A wedding venue can range from a cozy affair to a grandiose celebration. From a small country inn to an extravagant castle, any venue can host a wedding with the right amount of imagination. Venues can be simple, needing only a fair amount of decorating. Other venues have every detail a wedding needs under one roof. Securing the location is the first step in designing the event. All other details will fall into place.

The Wedding Planner Versus the Facility Planner

With the average cost of a wedding these days around $30,000, some planners specialize only in weddings. A wedding coordinator, wedding specialist, and wedding consultant are other names that wedding planners go by. A wedding planner may market herself as a cost-effective way to plan and execute a wedding. A planner can do this by offering to save the couple money and stay within their budget.

Staying within a couple's budget is not an easy task and is a tremendous responsibility. With more and more wedding planners advertising over the Internet (check out www.theknot.com), competition is at an all-time high. When first starting out, fledgling planners may consider quoting a slightly lower salary percentage than the competition to attract clients. The typical wedding planner charges 10 to 20 percent of the total wedding cost.

Venues specializing in holding weddings usually employ an on-site events coordinator. Smaller venues may have a manager in charge of coordinating events. A facility wedding planner's responsibilities differ dramatically from a hired wedding planner. While both jobs navigate wedding-planning territory, a facility planner is simply responsible for the arrangements that are outlined in a contract or are promised by the facility. The responsibilities include:

• Presenting menu selections

• Pairing food and wine

• Hiring staff

• Coordinating rentals

• Pricing all costs related to the facility

• Recommending vendors

The facility planner may recommend and coordinate vendor services, while a wedding planner will assist the couple in shopping for necessary vendors. Wedding planner responsibilities include some of the following:

• Staying within a budget

• Setting up site visits for venues

• Arranging for the rentals and staff if the caterer has not

• Invitations and managing the RSVP list

• Recommending a calligrapher

• Coordinating accommodations for the bride and groom and out-of-town guests

• Setting up appointments for vendors, such as florists, photographers, musicians, and videographers

• Suggesting wedding favors

• Counsel couple on wedding insurance and obtain any permits needed for the wedding

• Outlining marriage license procedures

• Managing the event itself

• Publishing the wedding announcement

A wedding planner, with her tremendous to-do list, will see a couple from the beginning of the journey to the very end. A facility planner tends to work only with the couple in reference to the venue. Wedding planners often work in conjunction with a catering manager or facility planner on an event.

Banquet Facilities

With weddings generating five billion dollars a year, it is no wonder that facilities are built with one event in mind. Banquet facilities and ballrooms cater to weddings and other large events. These venues will have the equipment for a wedding built into the space. Tables, chairs, table settings, an outside gazebo, a dance floor, and perhaps a stage are available at these venues.

Banquet facilities usually have wedding packages in which all costs associated with the wedding are built into a budget. A standard wedding package may include:

• A two-course menu with passed hors d'oeuvres

• Centerpieces

• A champagne toast

• A wedding cake

• Place cards

Upgrading from these packages can alter the cost significantly. Being forced to select the in-house catering can occasionally mean compromising the quality of the menu. Be sure to arrange a tasting to preview the menu.

Dressing a Venue

A simple venue can be a couple's dream, but the cost of decorations can price this dream out of their budget. Couples want their wedding site to be original. Whether a beach or a bowling alley, venues outside of banquet halls may need a fair amount of decorating to be transformed into a wedding reception. Before considering a specialized venue, the couple may need to budget for the following extras:

• Rentals

• Caterer

• Bar service

• Flowers

• Bakers

• Additional decorations

• Dance floor

• Gazebos or plant rentals