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5 Reasons to Book Your Wedding Venue Early

A newly-wedded couple walks triumphantly over the bridge at Rough & Ready Vineyards. Photo by Camden Ashley Photography

Heather Featherston

January 10, 2023

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The engagement proposal was a success, and now your wedding journey has been set in motion. The first significant step you’ll need to take when it comes to planning your wedding is booking the venue. It’s important to book your venue early in the planning process because it sets the tone for everything else from your guest list to your dress.
 
Since we’re in engagement season right now, wedding venues tend to book up quickly. So with that in mind, you should reserve your venue around six to 18 months in advance. Couples who choose the Rough & Ready Vineyards as their wedding venue will even book up to two years in advance!
 
Plan on starting to research and tour venues a couple of months before you need to book. By starting early, you’ll have enough time to ask important questions, check out each venue, and find one that meets all of your requirements.
 
Bride and groom getting married at the Rough & Ready Vineyards gazebo. Photo by Katelyn Bradley Photography

Why Should I Book My Wedding Venue Early On?

Let’s face it, planning a wedding can be stressful. There’s the budget to keep in mind, of course, but there are also aspects such as your guest list, décor, food, beverages, and entertainment, to name a few. However, you can make your planning experience less stressful and more fun by planning ahead and organizing early.
 
Avoid putting unnecessary pressure on yourself by booking your wedding far in advance. Then, you’ll be better able to address any issues in advance and avoid last-minute problems.
 
There are many reasons to book your wedding far in advance. You’re able to secure your desired date, of course. But you’ll also have more control over your budget, time to hire other vendors, and many other benefits.
 

Here are 5 reasons why you should book your wedding in advance:

 
Wedding reception on the grounds of the Rough & Ready Vineyards. Photo by Athena Kalindi Photography

1. Control Over Your Budget

Of course, one of the top priorities for many couples is to keep wedding costs down while at the same time getting great value for their money. By starting to prepare for your wedding early, you’ll be better able to create a budget. When you know how much your venue is going to cost, you can anticipate items like food, drinks, and decorations in your budget. Plus, at the Rough & Ready Vineyards, you’re able to spread out your payments. So booking farther out with us will help you stay on budget.
 
Many venues will not be available if you wait too long. With fewer venues to choose from, you may have to settle for a more expensive venue than you would have otherwise.
 

2. Other Vendors

All your other wedding planning hinges on booking your venue, including everything from securing a DJ to ordering your cake. For example, if you want to book your favorite photographer, you need to know your wedding date. And if you’re going to book a wedding party bus or limo, they’ll need your venue’s address.
 
When you book your venue early, you’ll have more time to research and hire the other vendors of your choice, such as your photographer, florist, DJ, and caterer. However, if you wait too long to choose your wedding date and secure your venue, another couple may have already booked the caterer or DJ you wanted.
 

3. Time for Planning Details

Once you’ve booked your venue, you can start thinking about all the other details of your day, like your dress, décor, who you want as the officiant, and even where you’ll go for your honeymoon.
 
As soon as the initial delight of getting engaged settles in, many couples start daydreaming about the different aspects of their wedding day. Maybe you’re eager to start wedding dress shopping with your close friends, or you might have an awesome band in mind for your reception.
 
But before you can start planning these details, you’ll need to secure a venue since it lays the foundation for all of your other wedding details. For example, before you can send out your beautiful invitations, you need an address for the wedding. And before you start working on your guest list, you need to know your venue’s capacity.
 
Your venue impacts almost every other step in the wedding planning process. By finalizing your venue first, you will avoid having to re-do some of your initial wedding plans down the line.
 

4. Lodging

Whether you are traveling from out of town or live locally in Northern California, it can be a great addition to be on-site and have as much time as you wish here. It is especially convenient if you are doing some of your own décor or want to get ready here at the vineyard, rather than at home or in a hotel and drive over.
 
There are many reasons that most couples choose to book lodging at the Rough & Ready Vineyards guesthouse, and convenience is at the top of the list! Since this option is so popular, it’s wise to book the vineyard and guesthouse far in advance.
 
A bride and her three bridesmaids posed for a photo by Athena Kalindi Photography at the Rough & Ready Vineyards

5. Allows Guests Time to Plan

Booking your wedding venue in advance means you can send out your wedding invites right away to the people you really want to be present on your special day. If you give your guests plenty of notice about your wedding location and date, there’s a better chance you won’t have the letdown that comes with guests having miss out because they had other plans or couldn’t get time off work.
 
Plus, by giving your advance notice, they’re able to make travel arrangements before all the good flights and hotels are booked up. So to ensure that your guests can make it to your wedding, plan ahead and reserve the Rough & Ready Vineyards early.
 
By booking your event in advance, you can enlist the help of the Rough & Ready Vineyards staff in designing a unique theme and planning for decorations. We’re happy to help you work with you to offer suggestions on how you can take your wedding to the next level!

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on February 15, 2022, and has since been updated. 

We’d love to help you plan your wedding day, your way, at Rough & Ready Vineyards!

Have you been looking for picturesque wedding venues in Northern California that are affordable and flexible with packages, vendors, and bar requirements? Maybe you want a relaxed and easy weekend, so you can enjoy every memorable moment with everything in one location. Learn more by choosing an option below:

Heather Featherston

Written by Heather Featherston

Heather, an Event Manager for the Rough & Ready Vineyards, oversees the day-to-day operations. She takes satisfaction in seeing everyone happy and is always grateful for the opportunity to make this happen. Heather enjoys meeting with brides-to-be in order to gather the details needed to ensure their wedding day is perfect! “Every wedding and reception at the Rough & Ready Vineyards is so beautiful,” she says. “I love being able to see people enjoy the amazing venue we have created here!”

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