What Couples Should Know Before Booking a Wedding Venue in Central Florida

If there's one thing I've learned about wedding planning, it's that you don't know what you don't know.

And that becomes really obvious once you start looking for a venue.

You get engaged, you get excited, and suddenly you're creating Pinterest boards, saving TikToks, searching Instagram, building spreadsheets, and touring every venue that looks remotely interesting.

But before you start booking anything, there are some conversations to be had and quite a few things to consider.

For Episode 6 of Set the Stage: Central Florida Weddings, I sat down with Shannon Tarrant of The Wedding Venue Map to talk about what couples should actually know before they book their wedding venue—and honestly, there was a LOT to unpack.

From guest count and budget to all-inclusive packages, venue coordinators, preferred vendor lists, AI, wedding shows, and even whether your venue allows your cat to attend your wedding, and most importantly we talked about the things couples need to consider before they fall in love with a venue.

Because finding a venue isn't just about finding a pretty space.

It's about finding the right space for your wedding.

Stop. Before You Start Searching.

I know. You're excited.

You just got engaged and the first thing you want to do is start looking at venues.

Shannon's advice?

Stop for a second.

Before you start searching, have some conversations with your fiancé.

Because there are a few basic things that need to be figured out before you start looking at venues—and the first one is your guest count.

Start With Your Guest List

Shannon recommends sitting down together and creating a really quick, "fast and dirty" guest list.

We’re talking about listing every person that you could ever possibly want to attend your wedding.

Then reach out to family members who may have a say and ask who they would put on the list.

Once you have everyone down, divide that list into an A list and a B list.

Your A list is the people you would genuinely be upset not to have there.

The B list is everyone else. You’d love to have them there, but if they couldn’t make it, well… no harm no foul.

And there's a reason for doing this before you start talking about venues.

Every guest affects your budget.

Your Guest Count Is a Budget Decision

Shannon shared that in Central Florida, each guest on your guest list is about $350 when you factor in all of the things that go into a wedding. (It's ok… take a second… I was shocked too!)

So here's the question she recommends asking yourself:

Would I take this person out for a $350 dinner?

Because it's easy to think, Of course I want everyone there.

But once you start talking about how much actual money is involved, the question becomes:

Can we afford to have all of these people there?

That A-list/B-list exercise can help you figure out the difference between your need-to-haves and your nice-to-haves before you start making decisions that affect the rest of your wedding.

And this list - you’re going to come back to it over and over again.

Having That Uncomfortable Conversation

Now comes the fun part.

Talking about money.

Before you start looking at venues, you need to know where the money is actually coming from.

How much do you have saved?

Who’s paying for what?

Are family and friends contributing?

What’s that magic number that you need BEFORE you start putting down deposits?

Because when parents or loved ones say "we'll help"... that doesn’t exactly help with the budget.

As Shannon put it,

"We'll help" needs to be a dollar sign.

You need to know what that help actually looks like before you can make decisions about what you can afford.

In Central Florida, Shannon shared that the average wedding for 120 guests is about $32,000, based on data from The Wedding Report.

But—and this is important—that's an average.

Some people spend significantly more.

Some spend significantly less.

The point isn't that you have to spend $32,000.

The point is that you need to understand what your money can realistically accomplish.

Don't Build Your Budget Around a Random Number

A lot of couples have a wedding budget number in their head before they've actually done any research.

And both Shannon and I are hearing the same thing.

$20,000… (or $10,000 if a couple is trying to be really budget conscious).

But this number isn't really based on anything.

$20,000 sounds reasonable. It feels realistic… but it’s not rooted in research.

In order to come up with a realistic number, you’ve got to do some digging.

Especially if:

You haven't looked at venue pricing.

You haven't looked at catering.

You haven't looked at what vendors actually charge.

You haven't figured out what's important to you.

Then, you're just picking a number that sounds like a reasonable amount of money to spend on a big party.

And that's not really a budget.

That's just a guess…

Champagne on a Kool-Aid Budget

I absolutely loved Shannon's analogy here.

You can't have champagne on a Kool-Aid budget.

But that doesn't mean you can't have a great wedding on a smaller budget.

There are many ways to make a $10,000 wedding work.

“You could have 30 people on a Monday and have a banger of a wedding for $10,000.”

Shannon says.

The problem happens when couples want a much larger wedding with all of the things they're seeing online—and expect that same budget to cover it.

If you want to make your budget work, you have to decide what you're willing to sacrifice.

Flexibility is your friend here.

Whether you are willing to have your wedding on a weekday, a morning, a smaller guest list, a venue that’s further away… you get my drift.

Summer is a slower season in Central Florida, so weddings can be less expensive during that time.

Is having an August wedding worth it to you if you’re going to save $10,000?

Our job as wedding professionals is to give you the options but, ultimately it’s about having the conversation with your fiancé and deciding what’s best for you.

Figure Out Your Priorities Before You Pick Your Venue

This is where that whole need-to-have versus nice-to-have conversation comes back into play.

You and your fiancé are probably not going to have identical priorities.

Maybe food is incredibly important to you and not that important to your fiancé.

Maybe the DJ is at the top of their list and barely registers on yours.

Maybe it's the guest experience.

Maybe it's the overall feeling of the wedding.

Maybe it's the wow factor.

Maybe you want everyone to leave saying, That was so much fun.

Whatever it is, you need to figure that out before you start shopping.

Shannon shared that The Wedding Venue Map has a priority worksheet inside a free planning toolkit for couples that allows each person to rank their top three priorities separately, then compare where you overlap and where you disagree.

(Learn more about this resource→)

Because those priorities don't just affect your budget.

They affect every single decision you make.

What's the Vibe?

I know… it sounds so cliche. And you’ll probably get asked this question 5,000 times before you’re done planning.

But that’s because it is so incredibly important.

Do you want formal?

Casual?

Laid-back?

Relaxed?

Maybe you want a big backyard barbecue with a bonfire at a barn, farm, or ranch-style venue.

Maybe you want something elegant and formal—but you still want it to be fun.

Shannon said one of the most popular words she sees when looking at larger wedding industry studies is fun.

Especially amongst the younger age groups.

Your priorities are ultimately centered around this:

How do you want your wedding to feel?

What does the experience look like for your guests?

What do you want them talking about afterward?

What impression do you want to leave?

Those conversations can completely change how you approach choosing your wedding venue.

Go to a Wedding Show

Most couples I talk to have strong feelings about this one. Either they are excited to attend or they literally want nothing to do with them!

The large shows can be overwhelming to some with hundreds of vendor booths and everyone seems to want to sell you something.

But Shannon sees wedding shows as an opportunity to get “almost like free coaching.”

You're getting access to established wedding professionals who have been in the industry for a long time.

You can tell them what you're looking for, what you're struggling with, and where you're overwhelmed.

And they can help point you in the right direction.

At The Wedding Venue Map booth, for example, couples can share their guest count, venue style, and budget range, and the team can narrow down the options from the hundreds of venues in Central Florida.

Instead of spending weeks searching, you can start with a much smaller list.

And if you want to know pricing?

Just Ask.

If you're at a wedding show and you're trying to figure out whether something is actually within your budget, you can literally ask a vendor what they charge and get an answer right on the spot.

Be Transparent About Your Budget

This goes both ways.

Couples need vendors and venues to be transparent about pricing.

But couples also need to be transparent about their budget.

Because when someone says, "We're on a budget," that can mean very different things to different people.

Even if you are unsure at the moment, the more information you give a professional, the better they can guide you.

And that's really what this entire conversation comes back to:

You're hiring professionals because they know things you don't know.

Let them help you.

AI Is a Tool—Not the Final Answer

We also talked about something that is completely changing the way couples research weddings:

AI.

AI can be an incredibly useful tool when you're building your budget and trying to understand what things cost.

But Shannon had an important warning:

Don't assume it's 100% correct.

If AI tells you that a venue costs a certain amount, that information could be coming from a source that hasn't been updated.

So don't treat the number as gospel.

Instead, use AI to help you understand ranges.

Rather than asking, "What's the average price for flowers?"

(Average is dangerous wording when it comes to statistics.)

Ask what the range is.

Specifically, what would a budget-friendly price be all the way through a high end price.

If you're building your budget, you need to understand the range of what you could potentially spend.

Then once you stack this up against your budget and priorities, you can figure out where you actually want to fall within that range.

Don't Let a Lower Price Fool You

Being budget-friendly doesn't automatically mean a vendor isn't good.

But sometimes it does mean you need to do more vetting.

Shannon shared some of the things couples should look for when evaluating a vendor:

• Do they have a business license?

• Do they carry liability insurance?

• Do they have reviews online?

• Do they have a contract?

Because the last thing anyone wants is to find themselves in a Facebook group on Friday afternoon saying:

"My DJ canceled for tomorrow. I need help."

A lower price isn't automatically a red flag.

But a lack of professionalism is.

Just What Makes a Vendor a Professional?

Shannon has one hill she's willing to die on:

The vendor needs to have a website.

If someone only has a Facebook page or an Instagram account, Shannon says they're either a brand-new business or doing weddings as a side hustle.

And there's nothing inherently wrong with that.

But you need to consider how seriously they're going to take the fact that you're trusting them with your wedding.

If you're giving someone your hard-earned money—and potentially money your family has invested—Shannon's bare-minimum expectation is that they've invested in their own business enough to have a website and their own domain.

It doesn't mean they're bad at what they do if they don't.

It means you should ask yourself why they haven't made that investment.

Look for Vendors Who Are Actually Part of the Community

We are incredibly spoiled here in the Central Florida wedding community.

There are a ton of wedding professionals who have worked together, built relationships, and supported each other over the years.

And when you are looking to build your vendor dream team. Vendor relationships matter.

Because each of your vendors shouldn’t be acting as if they are all on an island by themselves.

They should be working together as a team.

Shannon compared the vendor team to an orchestra.

Every instrument matters to the overall sound.

When the vendors regularly work together, communication is easier. Everyone knows each other and they generally know how the other vendors work.

And when a planner is involved, that person can help conduct the entire thing.

That’s how you create sweet music on your wedding day.

Ask About the Preferred Vendor List

If a venue gives you a preferred vendor list, ask questions.

Ask:

Why are these vendors on the list?

Do they pay the venue a percentage?

How did they get on the list?

Because not every preferred vendor list works the same way.

Shannon explained that many venues in Central Florida refer vendors because they have established relationships and know the quality of their work.

And in Central Florida specifically, she doesn't believe referral relationships are generally driven by kickbacks in the way they can be in other markets.

So don't automatically assume that a preferred vendor list is just pay-to-play.

But don't be afraid to ask.

"All-Inclusive" Doesn't Always Mean the Same Thing

This one is huge.

The phrase "all-inclusive" sounds great in theory.

But what does it actually mean?

According to Shannon, the industry hasn't done a great job defining the term.

For some people, all-inclusive means tables and chairs.

For others, it's food and beverage.

For someone else, it's every vendor.

Some people even expect things like a dress to be included.

So when a venue says it's all-inclusive, ask what that actually means.

Shannon explained that Wedding Venue Map defines all-inclusive as including at least one outside business in the package.

For example, if a country club provides the venue, food, bar, and cake itself, that's not considered all-inclusive by that definition because those services are part of what the venue itself provides.

But if a venue partners with outside caterers, bar services, and dessert vendors and packages those services together, that's a different situation.

And herein lies the bigger question:

Which kind of couple are you?

1. Are you the couple who wants to find a venue you love, have them include all the things, and say, "Great. I'm done."

   Or...

2. Do you have 12 to 18 months and want to shop around and make your budget stretch as far as possible?

Neither approach is wrong – just note that sometimes when you decide to opt for an “all-inclusive” venue, part of what you are paying for is ease.

Don't Assume an All-Inclusive Venue Is Your Only Option

Here's something else Shannon recommends asking:

If you love a venue but don't love the idea of an all-inclusive package, ask if they offer venue-only dates.

Some venues that offer all-inclusive packages may also have specific dates where they rent the venue by itself.

So ask:

"Do you offer venue-only packages?"

And:

"What's the process for choosing our own vendors?"

You might have more options than you think.

Don't Tour 15 Venues

Shannon said this is a hot topic in their office because they recommend couples tour way fewer venues than they typically do.

Her recommendation?

Three to five.

But there's a catch.

You need to do some work before you jump in the car.

If a venue's pricing isn't clear, call them.

And here’s exactly what you need to ask:

• What is the out-the-door number based on your guest count?

• What is NOT included in the price that you will need to consider?

• What REQUIRED add-on’s, specific required vendors, or fees are there?

• Will I need to purchase event insurance and what does that cost?

Spending 15 minutes on the phone before spending hours driving around can save you time, energy, and money. (And possibly spare you the heartbreak of falling in love with a venue that doesn’t fit into your budget).

And beware of the “starting at” price.

A "starting at" price could be based on a weekday or a smaller guest count.

It may not include things you assumed were included.

And that's how you end up touring 15 venues and feeling completely overwhelmed.

Narrow it down first.

Then go see the three to five that actually fit your needs.

Ask What "Planning" Actually Means

Here's another one that couples really need to pay attention to.

A venue might tell you that “planning” is included with your package.

But it's important to define what “planning” actually means.

Is it a planning meeting or day-of coordination?

Are they helping create a floor plan or timeline?

Who is actually going to be providing the service?

Is that person an employee of the venue or an outside company?

Do you know who that person will be and when they start working with you?

And most importantly,

What services do they NOT provide?

Because that's where the surprise usually happens.

You may think you've got a planner to handle everything.

Then two months before your wedding you realize that the person included with your venue isn't setting up your décor.

Now what?

Remember Who the Coordinator Works For

This is an important distinction.

If the venue provides a coordinator, that person may know the venue incredibly well.

Usually this means they have a great relationship with the venue and that can be incredibly helpful.

But they're still working within the venue's priorities.

Shannon gave the example of floor plans.

A venue might have a “standard” floor plan that they use all the time. This is usually going to be their default because it's easy and that’s just what works for their operations.

So if you ask to move something, they may not necessarily suggest that because the existing setup works better for the venue.

That's completely different from having your own wedding coordinator or planner whose job is to advocate specifically for you.

Again, there’s no right or wrong answer here.

You just need to know what you're getting.

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

This is probably the biggest takeaway from the entire conversation.

You shouldn't be expected to know the logistics of a wedding before you've planned one.

That's why professionals exist (and why you should seriously consider the pro’s over a friend or family member who might dabble in a certain hobby).

Shannon gave the example of someone having a family member do hair for the wedding.

If that family member is just one person and is doing hair for ten people.

You may not realize how long that's actually going to take and what time that means you need to start getting ready.

And then you discover your venue doesn't let you in until three hours later.

Now you're trying to figure out what everyone is doing in the meantime and where you can set up.

If it’s your first time planning a wedding, you probably wouldn’t know to ask that question.

But a wedding professional would.

And, If you aren't hiring a planner, that's okay.

You just have to do more of the work yourself.

Lean on the professionals:

Ask the venue.

Ask your vendors.

Ask what they've seen happen at that venue before.

Ask what mistakes other couples have made.

You can't just set it and forget it.

Filter for What Actually Matters to You

Guest count, budget, and venue style are the obvious filters.

But Shannon recommends thinking beyond those.

Do you need accommodations on-site because a lot of your guests are traveling?

Does your pet need to be allowed at the venue?

Is there something specific about the food that is culturally important to you?

If so, does the venue allow a caterer who can provide that food?

If the venue has a required catering list, does someone on that list offer what you need?

Whatever is important to you, make sure the venue can accommodate it before you sign the contract.

Don't Over-Filter

Shannon also gave a warning about getting a little too specific with your venue search.

You can filter and filter and filter until there's nothing left.

And then you're wondering why there are no venues.

Sometimes you need to play around with your criteria.

What happens if you increase the budget slightly?

What happens if you change one of your filters?

What happens if a venue includes décor or something else that means you're actually getting more for the same amount of money?

Think of it like Zillow.

You have criteria that matter to you.

But you may need to adjust those criteria to see what else is available.

Read the Contract Before You Sign It

And finally, before you sign that venue contract, know what you're actually agreeing to.

If you aren't sure what something means, have someone go over it with you.

That could be a planner.

It could be paying for a service specifically to review the contract.

The important part is that you understand what you can and can't do at the venue before you sign.

Because finding that out later can be expensive.

Expect a Little Sticker Shock

Here's the thing about planning a wedding:

For most couples, this is the first time you've ever planned a party of this size.

You've probably never fed 100 people dinner at your house.

You've probably never rented a venue.

You've probably never hired 13 different vendors.

You've never had to think about all of the things that go into an event of this scale.

So when you start seeing the prices, there may be some sticker shock.

And that's completely normal.

You're doing something you've never done before.

And that's exactly why building your foundation before you start booking is so important.

Start Local

One of Shannon's biggest recommendations is to use local resources.

The Wedding Venue Map is specifically focused on Central Florida and gives couples the ability to search and filter venues based on what actually matters to them.

You can create an account, save and favorite venues, access planning resources, find deals and discounts, and see local wedding shows and open houses.

There are also articles, featured businesses, inspiration, and real weddings.

You can even search to see which businesses have worked at a particular venue before.

Because sometimes national wedding resources don't have the most accurate information for our specific market.

And when you're planning a wedding in Central Florida, local knowledge matters.

The Bottom Line

Finding your wedding venue isn't just about finding somewhere you love.

It's about figuring out what you actually need first.

Know your guest count.

Have the uncomfortable budget conversation.

Figure out what matters most to both of you.

Decide what you want your wedding to feel like.

Understand what "all-inclusive" actually means.

Ask what's included—and what's not.

Ask who is actually coordinating your wedding.

Ask about required vendors.

Ask about food.

Ask about pets.

Ask about accommodations.

Ask about insurance.

Ask about pricing.

Ask the questions that you don't even know you need to ask.

Because the goal isn't to become a wedding expert overnight.

The goal is to know enough to make informed decisions.

You don't know what you don't know.

That's okay.

That's why we're here.

Meet Shannon Tarrant | Wedding Venue Map

Shannon Tarrant has had the privilege of helping more than a thousand couples plan and celebrate the biggest day of their lives.

After 10 years as a catering manager and venue director, Shannon decided there was a better way to connect her knowledge and expertise with couples planning a wedding. Along with her co-founders, Derek and Gail Berge, she created The Wedding Venue Map.

Today, the print map, website, and social media accounts serve as a Central Florida resource for couples searching for a venue and high-quality, vetted vendors across every category.

Most days, you can find Shannon touring new venues, showcasing wedding vendors, working from home with her two fur-gray babies on her desk, or heading out on a local foodie adventure with her other half, John.

For more information about the Wedding Venue Map:

www.weddingvenuemap.com

Find Your Wedding Priorities

Before you start booking everything, figure out what matters most to both of you.

Use the Priorities Worksheet to choose your top three priorities separately, compare your answers, then use what you agree on to help guide your budget and what you book first.

Click the button below to create your free account and access your Planning Toolkit.

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