Your wedding venue sets the tone for everything else that occurs on your big day; from the photography and food, to you and your party’s attire!  It’s no wonder finding and committing to your dream venue is one of the most important parts of the wedding planning process…

The key to your PERFECT venue is to find one that understands that wedding planning can be stressful – that means a venue that takes care of as many planning aspects as possible and are open to customising their offerings to your needs and budget.

There’s nothing more rewarding than watching couples experience the best day of their life at iNsingizi. Having been in the wedding industry for many years, here are our top 3 wedding venue tips!

1. Get your ducks in a row before you even start looking at venues
Before you begin searching for your venue consider the “behind the scenes” of your wedding. This will help you narrow down your search and skip the unnecessary trips to venues that don’t fit your requirements.

Things to consider here are:

• Budget

The first and foremost factor to consider! Come up with a plan; separate each aspect of the wedding, write down what you require for each and dictate an estimated amount on what you are prepared to pay. This often rules out a few venues in the process.

• Guest number

This is the second most important factor, you need to come up with a general idea of how many people you’d like to invite as soon as you can – certain venues can only cater for a set amount of people.  Your friend list also starts to expand as you write down your guests’ names, so if you are considering a small to medium sized wedding, make sure you come up a maximum count (that is feasible). At iNsingizi, our tiered or open plan ceremony venues and reception can cater up to 120 people.  If an elopement is your style, we have numerous affordable elopement packages that we can tailor to suit your needs and budget.

• Preferred dates

Come up with a specific date as well as an alternative date or two just in case the venue is busy on your preferred one. Our top tip is to be open minded and always remember, any day is perfect as long as you and your nearest and dearest are together. 💞 Get in contact with us to find out if your ideal date is available.  

2. Write down your wedding must-haves
Simply put, you need to create a list of the things you 100% have to have at your wedding. This will make it so much easier to cross venues off your list without questions. These can include things like; accommodation, exclusive hire of the venue, catering, décor and music.

3. Now that that’s out of the way, it’s time to pay each a visit!
This is where the real fun starts! Touring the venue helps you envision your day, get a better sense of the possibilities and allows you to ask necessary questions. Although you’ve done prior planning, which will help you make on-the spot decisions, there are still a few factors you have to consider but can only do so when seeing the venue. These include;

• Location and its surroundings

Your location is entirely up to you, you can choose to stay local or opt for a destination wedding, but keep in mind that your guests have to travel too, so consider the accessibility of the venue and if they will be able to find it. If you are having a late afternoon or evening wedding, think about accommodation for you and your guests, both onsite and nearby. Also, look at the photography opportunities – lighting, breath-taking views and unique spots to take pictures. iNsingizi is conveniently located in between Pietermaritzburg and Durban and has the most magnificent rolling hills for those spectacular images. We also have 10 nature-inspired chalets onsite and a self-catering 16-sleeper guesthouse on the neighboring farm for you, your tribe and family to stay the night, or weekend.

• What’s included in the hire

Here you need to think accommodation, catering, bar, corkage and décor. Some places don’t offer full service so you will have to bear in mind that you’ll be paying extra to get them, so the venue hire cost needs to be at a minimum. You also need to consider that sometimes what the venue offers, won’t always match your style so be sure to ask for pictures or samples of the products (like chairs, tables, menus). When you say your “I Do’s” with us, not only do you get the entire lodge to yourself and full access to all our amenities (trails, deck, pool and spa), but you can tailor our packages to meet your desired requirements.

• Weather mishaps

You can’t predict what the weather is going to be on your wedding day, especially if you planned it a year in advance… So when looking at the venue, you’ll need to look at their outdoor and indoor venues and assess whether you will be able to move your wedding inside should rain come bucketing down.  With two venue options and an open deck or indoor reception area, we have various, scenic and romantic areas for your big day regardless of the weather. 

Are you on the hunt for that perfect wedding venue? Consider iNsingizi Lodge & Spa – we can tailor your day, your way!
Contact us on hello@insingizi.co.za or (083) 414 1932 to book a tour of our venues.