You’ve dreamed about your wedding since you were a little girl. You can picture the beautiful white dress, the flowers, the groom … the location. It can be a challenge to turn your dream wedding into reality. Finding the perfect wedding ceremony location to complete your fantasy can be the hardest part. Sometimes after looking at church after ballroom after chapel, you just can’t seem to find the place of your dreams. Don’t throw in the bouquet just yet! Read these tips on finding your dream wedding location!

The Beautiful Church
Does your dream involve you and your fiancé getting married in a beautiful church? Then all you need is a good phone book, some references from people around town, and a few hours a week to visit churches. Eventually you will find the perfect one. A wedding planner can eliminate a lot of the research time. Planners can give you a list of the most beautiful churches in the area. Keep in mind that a lot of churches require you to use their minister. They may also require you to be a member of their denomination or to take marriage classes. If you and your fiancé are open to using their minister and taking marriage classes, then it shouldn’t be too difficult to find the perfect church for your wedding.

The Destination Wedding
It’s becoming increasingly common for weddings to be held in tropical locations. The beach is a beautiful place for a wedding. The gentle lapping of the ocean, swaying palm trees, bright, exotic flowers and a sweet breeze make a beach destination wedding location a favorite. Many couples head out to Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Virgin Islands and even Mexico. If that’s not in your budget, consider a shorter journey to California, Florida or even southern Texas. You can find the perfect beach by picking a location that’s in your budget. Then you can find a hotel or resort in the area. Typically, you can work with a wedding coordinator at the hotel or resort to find the perfect exotic wedding location for your ceremony.

The Mountain Top Wedding
While the beach is the perfect location for a wedding to some, others want the majesty and drama of a mountain range. There are many churches and chapels in the mountains. They are built to afford a scenic view of the mountains from the sanctuary. They often have a wall made entirely of windows. If you want to get married during the fall or winter, this will be your best option. Many couples, however, brave the rough terrain and have the wedding ceremony on a mountain-top. The best way to find the perfect outdoor wedding location in the mountains is to contact churches, restaurants and resorts in your chosen mountain range. Several popular mountain rages are the Rockies, the Sierra Nevadas in Yosemite National Park in California, and the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest.

The Garden Wedding
There are many lush gardens that could be the perfect outdoor wedding location. To find a garden location for a wedding, get a listing of all public and private gardens in your area. You can get this info from your city website or city parks and recreation office. Many cities have botanical gardens and allow weddings in certain areas of the garden. These are wonderful places to have your wedding, because they often have a banquet facility for the reception.

The Las Vegas Wedding
Many people travel (or elope) to Vegas for their wedding. Vegas offers many unique wedding locations. You could have a traditional wedding at one of the many famous Vegas hotels. You could even have an informal wedding officiated by an Elvis impersonator! If you want to have a traditional wedding, select the hotel first. Work with the wedding coordinator at the hotel to find the perfect location in or around the hotel for the ceremony and reception. If you want to have an unconventional or informal wedding, take a quick trip to Las Vegas before the wedding. Scope out the various wedding chapels or drive-through wedding venues. If taking a quick trip to Vegas isn’t possible, use the Internet to do some research. If need be, find the perfect location after you get there!

Tips for finding the perfect wedding location
So you’ve figured out where you want to have the wedding. Now you’re trying to narrow down your venue options. Keep these following things in mind when making your final decision:

• Does the venue offer a place to have a reception? If not, are they close to several reception location options?
• Does the venue require you use a minister they provide? Do they require marriage classes or membership?
• If you’re having an outdoor wedding, does the venue offer an inside location in case of bad weather?
• Does the venue provide a wedding coordinator? (They make things much easier!)
• Does the venue provide catering or wedding cake services?
• Will the venue provide rooms at a discounted rate for those attending your wedding? (If you choose a hotel or resort.)
• Does the venue impose any restrictions that might keep you from having everything the way you want it?
• Will the venue provide you and your groom with separate areas in which to get ready before the wedding?
• Is there a place for pictures?

If you’re in love with the location, but there are some restrictions or requirements that could change your wedding plans, consider if the location is worth it. There are many great places to have a beautiful wedding. You don’t have to stick with one if it’s not everything you wanted.

When doing your research, take advantage of the many wedding location websites that can help you out. The sites can let you know of locations and venues that you might not have found on your own. Here are several sites to get you started:

• Fairytale Wedding Shop
• Beverly Clark’s Wedding Location.com
• Wedding-Locations.com for Southern California Wedding Locations

Don’t let finding a perfect wedding location stress you out. It doesn’t have to be an anxiety-riddled process. Explore, fantasize and have fun with finding the perfect place for your wedding. All it takes is a little bit of research, creativity and a sense of adventure!