dad, but as long as a venue was driving distance (two hours max) we were ok, making the desert a fabulous location.
I didn’t know what I wanted in a venue. There were elements that I envisioned, but I wasn’t dead set on them:
- Spanish style venue
- Bouganvillea
- Palm Trees
- Margs
- Outdoor ceremony
I am not kidding- we went to 22 places in the Desert. 22!
I could be a consultant for Palm Springs wedding venues, because I’ve seen them all and can speak to their capacities, minimums, and room blocks. If you’re getting married in the desert, LMK.
I of course loved the Parker Palm Springs, but after hearing that their F+B is $645/head, I decided I didn’t love them so much.
To make a long story short, because really the venue was the roughest part of getting engaged, we found a fabulous wedding planner, compromised on vision, and booked a Friday location for April 2020. Why Friday? Because every Saturday for the rest of the year is gone.
GONE.
My recommendation: If you are feeling like you are about to get engaged, or have recently become engaged, make this book a mandatory read for the spouse, maid of honor, and any other family members who are going to be involved in the wedding planning process.
Relieved and ready for a bottle of rosé,
Giggles
gigglesbyjones 